Risk-taking and rebellion - it goes with the territory for a hormonal teenager making the transition from child to adult. Just as it’s your teen’s job to give you a few grey hairs and sleepless nights, it’s yours to rein them in. But when diabetes is in the mix, you have very good reason to worry if your child is dropping the ball with their diabetes management.
When kids hit their teens, it’s not unusual for their blood glucose management to go downhill. Kids may not want to think too much about the consequences of their behaviour, but a loving parent can’t help but worry whether their child’s actions will result in a major health fallout.
Anxious parents often feel as if they’re trying out for the nagging Olympics, as they run through the daily litany of questions they feel duty-bound to ask: Have you done a blood test? Did you take your insulin? Did you eat? And so it goes on until there’s the inevitable Mexican stand-off.
Finding your way
So, as a parent, how do you negotiate your teenager’s slack diabetes care, their parties, fast-food binges and experimentation with adult behaviours - and come through with your relationship intact? First up, acknowledge that most teens try out new identities, push boundaries, suffer mood swings and take steps to greater independence. They’re on a physical and emotional roller-coaster, and diabetes is just
