Ever since I’ve been walking my 5 year old diabetes to school, my 4 year old son has wanted to tag along on most days. He loves to run along and be silly, but sometimes he also likes riding his bike there. When we head out of the door, at times, I tell them they are going to be late!

When we are late, I rush them out of the door and down the pathway to school. It’s happened more than I would like, but at least we usually get there right on time. One of the days we were particularly late, I told my son that he needed to hustle because we didn’t want to make his sister late. He was still dragging his feet to put on his shoes. I’ve noticed in the past that he doesn’t necessarily hustle or rush when I say we are late, but that day a lightbulb came on in my head.

I asked my son if he knew what the word late meant. He said he did not. I then proceeded to have flashbacks to all the times I’ve said that to him not realizing he never knew exactly what it meant. I helped him put on his shoes and I explained the concept to him along the way to the school. You’re late when you don’t get somewhere before they start something you needed to be at. By the end of the walk, he fully understood what it meant. Sometimes when I say we are late now, he still drags his feet. At least now, I know he knows what it means!