Home » Parenting and Type 1 Diabetes

Parenting is a challenging task no matter the age of the child. Parenting style may vary depending on culture, background, how one is raised, and the environment. There is no right or wrong. However, the primary goal as successful parents is to help children grow into an independent, loving, and respectful beings. What about parenting children with Type 1 Diabetes (D1)?  It is natural and easy to become overprotective and feel more sympathy towards a D1 child.  One thing to keep in mind is the goal doesn't change. Dealing with D1 children like any other kids with special needs is especially challenging because one has to understand the disease and manage the treatments.  It can potentially become distressing more so for newly diagnosed parents of D1 children, (think insulin dosage, carbohydrate counting, blood glucose monitoring, multiple daily injections, site changes for pump users, and the list goes on...) Does this sound overwhelming enough?  Sure, it does.

Managing Type 1 Diabetes is not an exact science.  It depends heavily on trial and error experiments, constant changes, sleepless nights for blood sugar monitoring, and of course bountiful worries to figure out what works since everyone is different.  The biggest concern for diabetes management and control is to avoid episodes of high blood sugar or low blood sugar levels.  The consequences of either scenario may be extremely detrimental such as ketone buildups or potential seizures.  Creating a balance between parenting a D1 child and disease management, a parent needs to go through a more painstaking effort to achieve a certain level of independence for both the child and the parent.  Remember, there is no such thing as a "perfect" level, we try to achieve a "comfortable" level and it will certainly take time to reach.  Similar to passing on morals and values to our children, the knowledge that parents transfer to their children hopefully will be engraved in their minds and thoughts over time.

For most families with no diabetic 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.

I am a parent of a 10-year Type 1 Diabetic daughter who has had the disease since the age of 2.  I started introducing her non-Diabetic sister to her diabetes management and had her be more involved in easier tasks (drawing insulin from the vial, encouraging big sis with injections, or even simple one like reading the numbers off the glucometer). It is beneficial for both of them, and my non-Diabetic child became more understanding for her sisters needs. You may read my 10-year-old daughters synopsis on her life with diabetes to gain some insights and even catch some of her humor. http://www.mylifeonadlist.com/AboutMe.html