Parenting (Children) | Page 10 of 15

YA Author and D-Mom Kim Savage Does It All

D-Mom Kim Savage embraced raising her young son with Type 1 diabetes while going full on chasing her dream, too. Now, her son with diabetes is a teenager and her career is on the brink of superstardom thanks to a three book deal with the prestigious publishing group of Farrar, Straus & Giroux/Macmillan.

The Normal Life of a Child with Diabetes

My son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes two Septembers ago. Our story’s probably a lot like other ones you hear: there was a frantic trip to a hospital, a period of shock—He has what?—followed by the anger, then mourning that comes with realizing your child is completely dependent on a drug for survival and will forever cope with a condition that requires round-the-clock maintenance—maintenance that comes with never-ending ups and downs.

8 Things Every Parent of a Child with Diabetes Needs to Hear

This one is for the outside world, the people watching us try to master this parenting a child with diabetes life, because I’ve noticed that you’re avoiding me sometimes. And other times you say things with the best of intentions that just… set me off. So here it is, my guide to help you. Instead of saying what not to say to the parent of a child with diabetes, I offer you what yes to say. I hope it helps you. I know it will help me.

When diabetes is too hard for a kid to handle

When Type 1 Diabetes is Too Much for a Child to Bear

The psychologist continued to report what Finn had told her as he leaned against me with his face buried against my shoulder. She had asked him, Are you thinking of hurting yourself? (He said yes.) How? (He reported that he wanted to bash his head in with a baseball bat.) How likely are you to do it, on a scale from zero/not really going to, to ten/absolutely certain? (He’d rated the likelihood a seven.) I was floored. But I was not horrified, because I didn’t believe he could really be thinking any of those things.

A Father’s Letter to His Son, Newly Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes

Diabetes is so new, and the pain of it coming into our lives is still fresh. The sleepless nights are the only thing that’s consistent. I hate the feeling of running on fumes. If I don’t stay healthy, I can’t make sure you stay healthy. I am trying to put things in place to make sure that you do.

Halloween Tips From Parents of Children With Diabetes

Most kids love Halloween. Can you blame them? It's a holiday loaded with creepy crawly things, costumes, parties, and of course, candy. I recall the trick-or-treating loot my brother and I brought home in our childhood. We always had enough candy to last for months. We didn't usually keep all of the candy, but one year my brother outsmarted everyone and hid some in his desk drawer.

5 Ways to Help Your Teen with Diabetes Succeed

Treating diabetes well demands a long term vision. You tolerate a lot of inconvenience today in order to avoid future damage. But, have you tried lately talking to any teenager about the future consequences of anything? Be it school, friends, lifestyle choices– teenage thinking is not designed to consider long term consequences.

My Six Year Old Didn’t Sign Up for Type 1 Diabetes

My husband and I work hard to manage our son’s condition so he feels good, learns the ropes and has a long, healthy, happy life. But also so diabetes isn’t the focus of his world—there’s plenty more for a first-grader to think about. Still, that weekend a nasty cold, a clog in his insulin pump, and other factors led to a series of high blood sugars and, consequently, vomiting and dehydration. We were shades away from hospitalization.

The Highs and Lows of Diabetes in College

you’re in a lecture hall with 100+ people, taking a final exam. Not a sound can be heard except for pencils scratching on paper, the occasional cough, and BEEPBEEPBEEP or BUZZ! BUZZ! from your CGM or pump. It’s absolutely mortifying! Not only do you have to deal with subsequent stares and glares from your neighbors, but you also have to figure out which diabetes problem is causing the device disturbance in the first place – all while taking an exam that you spent the past week studying for. Can it get more overwhelming?

Kids First Diabetes Second: Quinn’s Diagnosis at Three

My husband had taken the morning off to spend time in the classroom, and since it was also our turn to clean, I left work to go to the school. As I began stacking knee-high chairs and tidying up the classroom, my cell phone rang. On the other end was the pediatrician. Not the nurse, but the doctor. “Where are you?” “At preschool.” “Where is your husband?” “Actually … here with us.” “Where is the school?” I didn’t like where this was going. “There was sugar in her urine. I was about to go to lunch, and I was looking over the morning labs. I want you to go to the hospital (literally two blocks away) and get blood work done, and then meet me at my office at one o’clock. Can you do that? It is really important that you do this quickly.”