The Challenges of Parenting Type 1 Diabetic Children

The task of parenting is not easy and it does not matter the age of the child. Parenting style will be subjected to culture, personal background of how you were raised, and the surroundings that you are raising the child in. There is no such thing as ideal parenting, however as a succeeding parent your intention and focus is to give your children the basics to grow into independent, loving, and respectful members of society. As challenging as being a parent imposes, what about parenting a Type 1 Diabetic child (D1)? More often than not, we succumb to becoming more benevolent, overprotective, and sometimes take on more pity toward our D1 child.

Setting aside all the emotions we have, we need to remember the primary goal does not change. Much like other children with special needs and require extra attention, raising a D1 child can be especially challenging because it is an absolute necessity to comprehend how the disease will affect the child and what is needed for the treatments. It may substantially become bewildering for newly diagnosed parent in particular of a D1 child. In addition to "normal" parenting, diabetes management calls for a new mindset (add carbohydrate counting, blood glucose checking, insulin dosage, MDIs, site change management for pump user, it doesn't just end there...). Overwhelming enough? Of course it is.

Management of type one diabetes is learned as it is not an exact science, a lot of trial and error experiments, late nights blood sugar checks, some sleepless nights, not to mention the endless worries just to find what works best. To become proficient at helping the D1 child to get to the "perfect" number on the glucometer so to avoid hyperglycemic and avoid ketone buildups and hypoglycemic episodes associated with high blood sugar levels or have low blood sugar levels and risk potential seizures require a lot of work. The question parents will often ask themselves, "Did I do the right thing?" "Am I doing this right?" suddenly has very tough meaning, with no correct answer.

The art of juggling between parenting and mastering the management of Type One Diabetes, the parent will have to work diligently to achieve the level of independence for themselves and their children. There will never be such a thing as the "perfect" level, we may strive to attain a "comfortable" level, which may take several months or even years to reach. The knowledge that must be passed on the child from the parent is similar to passing on morals and values, over time the knowledge will imprint on the child's mind. Major focus point is consistency and repetition.

For most families with no diabetes children, sibling rivalry becomes a major challenge, more so when D1 children involved, with potential increase in resentment and bitterness between the siblings. The non-diabetic children may feel that the parents are giving all the attention to the diabetic child, where as the diabetic child may ask, why may question why can my brothers and sisters do or eat anything that they please. A possible better solution that has worked for many parents is to handle the situation with understanding, patience, and education. As a parent we always hear from the child the questioning "Why?". It becomes very important to answer the why question, but first we need to know what the child is really asking. The child may be feeling deprived or resentment between the sibling, and trying to come to grip with his or her feeling. Attempting to understand your child feeling often, and being aware of how to reassure the child can go a long ways in preventing sibling rivalry.

Your job as a parent does not stop at home, the diabetic child will feel they are different from their school mates, again education and assurance will be needed to let the child know that being different is not always a bad thing, just different. Teachers, school nurses, fellow classmates becomes part of the duty of the parent to ensure awareness of the child's special needs. Remember that not everyone understands the disease and it implications.

My 10-year old daughter has bee
Type 1 Diabetic since the age of 2. To create a balance between the 2 sisters, I assigned useful jobs to my non-diabetic daughter (drawing insulin, shot assistance by squeezing big sis’ arm, or even just reading the numbers off the blood glucose meter). It is extremely useful to have my non-D daughter involved in her sister’s diabetes management, and it also helps her understand her sister’s routine. You may read my 10-year-old daughter’s synopsis on her life with diabetes to gain some insights and even catch some of her humor. http://www.mylifeonadlist.com/AboutMe.html