What should our kids be responsible for in their diabetes care?

Sweet Talk for Parents of Kids with Type One Diabetes

On today’s show, I welcome back Kaylor Glassman, founder of Diabetes Support Partners, to talk through a question from a listener.

The question has to do with an 11 year old, who the parent feels isn’t being as responsible about diabetes management as mom thinks she should be. Mom is concerned that this kiddo isn’t tracking the insulin in her pump, is allowing her pump to run out of charge, and is always surprised when the CGM expires. The parent is wondering how to get better cooperation from her child.

But Kaylor and I question whether this is the right approach and whether these are reasonable expectations for this child. We look at how the anxiety of the parent could be pushing this kid to do more than, perhaps, she’s capable of. And with that in mind, we look at how to foster a conversation with our children about what they think they are capable of, with the idea that we’re transferring diabetes responsibility step by step.

Listen to hear more about:

*The difference between whether a child can do a task and whether they are actually ready to do that task

*Ways to foster a positive connection around these tasks through conversation

*Thinking about developmental readiness in transferring T1D responsibilities

*Following the child who’s in front of us and allowing them to lead in terms of what management tasks they are ready for

*Keeping connected about diabetes, even in the teen years

Mentioned in this episode:

Need help getting your kid the right snacks?

That's why I've created the Sweet Talk Snack Course. It's a free mini-course to give you 6 snack sized lessons on making sure you're giving your kid the right foods to keep them nourished and their blood sugar in check. Get it at https://diabetessweettalk.com