The ADA published this news item yesterday (the link has since been removed from their site). The University of Utah conducted a study of type 1 kids aged 10 to 14 years old and their parents to see how the kids handled managing their diabetes as they grew older. Not surprisingly, the researchers noted poor self management by kids as parental involvement declined in three markers of monitoring their child’s diabetes treatment.
This information should serve as a warning to parents of kids and teens with diabetes: you need to be supportive of your child as they grow, as they learn to do so with their diabetes, and you need to stay involved.
The three markers the study discussed are:
- Knowledge of diabetes care behaviors
- Parents’ acceptance of the child in general
- Assistance with diabetes management tasks
These are common-sense areas to see a decline of parental involvement as kids move from childhood into teenage years. However, it’s worth the effort to stay involved and keep your child healthy and strong as they live and grow with type one diabetes.
1. Knowledge of diabetes care behaviors.
How do you as a parent care for your child living with diabetes as they grow? Do you watch them check their blood glucose? Do you watch them take a shot? Do you watch them draw up their insulin syringe?
When was the last time you were that involved with these daily aspects of diabetes? Are you reviewing what they report on their logs, are you checking the meter’s memory, or are you watching their blood touch the strip? Be aware. The log is just a piece of paper, easily manipulated.
2. Parents’ acceptance of the child in general.
Reading this blog is not going to help you accept your child in general. Only a lot of soul searching, therapy, and hard work can do that. However, the fact that the researchers named this as a marker in diabetes self management is crucial to understand and is crucial for your child’s health.
I understand that parental guilt often accompanies a diabetes diagnosis. If you want to help your child deal with their diabetes, you must be able to focus on THEM instead of YOU. If you have some unclear feelings as I’m sure you do, try to keep them separated from your child instead of trying to work out your own feelings about your child’s disease with them. Your child is working hard enough to deal with their diabetes.
Your child knows how you feel about them, and about how you feel about their disease. Your child is a child. Not an adult. They look to you for support, guidance, and comfort. Be that for them.
3. Assistance with diabetes management tasks.
This one is a simple one, really. Sometimes, taking a shot or counting carbs or checking your blood is just tiring—especially when your friends and classmates are doing something else. A vacation from diabetes would be nice. However, living with type one diabetes means you will never get a vacation. Ever.
So as a parent, help your kid out. Learn as much as you can about what your child may be going through, and just be around and be open and willing to help with something. Sometimes you might need to verbally offer to help. Sometimes you may need to suggest a check, or count the carbs for them. Sometimes you probably need to demand your child eat. But sometimes, you should also probably be quiet, and just nearby.
Whatever it is, be there. Be willing. Be knowledgeable. Let them ask and let your answer always be as supportive and encouraging as possible.
