Perspectives on Diabetes Care
This is the official blog of the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists where we share recent research and professional opinions on diabetes care and education.
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Letting Go...
Sep 8, 2010, 01:00 AM
In my last blog, I talked about Kid's Day that we held at our clinic to help get parents and their children with type 1 diabetes ready to return to school. One thing that I noticed during this day was the emotional effects that parents of children and teens with diabetes experience when they have to let go of their child's care.
In our back-to-school session, we were fortunate to enlist the services of a family therapist who provided informal presentations to patients and their families throughout the day.
Once again, my eyes were opened to the challenges of diabetes, when three of my favorite and diligent moms began to tear-up when the therapist asked for questions from the audience. Just 2 days later, I saw another family and helped them fill out medical management and 504 plans as their little 5 year old with type 1 diabetes was heading to school for the first time. Small drops of tears collected in mom’s eyes and she stated she wanted to quit her job and home school. It was too hard to let him go.
I thought I was aware of the challenges of being a parent with a child with diabetes, but I got an even closer insight into these conscientious and wonderful mothers' hearts. I gained a brief understanding of how difficult it is to allow their children to be in the care of others for those many hours.
It’s not just about heading for college (another big step), but about sleepovers, bicycle rides, soccer practice….. How do you help parents let go?
What type of safety nets do you help them put in place so that they can enjoy their own lives while their child is enjoying theirs? Please share your insight into this challenging and necessary part of caring for children with type 1 diabetes!