Being a dad with diabetes can be tricky. I watch everything my kids do hoping I do not spot a symptom of this stupid disease in their lives. When they want a lot to drink I worry. If I hear them get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom I worry. If they are tired for no reason I worry.

Besides keeping a watchful eye on my kids I am also always careful about what I fill our cupboards with. We don’t my sugary cereals Hostess is not one of our major food groups, and regular soda is almost never in our home.

The bad side about this is feeling like the enemy of fun. I know I am making good choices for them but at the same time I feel kind like a jerk who doesn’t want them to enjoy kid stuff.

My son was our first child and the kid will pass on ice cream and cake if he is not feeling it. I could have just had a Thanksgiving day meal and be full but still would not pass on cake! We were tough on him and his food choices. He would rather have fruit as a snack then candy. Amazing.

Our daughter on the other hand has a sweet tooth. I believe part of it is because we were a little easier on her when it came to snacks. The problem is that she will never turn down any sweet she is offered and she is already battling a weight issue.

I write all this because Valentines day was completely candy free. We made dinner on the barbecue which consisted of salmon and a trio of vegetables. We watched movies, hung out, and played video games. I thought is was awesome.

Well, today at work one of the ladies here asked if I got the kids a box of chocolates for Valentines and I told her that I never buy them stuff like that. You should have seen the look on her face. She made me feel like a complete jerk.

So I would love to hear what other parents who have diabetes think about the whole “sweets” issue. Are you tough about letting that stuff in the house or do you add sugary snacks to the grocery list?