I am scared to consider this and not ready yet but was wondering how you handled it and/or if you did? I posted on my blog about it. If you’d like thread more details you can read there at www.everydayhighsandlows.com. Any advice would be loved! Thanks!
hello everydayhighsandlows, after me giving my son his shots for about a week he asked me if he could do it! i said sure and hes been doing it ever since! when we were counting carbs he would figure them and figure out how much insulin he needed! ( hes honeymooning right now). i was really surprised when he asked but i was ok with it! i was just gonna wait till he wanted to, wasnt gonna rush him with it! he pretty much takes care of himself! hes 11yrs. old!
My daughter is almost 12 & no longer handles things on her own. She used to do a great job, starting with injections & now on the insulin pump. She doesn't want to have diabetes any more and often "forgets" to check her blood sugar. I am back to supervising to be sure she checks her blood sugar & takes insulin. She is a very social, busy-body girl & the last thing she wants to do is stop & take care of her diabetes. We started counseling with a Type 1 therapists & things have gotten better. I thinks it's important to have your child know how to take care of themselves, but overall it is still the parents responsiblity for their health & well being.
Sandi. You really said it like it should be with girls this age. Mary does great away from home, I think she is terrified of the results of not taking care of herself away from home. But at home, forget it. Unless she feels low, she either does a great job, or ignores it all. I actually peek in to watch and be sure she takes her insulin and doesn't fake it. I also always check her meter when she gets home from hanging out with friends somewhere. She seems to over check when she is out so I continue to allow her to go to sleepovers, the pool, etc as long as there is an adult around.
From the start, almost two months now, she has been in charge of herself, she has done all her shots and pokes, except the middle of the night. But we have always overseen it.
But if it were my son? I think he would want to be independent, but he is less responsible. Know your child.
sandi. I agree with your comment. Ultimately, our doctor still will want me tp supervise the intake of insulin even once my ten year old son takes over his shots. Because he has ADHD I dont think he is mature enough yet and does not want to take over yet. If my taking care of his diabetes is what he wants and lets him feel somewhat care free then for now that is fine. He does check his own sugar and is very knowledgeable regarding carbs, his schedule , no snacking outside his schedule, how to treat a low, etc… Each child is individual so it is up to the parent to decide and regardless supervise (to some extent minimally).
Taking on diabetes responsibilities is different for each kid. Depends on the child's personality. Summer camp is usually a great way to get kids started on being independent.
Most kids struggle in their teen years. Teens make stupid decisions, drive too fast, try alcohol and drugs, eat bad, etc. And diabetic teens ignore their diabetes. Most of us outgrow it and are no worse for the wear.