Children at these ages are more social and peers begin to play a more important role in their lives. They usually begin to spend nights at friends' houses and have more peer activities than do younger children. This is an opportune age to do classroom education about diabetes. The more peers understand, it's less likely they will tease and more likely they will become a support to your child. Peer support is important, especially later on during adolescence.
Children can be helpful by learning to take on increased responsibilities.
They may help with doing dishes, feeding pets, cleaning their own room and other rooms, or taking out the garbage. Special rewards, such as stars on a calendar, may be helpful in encouraging certain activities. They are capable of more complex food preparation and can better understand safety and danger issues. At about this age some children wish to begin to give some of their own insulin shots. The ability to accurately draw up the insulin is a bit slower in developing, but it is usually present at 10 or 11 years of age.