Caring for a child with a chronic illness takes a big emotional and physical toll on parents, and you, too, need an occasional break from it all. It's true that caregivers, especially for small children with diabetes, can be difficult to find.

Some adults feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for a child (think about how you felt when your child was first diagnosed). Others worry about legal liability should something go wrong under their care. Fear is a big factor in many people's unwillingness to babysit children with diabetes, and this is often the easiest obstacle to overcome.

If you have relatives nearby, they are a natural choice for babysitting duties. If not, tap friends and neighbors for potential candidates. You need someone responsible, caring, and cool-headed — the same qualities you would look for in a babysitter if your child didn't have diabetes.

When you make first contact, explain up-front that your child does have diabetes and has some special needs. Then invite your potential sitter over for an afternoon (or even several afternoons) to interact and watch your child with you around as backup, to see what caring for your child really entails. Often the sitter will find that the reality is not even close to what his imagination had cooked up.

When you leave your child with a sitter, always leave a list of emergency contact numbers (including your child's doctor's office), along with detailed instructions on your child's diabetes care. If you have an extra copy of your child's IEP around, photocopying it for sitters is a good idea since it contains all essential treatment information.