09: When Your T1D Kid Struggles to Remember to Dose

Today I’m joined by Katie Roseborough, host of the Sugar Mama’s podcast. I’ve visited with Katie on her show, and she’s returning the favor by joining me today with a question about her T1D kid. Join us to hear the conversation!Show Highlights:Guest #1: Katie, mother of three, has a daughter (her middle child) with T1D.Her daughter is 10 years old and was diagnosed about two years ago. She is fairly compliant with her diabetes management IF Katie tells her what to do; if her mom isn’t around, it’s a different story. Katie’s First Question: “How do I get to the heart of the issue to encourage her to be more mindful of what she needs to do even if she isn’t with me?”JoAnne’s Answer: “I’m hearing that your system mostly works, but there are a few holes. I think future worry is the issue as you wonder if this is ever going to change. It sounds like she isn’t quite ready to take this on, and she’s happy to let the adults hold this responsibility for her. Try to separate out the future piece and look at the now. Validate that it makes sense that she doesn’t want to pick this up and monitor everything she eats. Let her know that you both need to figure out together what the next steps will be. It will take a while, and you will have this conversation over and over before things change. When she does take ownership, set off the fireworks of praise for her in getting older, maturing, and taking on responsibility for these hard, extra things. You may need to back off about the dosing and make it about a strategy. Ask her what you can do to help her remember, and try different strategies to see what might work. She will eventually get it because you are helping her be aware. The data is clear that into their early 20s, our kids struggle to hold onto all the things in their T1D care. You’ll probably see a developmental shift as she is more able to remember and more willing to pick it up, and she will still forget.” Katie’s Second Question: “In the future, when she’s away from home more and more, what do you recommend we do to help her remember to monitor snacks and dose correctly?”JoAnne’s Answer: “We have a lot of technology today that allows you to keep a check on her. If she goes for sleepovers and camps, you can still see what’s happening, and she will get more autonomy and privacy as she shows you her capacity to handle tasks. You can help her plan for supplies as she is away from home, and it’s a great learning opportunity for when she goes to college. Remember that it’s always easier to let go of control than to regain control. Begin by keeping more control for sleepovers, and as she gains more independence, you can gradually release some control.”<br/>Resources:Connect with Katie: Sugar Mama’s podcastVisit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com For help with the emotional and parenting challenges of facing T1D management, join one of our live recording sessions by clicking the banner at the top of the homepage.For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course at www.diabetessweettalk.com/courses. Experienced T1D parents can find help in the Put Diabetes in Its Place course at www.diabetessweettalk.com/courses.