The Challenges of Parenting Type 1 Diabetic Children

The challenging task of parenting is difficult no matter the age of the child. The style of parenting will vary dependent upon what culture you are in, your own personal background of how you were raised, and the environment that you are raising the child in.  There is no one correct way to be the ideal parent, however as a successful parent your goal will be to help the children to grow up and be independent, loving, and of course respectful to other member of the society.  What about being the parent of a child with Type 1 Diabetes (D1)? Quite often, we find ourselves being more sympathetic and overprotective toward our Type 1 Diabetes child.  Among all the things, we need to remember is that our primary goals have not changed, as that is to be a successful parent.  As with other children with special needs, D1 child can be very challenging as it becomes necessary to understand how the disease will affect the child and what is necessary to manage the treatment. The potential for distress for newly diagnosed parent of a child with Type 1 Diabetes, will almost be overwhelming. The additional regimen will be a new mindset (think carbohydrate counting, blood glucose checking, insulin dosage, how many daily injections, what dosage, site changes for pump user, and the day goes on...). Does all of this sound overwhelming? Certainly it does.  To become truly proficient with managing the disease and achieve satisfactory level to prevent future complications, one must goes through trial and error, experiments, sleepless nights, and of course endless worries to get the "perfect" number on your glucometer to avoid hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic episodes and ketone buildups associated with high blood sugar levels, or potential seizures from low blood sugar.  It truly gives the questions parents frequently ask, "Did I do the right thing?" "Am I doing this right?" a double meaning. While juggling between parenting and mastering D1 management, parents will need to work extra hard to reach the goal of independence both for them and for their children.  There is no such thing as a "perfect" level; we strive for a "comfortable" level.  This may take a couple of months or years to attain.  The process of transferring the knowledge of disease management from the parents to the children, much like passing on values and morals, it takes time but eventually will imprint in their minds.  Major key points to focus on are consistency and repetition. Sibling rivalry may be the concern parents face in a "normal" family setting.  The concern can virtually escalate with families involving a D1 child.  The major discontent could stem from the D1 child hogging most of the parents' attention, or the envy a D1 child for their other siblings having more freedom with eating or other things they can do without parents' supervision.  This will form questions in the D1 child as well as non-diabetic siblings as to "Why" the situation is the way it is.  An effective method of handling this situation for parents is understanding, lots of patience, and education.  Questions raised by the D1 and non-diabetic children should be taken seriously and know their underlying reasons behind their questions.  In addition, as parents, we have to help the children come to grip with their emotions and thoughts so as to decrease negative feelings towards each other.  This also goes as far as your D1 child's social surroundings.  The parent's task is to extend the knowledge and educate school personnel, students, friends, and other family members.  Though the D1 child may come to an understanding that he/she is "different", but the difference is, it will not be a negative label.  After all, not everyone understands Type 1 Diabetes and its implications. As a parents with a Type 1 Diabetic Daughter, I have managed to delegate simple but useful tasks to my non-D daughter (drawing insulin from the syringe, holding sister's arm for injections, or even reading off the numbers from the glucometer).  I find it extremely helpful for my non-D daughter to be involved in her sister's diabetes management, and it also helps her understand her sister's daily life routine.  You may read my 10 year old diabetic daughter's synopsis of her life with diabetes and catch her humor.  http://www.mylifeonadlist.com/AboutMe.html Normal 0 Normal 0