On today’s show, I talk to one of those moms.  Her daughter, now 14, was diagnosed in kindergarten — and mom is struggling with the normal independence that her daughter wants to have.  She talks about how diabetes reset (and raised) the level of her day-to-day anxiety, leaving her worrying about every number and every possibility.  It’s a hard habit to break, especially as her daughter wants to walk out the door to the school dance carrying a teeny purse with no room for low supplies.

So she and I brainstorm:  We think through ways she can talk to her daughter about bringing those supplies without creating a fight.  And we also talk about the ways that mom can to release the iron grip of her anxiety.  As I always say, it doesn’t mean she should unclip her diabetes seatbelt — her daughter does need to have low supplies at the dance — and mom has some work to do to let some mistakes happen.  After all, if our kids are out of range because they mis-dosed for a boba, it’s not the end of the world: In fact, it becomes a moment to have a conversation about how to this about it differently next time.  

Together, we think about the ways that our kids learn diabetes management (spoiler alert: step by small painful step) and how we can support that process. And we look at the importance of having faith in who our children will become, both as people, and as people with diabetes.  

Even if your child was diagnosed when they were older, so much of this is familiar to all of us with T1D kids: the anxiety and the letting go.

Hope you enjoy the show!

That’s what I’m talking about on today’s podcast episode.  Natalie, mom of four year old Amara who was diagnosed at eight months, came on the show to share the ways she’s having trouble turning down the volume on her own anxiety about diabetes.  Even though this makes so much sense — her daughter was diagnosed at 8 months!  and she’s still so young! — we look at the toll it’s taking on Natalie.    

The irony is that Natalie theoretically knows what she should be doing to help herself feel better— before she had Amara she was a meditation teacher.  But now she’s having trouble leaving Amara with anyone else to make time for self care.  Even though we spend a little time problem solving this — and noting the ways that Natalie has recently taken new steps to get some support — I challenge Natalie a lot in this episode.  I emphasize all of the reasons that it’s essential for her to take better care of herself, not least of all because she wants to model a good relationship to diabetes for her daughter.

Listen in to hear about other ways we T1D parents can think about shifting our narrative about diabetes so we can recharge ourselves.

Hope you enjoy the show. 

Natalie's Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieCalzadilla

While Brooke talks about how sharing her story helps her to heal the fear that she felt three years ago, we also look at the ways she’s still living in that fear, how it comes up with her two other children and her worries about them having T1D, how it shows up in her extreme expertise about diabetes. Through the conversation, we discuss ways that Brooke can go beyond activism to turn the volume down on her fears, and work through the trauma of her daughter’s diagnosis, from getting her other kids tested for antibodies regularly to the potential for therapy for herself. 

In listening, I think we all recognize pieces of our own diagnosis story and the ways we learned to cope with the new challenge of diabetes as it entered our lives. Hope you enjoy the show!

I remember that before my son hit his teens, I swore that our lives wouldn't be as hard as what I was hearing from parents in the trenches. I was so sure that we were going to do better than all those other parents. And now I can humbly say that there is no easy path forward with teen kids: There are so many challenges as our kids grow up and transition to being independent with diabetes management.

On today's podcast episode, we get one flavor of what it’s like when you’re in the teen trenches. Rob comes onto the show to think through what to do about ongoing conflict he and his wife are having with their almost-17-year-old T1D daughter. 

All the conflict centers on a new pump that they changed to a few months ago. The settings they are using for the new pump aren’t working — but their daughter is digging in her heels, insisting that she’s going to continue to do it her way. And her way means lots of LOW lows, massive number of juice boxes (Rob is buying them in bulk at Costco) and many-too-many sleepless nights for mom and dad. Basically, this teen has staked her turf, insisting that she be independent around the settings on this pump, even as it’s causing frustration and danger. 

There was some good news, though: Rob noted that at their last endo appointment, he heard his daughter repeating back to the doctor all the things that he had articulated to her about the reasons the pump didn’t work. She clearly just can’t talk to him about it yet, but she is integrating it. Bottom line is that sometimes with our teens, we have to lean into the village. One suggestion? Have more endo appointments. Let the endo direct this conversation with his daughter. After all, if our kids won’t listen to us, it’s important to find a proxy who we trust — and who they are wiling to listen to. 

We also looked at the way that this diabetes management issue is hijacking the relationship Rob and his wife have with their daughter. At this point, any time they try to talk to her about it, they end up in an explosive argument. I made a few key suggestions of how he can approach her so they can find a way to discuss it without a fight. 

Hope you come away with some additional tools to apply to the hard moments you have with your T1D kiddo, either now or when they finally it those rocky teen years.

Enjoy the show!

It sounds like Ethan has an amazing teacher: She’s paying attention to his diabetes and wondering if his high blood sugar might correlate to some disrespectful behaviors that she’s seen. The problem is that Julie and her husband haven’t seen that same correlation at home: Although they know that their son is very wiggly, has a lot of energy, and likely has a hard time sitting still — especially in the afternoons at school — they haven’t seen disrespectfulness when his blood sugar is out of range. At the same time, when he’s high — or has a big case of the wiggles — Julie will take him for a run to help him get his energy out or bring his blood sugar down, something teachers can’t do for him at school. Whether diabetes is driving Ethan’s behavior or not, we came to the conclusion that the teachers might be overly focused on Ethan’s diabetes, giving a reason for his not-so-stellar behavior when it would be better to just treat it as a behavioral issue.

Truth be told, we really never can know how our kid’s blood sugars are affecting them. But in my experience working with T1D adults, I found that they often felt frustrated with their parents for attributing their behavior to highs when they were kids. And the reality is that we all need to strive to be our best selves, even under less than ideal circumstances. So in the show, we talk about different ways we can help our kids show up as their best, whether it’s the high blood sugar getting in their way, or just the wiggles.

Hope you enjoy the show! 

In this week’s episode, Jessica comes on to the show to talk about the worries she has about where diabetes is sitting for her 7-year old: Grace is struggling to make connections with peers, but Jessica isn’t sure how much diabetes is playing a role. 

Bottom line: Grace doesn’t like it when classmates ask about her devices.  And she’s in good company there — many kids are uncomfortable about that. At the same time, I pointed out to Jessica that Grace’s classmates don’t seem to be mean, just curious.  Together we thought about ways that Jessica could explore with Grace about what, exactly, makes her uncomfortable, as well as playing with different ways she could respond.  

At the same time, I leaned into validation, knowing that that could be so powerful for Grace.  Jessica said that “if I were in second grade and had diabetes, I would probably feel that way too” — and I reflected on how great it could be for Grace to hear that from her.   

Certainly, we did problem solving, from Jessica organizing playdates to talking to the classroom teaching to thinking about the value of a social skills group for little Grace.  But mostly we sat with how hard it is for a kid to have type 1.  We sat with that uniquely parental fantasy we have that T1D is struggle enough and that our kids should have nothing else to deal with.  At the end of the day, this is what caring parents like Jessica wish for their kids.  

Hope you enjoy the show!

Kaylor started with such a good point: She noticed that mom is taking the very brave step of leaving her son with new adults in the first place, something that’s often hard for us T1D parents. And this kiddo is making it trickier, since he’s questioning whether he is T1D safe with these new adults. The tricky thing, of course, is that talking about diabetes in this way might just be a way for a child to express general nervousness. After all, they know that they will have our attention if the conversation is about T1D. But ultimately, I believe the antidote to this new anxiety is to continue to reassure this kid that he is safe. After all, this is what we want for our kids (and for ourselves!): a safety net of trusted adults that they can rely on besides mom and dad. 

So what to do to help? First of all, stay the course. This mom should keep practicing leaving her son with safe adults and continue to communicate her confidence that he will be fine. Kaylor and I talk about how important it is to think about your tone as a parent, letting your child know what’s going to happen, and being attentive to their potential worry, but also leaning into the idea that everything will be alright so we don’t allow anxiety to grow. We talked through other great strategies to manage a child’s anxiety and to help them see and understand that their worries aren’t always a good predictor of what’s actually going to happen. Finally, we thought about how our own anxiety might actually be in the mix. Yes, this mom is doing an amazing and brave thing in dropping her T1D kid off with new people, but often we adults have to talk through and process these new steps for ourselves and our little ones pick up on our energy. As hard as it can be, we have to try to protect our kids from our own worries. 

Listen to hear more about:

*Timing a conversation with your child about a new experience so they have less time to worry

*Why it might be important to circle back to talk to a child after they’ve done something that makes them nervous

*How to strike a balance between validating our kid’s experience and keeping their anxiety small

*Ways we can protect kids from our own anxiety

Hope you enjoy the show!

That’s what I’m talking about this week with Megan.  Megan’s son Henry — now 15, diagnosed at 7 and the oldest of four boys — has had a big shift in his diabetes behaviors.  Up till now, he’s been really independent with management and Megan has only had to step in to help occasionally or during the night.  But she’s noticing changes. Examples: She often can’t read his numbers when he’s at hockey practice — and when she can, he’s sometimes playing low without treating.  He’s sometimes walking out of the door with just some skittles in his pocket — no backup supplies in sight.  He’s minimizing when she asks about it, saying that he’s “got it.”  

Megan wants to do what any mother of a T1D kid wants to do — get him back on track.  And she’s very supportive when she talks to him, wondering how she can help.  We talk about adding some additional tools to her parenting arsenal:  First we look at getting more curious about his experience, understanding better where the shift is coming from and what’s making it hard for him to manage more effectively.  Megan knows and suspects that some of this comes from shifts he’s experiencing in his hockey cohort in particular, but also knows that he’s struggling in general.  After we talk about her getting curious, we look at the tool of validating, noting that it is so hard for him and so understandable that he’s struggling.  Meeting him in this place is a powerful way for him to feel better understood and heard.  Ultimately, it’s a way to keep communicating her care and concern, without creating conflict around diabetes.  

We also looked at parenting choices she might make: She might create some containment around diabetes management by involving her son’s coach, but I note that getting that kind of outside intervention with a teenager has a lot to do with the needs and sense of independence of the kid: If a child will feel like they are being well supported when a parent makes that move, it’s a perfect choice.  But sometimes our teens need to try to course correct on their own.  As parents, it’s a delicate balance to figure it out.  

Enjoy the show!   

The picture here is a bit complicated:  At first, this older brother was accepting and helpful, in the same way that older siblings often are when a new baby arrives in the house.  But as time went on — and the older brother recognized that diabetes was in the house to stay — his behavior shifted. He now avoids items touched by his younger sibling, expresses some fears of contamination and is pretty rejecting of his younger brother.

What’s a parent to do?  We take a pretty deep dive, trying to untangle all the possibilities of what this 6 year-old’s behavior means, what he’s trying to express, and how to effectively address it.  

First and foremost, I talk with these parents about validating their son’s experience.  After all, when diabetes comes to a family, siblings are often sidelined.  Acknowledging that to a kid can be really calming for them, allowing them to feel seen and understood, even when they aren’t getting the attention that they used to get — and that they still deserve.  Mom shares a moment when she did a beautiful job validating their son’s experience  — and got such a strongly positive response from her boy.  I encourage them to do this more, more, more, reminding them that their son’s feelings have been building for a while and will take a while to unravel.  

We explore other possibilities as well: one-on-one time with this older sib; setting clear limits on inappropriate behaviors, with clear consequences; and finding good books that talk about the ways that little siblings can be hard to adjust to for their older brothers and sisters.  And while I talked to them about the ways that some of this sibling conflict might be completely normal, I also encouraged these parents to keep a close eye: This older brother has such a strong concept of his younger brother being “contaminated,” that if that continues over time, I think they should consult with their pediatrician to see if they should have their son assessed for OCD.  While so many of these kinds of behaviors are normal as our kids grow and change — especially in the face of a trauma like a type 1 diagnosis —  I don’t want this family to let a problem fester, if they ultimately need more support for their son.

Hope you enjoy the show!

Cue my conversation for this week’s episode with Jo, mom of a 14-year old who was diagnosed about a year ago.  After talking about the oh-so-familiar challenges that Jo and her son have struggled with in this first year since diagnosis, we started unpacking how her son’s lack of lunchtime dosing isn’t just “reckless.”  In reality, it makes a lot of sense. 

For this 14-year old, as for many of our kids, giving insulin is more about the social discomfort and emotional weight that comes with managing a chronic illness in front of peers.  Consider it this way: at 14, fitting in and feeling normal is almost everything. Giving that shot — and maybe even punching numbers into that pump — can feel like a glaring spotlight on differences. Thinking about it like this allowed Jo to see her son’s behavior not as reckless, but as a very human response to the pressures of teenage life with diabetes. 

With that as a backdrop, I encouraged Jo to shift her focus from frustration to acknowledgment of her son’s successes. Despite the struggles, he’s managing a lot more than she sometimes gives him credit for — bottom line is that he’s dosing whenever he’s not with friends, a big win.  I also invited Jo to explore this issue with her son through open and non-judgmental conversations. Ultimately, while we should never unbuckle the “diabetes seatbelt” and it’s important to try to keep numbers in range, it’s equally important to create a safe space for our kids to express their feelings and to find ways to manage diabetes that align with their need for normalcy and independence.

Hope you enjoy the show!

I’m talking with Nikki, a mother from the UK whose 6-year old daughter was diagnosed with T1D about a year a half ago.  As Nikki learned more and more about diabetes after her daughter’s diagnosis, she started to recognize that she needed to make significant adjustments to her work life in order to truly meet her daughter’s needs. The lack of support and understanding from her employers compounded her feelings of guilt, overwhelm, and depression. Ultimately, Nikki made the tough decision to step back from her job, allowing her to provide the dedicated care her daughter required.

Nikki’s work/life balance ultimately has a happy ending—she started her own business where she works less and earns more. But it prompted her to think about the kinds of support that T1D parents need: Her journey heightened her awareness of the precarious nature of balancing professional obligations with the demands of caregiving.

In many ways, Nikki’s story is not unique; many parents face similar struggles as they take on the often crushing burden of managing their child’s T1D — and many parents adjust their work schedules to accommodate these needs. But it’s a lonely and hard decision, so I was grateful to Nikki for coming forward to explicitly name how challenging it can be.  We have a brief, but wide-ranging conversation.  

Listen to hear more about

*My thoughts about how some of the work/life balance parents need help with is actually a political issue

*Some clear ideas about mourning and challenges parents face when their child is first diagnosed.

*Starting to create some community around T1D

Hope you enjoy the show!

Mary and her husband are getting the hang of diabetes but it’s been such a big learning curve that they’re thinking of postponing sending Campbell to preschool in the fall: Mary just can’t picture how a school transition would go.  The thought of entrusting her son’s care to someone else is understandably daunting. As we talk, we realize together that Mary’s also hesitant to send Campbell because she’s not sure how to ask the school for the help that her family needs to manage type 1.  Ultimately, she doesn’t want to burden others with the complexities of managing his diabetes and learning the ins-and-outs of the disease. 

Together, we delve into her worries and explore the emotional landscape of becoming a T1D advocate for our kids. We discuss the vital importance of self-advocacy, not just to ensure that our kids receive the best possible care and support, but also because it’s critical for us to model for them how they can ask for the help they need — today and in their future. We also look at how this kind of advocacy helps create a safety net for our kids. 

I share several strategies to help Mary feel more comfortable both advocating and leaving her son at preschool: We talk about the small steps she can take to practice, mostly by starting to advocate with family members, creating a step-by-step map for starting to leave Campbell with those people who already love him. We also look at ways to think about advocating at the school by her first getting super clear about what kind of support she wants Campbell to have.  

Listen to hear more about:

• the reasons you might consider transitioning to a pump, even when shots are working
• the mistakes school care providers might make in management — and how to think about that
• an upcoming workshop that will help you build a better relationship with your child’s care team at school

Tiffany’s worries are a mirror of what so many T1D parents feel—we worry about the hurdles our kids are going to face. It’s easy to get caught up in the “what ifs” and overlook the “right nows.” So I brought Tiffany into the present, looking at the ways her daughter might have felt limited since her diagnosis and how Tiffany can respond to that. 

Validation became the keyword of the discussion. I emphasized the importance of acknowledging the frustrations and limitations her daughter is currently facing — in the example Tiffany gave, it was about sitting out from PE, something we’re all familiar with.  I work through a powerful validation tool with Tiffany that she’ll be able to use again and again as she parents diabetes, one that will keep her closer to her daughter’s experience, with the hope that that will help her daughter make a smoother adjustment to a life with type 1. It’s not foolproof, but it’s a way for our kids to understand that we’re alongside them.  

Listen to hear more about:

• The nitty gritty of how to construct a strong validation of our kid’s experience
• Thoughts on how to stay close to our kids as they grow their diabetes responsibilities so we’re attuned to what they actually can manage.
• A discussion on the thin line between fostering independence and the risk of “diabetes burnout.”
• How powerful it is for a parent to be together with their child on their diabetes journey

 Hope you enjoy!

The decision to test siblings for diabetes markers is one that many families, including my own, approach with trepidation. The anxiety surrounding this decision is understandable. No parent wants to even begin to imagine another child facing the same challenges as their type 1. And so the question becomes: to test or not to test?  Do I want to know?  Should I want to know? Does knowing help? Or will I just feel more overwhelmed?

The discussion strikes a balance between the idea that knowing if a diagnosis is coming can be powerful — we can plan, and prepare, and possibly even help delay onset with new drugs like tZield. But we also need to be gentle with ourselves, choosing testing only when we feel ready to tolerate what the testing uncovers. I also tackle how we might have to protect our children from the enormity of that information, holding it lightly for their sakes, even as we prepare for the worst. 

Of course, this decision remains a deeply personal one for each family. In this episode, I provide information, empathy, and understanding to help parents make the best choice for their children and their family’s overall well-being. Hopefully, listening will offer some perspective that will help ease the your burden of deciding.

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Rachel, a proactive mom who’s thinking months ahead about her son’s upcoming leap into kindergarten — and also about his horizon beyond. 

As we delve into our conversation, we talk about ways that  Rachel can best navigate the school system for her T1D son. I suggest she connect with other T1D families in her school so she can get a sense the inside scoop on how diabetes management works there. We talk about ways to partner with her son’s school care team to build a strong relationship with them (and I also give a nod to my upcoming workshop “Beyond the 504” where I teach about how to do just that). I also make suggestions of how she can bulletproof her son’s 504 plan, in order to maintain more parental decision-making authority.

Rachel is thinking even further ahead: She’s wondering about the challenge of transferring the responsibility of diabetes management to her child over the long run. It’s a dance between fostering independence and being there to catch them when they fall. And trust me, we all have stories about that part of the journey—like the one I share about my daughter’s path to managing her diabetes.

Here’s a sneak peek of other highlights from our conversation:

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• Why advocating for your child requires a balance of assertiveness and relationship-building.
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• Cultural insights into how women are often taught to communicate, and the challenges we face around advocacy because of that.
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• Personal anecdotes that highlight the emotional aspect of slowly passing the baton of diabetes care to our kids.
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• The invaluable role of environments like diabetes camps in fostering self-care and independence.
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I hope you join me for this powerful episode, where we celebrate the courage and dedication of parents like Rachel, who are laying the groundwork for their children to thrive in school and in life, despite the challenges of T1D.

Remember, sweet friends, our journey is sweeter when we walk it together. Keep talking, keep loving, and keep advocating for those sweet ones in our lives.

Mentioned in this episode:

Wanting to create the best relationship with your child’s school care team?  Register for Beyond the 504.  In this workshop, I’ll walk you through evidence-based tools to approach your child’s school so you can can have the tough conversations you need to have about diabetes management and keeping your child safe at school. Find out more at www.diabetessweettalk.com/workshop

When we T1D parents talk about managing diabetes, it’s a delicate dance between maintaining tight control and giving our kids the freedom to just be kids. For Sveltana and her son, sports are a passion. But as she’s learned, sometimes that means the numbers can take a backseat.

What we recognize in this episode is that diabetes management is deeply personal. As Sveltana and I discussed, it’s really about values clarification. What do we want to center in a life with diabetes? For Sveltana, it’s her son’s happiness and normalcy, even if it sometimes means the numbers aren’t picture perfect.

I also talked with Sveltana the importance of giving herself some grace as she figures out how to manage sports and numbers together. Her family is relatively new to this journey, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to diabetes. Being out of range but allowing her son the space to play the sports he loves could be a win for them. And she might need to adjust some of her expectations as they continue to learn and grow in managing diabetes.  

Listen to hear more about 

• Resources for personalized diabetes care, especially for those balancing sports and activity.
• Potentially important questions to ask the endo, like about mini gluc, ketone checking and additional basal profiles.  
• Thinking about getting more support — It’s vital to feel free to reach out for this, especially if you’re seeing patterns that you’re not sure how to manage, or that feel scary.
• Family Camp!  Still can’t say enough how valuable this can be to everyone in the household.  

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

Stacey starts by naming a few different areas where she’s struggling as her son transitions to college and she transitions to his independence.  The first is simply about him leaving and the ways that she worries about his diabetes management, especially since they had made an agreement that she would no longer be on Dexcom share once he left for college.  She also notices her reactions to his management style when he is back at home and wonders how the conversation about diabetes should look now that he’s a young adult.  And as the topper: This super experienced T1D mom questions whether she did a good enough job teaching her son about diabetes.  

This is a robust conversation about the ongoing challenges of parenting our T1D kids, even as they become young adults.

Listen to hear more about:

*The ways we sometimes compare our child’s diabetes “performance” to that of other kids

*The challenges we feel about our own adequacy when our kids aren’t doing as well at management

*The balance of our feelings of awe and respect for what our children carry and our critical feelings towards our kids for the things they forget or don’t get right with management.

*What it means to be “impressed” by what our kids are managing and how to communicate that authentically while still giving them space to fail with diabetes.

*How to talk to our young adult kids about their management

*Remembering that our kids might still need and want our help with diabetes — and how to ask them about that

*The ways that it feels like the worry about T1D never stops

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

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

As we explore, we uncover that this mom has what I call “a beautiful fantasy,” that she gets to go away and have an actual vacation from diabetes, where she doesn’t have to think about it for the weekend. Together, we think about what the steps might be to work up to that, so she can make that dream possible.

Listen to hear about:

*How to help grandparents build the diabetes care muscle, step by step

*How parents should quiet their fears about overwhelming caregivers

*Having different expectations about management when our kids are in other people’s care, especially when it’s for short periods of time.  

*How to help support your child if they have some diabetes anxiety about being left in someone else’s care

Together, this mom and I dig into what she’s seeing with her daughter and come up with a few different strategies to help calm her very anxious daughter.  First, is to take as much responsibility for diabetes off of her daughter as is possible.  I name that many parents are anxious about how their kids are going to be able to do diabetes on their own one day — but that for Maisie, the focus needs to be on lowering her anxiety now, before she takes on too much responsibility.  It's going to be important for tis mom to know that Maisie will be able to take this responsibility on later, but that now -- at 10 -- she should do less, not more.

We also look at some of the realities of diabetes complications and how mom’s worry about this has been part of the mix.  I was able to reassure her that dire complications of diabetes are lower than people expect — which was especially important for her to hear since she works as a nurse and had seen some ugly complications with type 2 diabetes.  

We talk about how mom can work with Maisie to lower her anxiety in a given moment when she’s distressed.  Some of this is about strategizing with Maisie about what she might need in those moments.  But some of it is about mom and dad really being in charge so that Maisie feels better contained — and less bad about herself.  

Finally, we explore what it would be for this family to get some therapeutic support, the ways that Maisie is resistant to that, and the ways that mom might be able to help support that process.  

57: What To Do When People Have No Idea What Your Life is Like

37: When Family Doesn't Understand What It’s Like for You to Parent Type 1

36: When Feeding Your T1D Kid Causes Conflict in Your Relationship 

14: Strategies for Managing the Holiday Stress with T1D

Have any questions you’d like to get support on? I encourage you to contact me if you want to come on the show.  I’m always here to answer your questions on your parenting T1D kids. Feel free to email me at joanne@diabetessweettalk.com

Happy New Year!

Although Michelle and I agree that it’s painful and stressful when our experience of living with and taking care of diabetes is so invisible and misunderstood, we also look to the strength that comes from choosing to be an educator and an advocate in our lives. I make some suggestions of the kinds of things that Michelle (or her daughter) could say when the comments come, while also acknowledging that sometimes we don’t have the bandwidth to respond so generously to people’s comments. As an antidote to other people’s ignorance, I suggest — as always — the importance of surrounding ourselves with people who do understand our experience.  

Michelle shifts to talk more about her daughter’s struggles, and how all the questions people ask push her to hate her diabetes.  We look together at ways Michelle can brainstorm with her daughter about what to say when these interactions happen, while also encouraging mom to acknowledge how genuinely hard this is for her daughter.  And Michelle names all the ways that she’s trying to create more structure in her daughter’s school for a better understanding of type 1. Tune in for this broad-ranging conversation that helps us think about what it’s really like to live with T1D, even years after diagnosis.  

Together we look at different ways this child — and his family — can get the support they need.  I talk about a form of therapy that might be helpful for them called PCIT (Parent-Child Interaction Therapy).  I also look at how I might have a slightly different message about food and eating in this situation.  Normally, I strongly support the idea that any type 1 child should be able to eat normally — and that we as parents should just cover with insulin.  In this case, I suggest some diet modifications so they can keep him in range until they figure out more about dosing — all in the name of keeping his moods more stable. 

We also look at different ways to talk to him and think about his highs.  Grandma talks about strategies that she has been using with him when he’s been high — mostly thinking with him about why his blood sugars are out of range.  I suggest that it might be helpful to direct the energy he has when he’s high to physical activity.  That could help stabilize his mood and might also help him get back into range.  I also talk to grandma about how to have her help her grandson recognize how he feels when he’s out of range so he can work to stabilize himself, both emotionally and in terms of blood sugars, all with a lot of validation about how hard the job is.

Together, Kaylor and I are tackling a question that’s written in by a mom whose 10-year-old T1D son is trying to use his diabetes to get out of school. We explore all the possibilities of what might be happening for him, including the chance of celiac disease or other medical conditions that might be causing the feelings of nausea he’s complaining about. We also look at the possibility that this poor kiddo is struggling with some kind of anxiety that’s keeping him from wanting to go to school. Maybe he’s anxious about his out-of-range numbers? Or maybe he’s just anxious about going to school? Or perhaps something is happening at home that’s making him want to stay put? Or maybe diabetes at school feels too hard for him? Essentially, we're looking at how this mom will need to be a bit of a detective to figure out what is going on for her son since there could be a huge range of different issues that are causing him to want to avoid going to school. 

We also explore the challenge that this mom feels about holding the line and sending her son to school, even though he’s saying he doesn’t want to go. I talk about how the balance of parenting is about loving our children while making it clear where the limits are, even when it’s hard to do that, as it is for this mom. Hope you enjoy the show!

As T1D parents, most — if not all — of us grapple with some pretty significant anxiety about keeping our kids safe. The parent on the show this week shares with us about how she’s fighting with that anxiety in the quest to get things right with diabetes. 

Frankly, the parent has one of the hardest diabetes scenarios:  Her daughter, now four, was diagnosed at 13 months.  It’s extra scary to have a diagnosis with such a young child and, in my experience, parents who have those very early diagnoses, often carry their anxiety forward as their children continue to grow.  This parent confirms that her worry continues and that she often can’t tell if she’s facing a “normal” parenting moment because — for her — it’s so complicated by diabetes.  She acknowledges that her worry is always “yelling at her,” telling her that she has to pay better attention.  I notice that despite all this parent’s concrete questions, she’s really taken up with the worry about getting everything exactly right. 

We spend some time talking about how to think about doing diabetes to live your life, rather than living your life for diabetes.  I note how important it is to be flexible — sure, with diabetes, but also in how we think about things so we can create as much normalcy as possible in our lives.  And this parent talks about how hard this is for her since she feels like she’s not getting diabetes right enough. While we detour into some diabetes data, we also take a look at how this mom’s anxiety and guilt get in the way.  It’s a brave and courageous conversation that finishes with some practical thoughts about how to parent when diabetes is in the mix. 

Listen to hear more about:

• Why high blood sugars aren’t as much of a concern for children before puberty
• Risk factors with diabetes and how the landscape of severe medical risk has shifted
• How to think about ordering parent choices and when you might step back from making diabetes the first priority

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

We talk together about how this mom has already started to address her daughter’s feeling of being an outsider: She and her husband are working to spend a little extra one-on-one time each day with her. Mom also got the wonderful idea from another T1D parent to create a little surprise grab bag for her daughter. That way, in small moments when the attention is turned to diabetes, there’s a little something extra for this non-T1D sibling, too. 

I have some suggestions in the episode about ways mom can talk to her daughter, both to validate her experience as well as to strengthen this little girl's already amazing skill of self-advocacy. We also look at the difference between “feeling left out” and being ignored or side-lined and think about how this girl can be appropriately integrated into diabetes care. Finally, we talk about how sometimes we just can’t meet everyone’s needs and we have to ask our non-T1D sibs to wait as we adjust to or focus on diabetes. 

Listen to hear more about:

• How to tend to kids who are jealous of their type 1 sibling and thoughts about how to level the playing field
• Making sure that food isn’t restricted for siblings, as you’re trying to figure out dosing for your T1D child
• Thinking about “consent” when getting diabetes help from your non-T1D sibling

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

First of all, this brave mom talked about how dysregulated she gets when she is following diabetes all, all, all the time.  She shared that she’s made a practice of dis-connecting herself sometimes from the task of managing.  Since this kind of self-care is an important message that I give in all my Sweet Talk programming, we spent a little time here, looking at how this practice evolved for her.  She shared how the reflections of close and loving family members really helped her to see the ways that she was stretching herself too far and that she needed to find a way to take self-care breaks.  

Then, in thinking with her about how to address the high blood sugars that are making her son so hard to parent, we took a detour to talk about disordered eating behaviors and the risk of that with T1D.  It was a great opportunity to share with listeners that my next free workshop — the ever-popular Let Them Eat Cake? — focuses on this issue and is now open for registration.  

Finally, we started tackling the real issue of parenting highs, talking through how you might start a conversation about this to raise your child’s awareness of what is happening in their body.  I name that this is a bit of a process — not something a parent can magically expect their child to be able to do right away, but something you can help them cultivate over time.  We are planting seeds in their awareness.

Listen to hear more about:

• How to think about moderate eating and teaching that to our kids
• The difficulty that some people with type 1 have in feeling full
• How to help your child pay better attention to when they feel full and creating thoughtful behaviors related to food and eating
• How to help your child gain some self-awareness about their behaviors without making them feel bad about themselves. 
• How it can be helpful to talk to our children about hard topics in moments when their blood sugar is in range — and when we (and they) are calm and regulated   
• How asking our kids to pay attention can help them gain insight

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

Together we try to reconceptualize the issue: Instead of it being that her daughter is being rebellious, we think about how something has clearly changed for this teen. We look at different ways to approach the conversation with this girl so she is more likely to take up her own care. One suggestion has to do with getting curious about her experience: What happens when mom reminds her to dose? What makes it hard to dose at school? What are her reactions that are getting in the way of adequate diabetes management? The other idea we played with has to do with mom brainstorming with her daughter to set some guidelines around management and then letting her try to fly on her own — without mom’s involvement. Importantly, we also discuss how diabetes has become such a point of contention in their relationship. And we look at how and why it’s critical to create some shift, since our kids really need us alongside them with their T1D challenges.

Listen to hear more about:

• Ways getting curious can be helpful and how to do that
• Why questions that start with “why” are almost never useful
• Thinking about how and what to negotiate with a non-compliant teen, including how to make agreements so you can step back from some management tasks
• Reprioritizing the relationship so mom and daughter can keep the conversation about diabetes in the mix
• How to even start this difficult conversation

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

Some highlights:

• Thinking about growing your T1D young adult’s muscle for speaking up for what they want and need from you.
• Learning how to step back little by little
• Talking with your child about how they might want to handle diabetes challenges – while also making room for yourself and your own anxiety
• Noticing when you don’t need to be involved anymore and finding a way to step back
• Learning to notice where your children are competent and thinking about the message that is conveyed to them.  
• What healthy future planning looks like, particularly tuning into our concerns and balancing their wants for independence
• How to practice the communication skills that show your support and help them to  learn to ask for what they need

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

Together, mom and I understood that this kiddo probably picked up on the high energy of that one day which put him in an elevated state of alarm when he’s heading up. Through our conversation, we explored ways to help him lower his worry and ways to talk to him about it. 

Listen to the episode to hear more about:

• Making a protocol for when there’s a high so everyone knows what to do and we reduce the crisis response
• Offering tools to slow down anxiety, primarily through modeling and talking about the challenges
• Times and ways to validate our children’s experience, even as we want them to shift their perspective
• Talking through what might happen – including the idea of going to the hospital – to demystify a child’s fear of what that might mean
• Owning up to the ways that our reactions as adults might have impacted our kids.  

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

The question we’re tackling is about T1D siblings and about how much diabetes support we parents can ask of them. The parent writing in has a newly diagnosed 6 year old and wants help with diabetes management from her 15-year-old daughter.  Is okay to ask for that support?  Kaylor and I look at some of the ways that it’s challenging for siblings, especially in the first year after diagnosis. We talk about how siblings’ feelings and needs often are overlooked and what a parent’s responsibility is to notice and take care of that non-T1D child, even as they are challenged by the very steep learning curve of type 1.

We also talk about:

• How to think about the care the sibling is providing — is it a regular gig or an occasional ask that’s part of the normal help that family members provide each other?  And if it’s a regular “job,” we talk about the advantages of paying a teen child for that help
• Ways to pay attention to a sibling’s experience and what the developmental needs are for a 15-year-old child
• How to balance a sibling’s needs while taking care of our T1D child in this first year
• The value of regular check-ins so the sibling’s needs are addressed
• Getting both practical and emotional support through connections in the diabetes community
• Helping a teen babysitter problem solve T1D issues that might come up
• Circumstances where you might not want to leave a sibling in charge

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

Listen to hear more about:

• The ways that things change with diabetes after the first year
• The loneliness and sense of isolation when living with diabetes
• The challenges of building a diabetes community
• How people turn inward after diagnosis and how to shift that over time to build connection
• The profound sense of relief you can have when a connection does happen around T1D

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

Listen to hear us talk about:

• How restricting food can be subtle: It’s not just saying your child can’t eat a particular food but also by continually offering them the foods you know how to dose for easily
• How important it is to focus on emotional well-being, not just on blood sugars 
• How you can think about and hold the idea of the potential “consequences” of diabetes with your kids
• Why it’s better to stay “in the now” with diabetes management and not worry about what’s going to happen in the future
• How to find flexibility with management, and how to accommodate and adjust when things go off the rails     
• How to avoid becoming the “diabetes police” while still monitoring diabetes and keeping numbers in range
• How to validate your child’s experience with diabetes

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

With this mom, instead of thinking about consequences, we redirect to thinking about what her daughter might be trying to communicate with this pump-pulling-off behavior.  Although we can’t know for sure, I’m guessing that her daughter is anxious and is trying to say something about how she feels.  Together we explore:

• How to speak frankly and honestly about the pump discomforts to uncover what’s going on deep down for her daughter.
• How to show empathy to our T1D kids when they are showing anxiety or resistance to their diabetes care.
• The hard and complicated dance of choice: how to allow the T1D kid independence over their diabetes management, and what is developmentally appropriate. Sometimes, a child may express interest in having more independence even though it could cause adverse effects, so we need to find balanced ways to give kids options while staying within bounds of what everyone (kid, parents and other caregivers included) can handle.

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

We explore:

• How to share language around diabetes and food with a young child (including information about the free Sweet Talk Snack Course that can help you with these issues)
• How to practice with new foods that feel scary to dose for
• How to respond when you see those high blood sugars
• How to gradually introduce the idea of giving insulin in relation to food while taking into account what’s developmentally appropriate including the child’s ability to control impulses
• How to practice staying neutral when glucose levels are high and the importance of modeling this when numbers are out of range
• How to think about healthy food limits and introducing “trickier” foods
• What it’s like to be thinking through “the next big step” with diabetes
• Talking about dosing like it’s a science experiment
• How we can appropriately and responsively respond to our T1D kids

For more on creating a balance with eating for your T1D kids, check out Sweet Talk’s free Sweet Talk Snack Course.

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast!  Like, subscribe, and share!

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

We discussed:

• What to do when you feel like your child is lying or hiding, but then shares
• How your child might be struggling with control and how to strategically return some control, particularly over food choices
• How to talk to a child who has been eating their low supplies and how to understand their needs

Join me on Friday, Aug. 18 at 9 am PST / 12 pm EST for, “Beyond the 504,” a free Zoom workshop. We will discuss the toolkit you need to build a successful partnership with your T1D kid’s school. Sign up today!

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast! Like, subscribe, and share!

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

Listen to hear more about:

• The difference between a celebration and a “marking” of a child’s diabetes anniversary
• Creative ideas to make your own ritual or explore different kinds of “celebrations” beyond cake
• How the date-of-diagnosis anniversary could be a time to reflect on the past year and its successes, especially noticing the good work your child has done to stay healthy
• Being sensitive to the developmental needs of your children when it comes to dia-anniversaries 

Join me on Friday, Aug. 18 at 9 am PST / 12 pm EST for, “Beyond the 504,” a free Zoom workshop. We will discuss the toolkit you need to build a successful partnership with your T1D kid’s school. Sign up today!

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast!  Like, subscribe, and share!

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

In this week’s episode, I talk through this issue with Samantha, a mom who also happens to be a pediatric nurse.  In her day job, she is confident in helping kids through their shots.  What she found, though, is that as a mom of a newly diagnosed T1D kid, there were more challenges than she had imagined. Her daughter wanted to give shots herself but then got really fearful about how the shots hurt.  The result was that each long-acting insulin shot became a 45-minute event.  Unsure of what to do, Samantha wondered whether she should take back the responsibility for giving shots or insist that her daughter give them because she knows she can. Samantha and I talk about where that line around independence is when it comes to diabetes care.  We also discuss the worries and dynamics that come up around a T1D kid’s food choices – especially when they are trying to minimize their shots.

Join us to also hear about:

• How to follow your child’s lead in terms of taking on next steps in diabetes management and care
• What to consider when our kids don’t want a pump or diabetes technology but when we think it might be best
• Why the risk for eating disorders is higher in people with type 1 and how to set up your child for success in their relationship to food
• Supporting good food choices with a child who wants to eat fewer carbs to avoid a shot
• Different ideas for rituals that might help kids with getting shots

For more on creating a balance with eating for your T1D kids, check out Sweet Talk’s free Sweet Talk Snack Course.

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast!  Like, subscribe, and share!

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

In this episode, the mom of a newly diagnosed 8-year-old girl comes to talk about the dilemma she’s having about sending her daughter to an art camp — without a CGM.  Of course, she’s anxious.  Who wouldn’t be?  But she’s also sad about the idea of her daughter not going, her daughter’s disappointment, and her feeling of life not being normal.

We explore:

• Whether mom can commit to being at the camp for most of the day, rather than just keeping her daughter home with her.  While we know that can be a big burden on mom, it might help create a bridge to some normalcy.  
• What it would be like to get support from the camp and how mom might ask for that help.
• How her very shy daughter might react to all the attention that diabetes requires — and what that will be like for her going forward, into school and beyond.
• Choices that this mom can offer her daughter to make the transition back to camp and school easier, even with T1D

For more on creating a balance with eating for your T1D kids, check out Sweet Talk’s free Sweet Talk Snack Course.

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast!  Like, subscribe, and share!

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

A few takeaways:

• While Dr. Justin discusses the various substance classes and their inherent risks to blood sugar and overall brain function, the main message is that drug use is trickier with T1D. How a specific drug will impact a diabetic teen will be individual. 
• Consider the overall mental health of kids with T1D and the context of their drug use.
• There’s a difference between drug use and drug abuse. While both are risky with T1D, parents and caregivers need to understand that T1D puts teens at higher risk for mental health issues, which also possibly is a link to a higher potential risk of substance abuse.
• The teenage years are a high-risk period overall and finding coping strategies for mental health challenges can pay off in the long run. 

For more on creating a balance with eating for your T1D kids, check out Sweet Talk’s free Sweet Talk Snack Course.

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast!  Like, subscribe, and share!

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

Because I’ve heard these challenges from so many parents, I took this question from a listener who’s struggling with family misunderstanding about their child’s T1D.  It’s feeling so bad that they are thinking about walking away from the relationship altogether.

Annie and I discuss:

• The ways it can feel when family isn’t understanding our experience as T1D parents.  
• How important it is to recognize if people don’t have the capability to meet us in the struggles of a diabetes diagnosis. 
• Ways we might be able to get more support from people by asking for what we need as T1D parents.  

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast!  Like, subscribe, and share!

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

Some highlights:

• Wesley has a lot of real-world examples of people with severe complications from type 1.  We look at the actual data on those risks so he can feel less anxious about his son’s chance for living a long and healthy life.
• Colleen talks about wanting to cater to their son because she feels sorry that he has to grow up with T1D.  We explore the risks of being too permissive and how that can create a lack of safety for kids.
• We think about planning ahead when it comes to food and eating:  When our kids leave home to be on their own, what do we want eating to look like for them?  What kinds of food choices are we hoping they will be able to make?  Once parents have clarity, how do they take steps to help their kids get there?
• I recommend all parents check out the work of Ellyn Satter for some helpful insights on feeding dynamics.

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast!  Like, subscribe, and share!

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

Some highlights:

• We talk about how to start to distinguish when we should take our children seriously when they want something different than what we want around diabetes management.
• What happens to a marriage when our T1D kid takes center stage — and why it’s important to get relationships back on track.
• How we can combat beliefs we have about sleep to make it possible to break bad sleep habits around T1D? 

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast!  Like, subscribe, and share!

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

Some highlights:

• Dancing is a form of exercise, and when paired with drinking, there can be a huge demand on the body overall. The primary concerns are safety and preventing glucose levels from dropping too low. 
• Preventing lows can be done by reducing insulin while drinking (and through the night afterward) and also eating more carbs before, during, and after dancing. Better to eat the ice cream, and not worry about highs! 
• What happens when a T1D teen is vomiting from drinking? Keeping blood sugars up is the top concern.  If someone with type 1 is vomiting or too nauseated to eat or drink, better they should go to the ER to get support than try to manage on their own. 

For more on creating a balance with eating for your T1D kids, check out Sweet Talk’s free Sweet Talk Snack Course.

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast!  Like, subscribe, and share!

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

In this episode, fellow T1D parent Annie and I think through the challenges of how to make it comfortable for you to send your kid to that sleepover.  

Some highlights:

• Before you ask your T1D kid to manage themselves at a sleepover, it’s important to consider what’s developmentally appropriate for them. 
• Remember that it’s so good for our kids — with and without type 1 — to feel like they are part of a broader community and that they can get help and support from more than just us, their parents. After all, we’d like other parents and kids to feel comfortable turning to us in their times of need.
• Annie and I talk through different ways that we can think about overcoming the discomfort of asking for help from our friends to help manage our type 1 child. 
• The goal is to ask very specifically for what we need to feel safe so when we send our children on that sleepover that we don’t feel too anxious when they are there.

For more on creating a balance with eating for your T1D kids, check out Sweet Talk’s free Sweet Talk Snack Course.

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast!  Like, subscribe, and share!

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

So what to do when you tell your T1D child that you’re planning to send them to camp and they — firmly and adamantly — tell you that they don’t want to go?  In this episode, the caller is a program director at a diabetes camp.  She tells me that she fields this question all the time from parents who want their kids to go to camp but who are putting up big resistance.  I tackle the question and together we think through different kinds of scenarios and different kinds of kids, looking at ways to get our kids involved and ways to hold appropriate limits.  

Some highlights:

• Kids don’t know what they don’t know!
• Camp is a privilege:  Although many parents grapple with the idea of “forcing" their child to go to camp, it might be helpful to shift thinking to the idea that this is an opportunity for a child, rather than something that parents are making them do.  
• A good strategy can be to offer children choices inside the context of the limit you’re setting.
• Attending a family camp can be an excellent way to get past our kids’ resistance. 
• Ultimately, we may be pleasantly surprised about whether camp works or doesn’t work for our child.

For more on creating a balance with eating for your T1D kids, check out Sweet Talk’s free Sweet Talk Snack Course.

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast!  Like, subscribe, and share!

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

In this episode, we hear from a concerned aunt who wrote in with a question.  She worries about her 12-year-old T1D nephew. From her outside perspective, she doesn’t see that her sister is managing his diabetes well enough.  With guest and fellow T1D-mom Annie, I talk through both the possibility that this aunt doesn’t have the whole picture and the likelihood that the boy’s mom lacks support and struggles with mental health.

Here are some takeaways: 

• Diabetes is hard, and all families struggle at some point. Getting family support (and offering that support) can make a difference in helping manage what is – ultimately – a family disease.  
• Mothers – or the lead T1D parent  – deserve help. Partners, other family members, and even therapists can hugely lift the burden. And, of course, I can’t pitch camp enough:  Family camp, in particular. Camp is a fantastic way to connect to a community that fully gets what you are experiencing. 
• When eager to support from the outside, show curiosity without judgment or anxiety. It’s okay to have some fear but drop criticism at the door.  Maybe you have some preconceptions about diabetes – but learn what you need to before bringing up your concerns about someone else’s situation. 

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

In this episode, we meet a mom who has struggled with her own relationship with food and eating and hear about the ways she’s tried to create the conditions for her daughter to have a positive connection to food and eating.  Instead, this mom reports that her daughter is lying about the (likely and obvious) cause of her high blood sugars, and is pretty avoidant about talking about food with her mom in general. 

How can this mom right the ship?  Listen in to hear all the nuances of how I suggest this mom can create a shift – both in her daughter’s relationship with food and eating and their relationship with each other.

A few highlights:

• One big reason kids lie to their parents is that they’re feeling worried about creating conflict.  The bottom line is that they want to preserve their relationship with their parents.  They care about us and don’t want to be seen as getting it wrong or making bad choices.
• As a parent, it’s critical to remember that we don’t have ultimate control over our children’s actions and choices.  Of course, we can think deeply about how we want to interact with our kids and important ways we can support them, but if things go off the rails, it doesn’t mean that it’s our fault or that we’re bad parents.  Plus, holding on to the guilt that likely comes up when you feel like you’ve worked hard and the kids (still!) aren’t getting it right doesn’t help you get a clear picture of how to course correct or decide what to do next.  
• Taking baby steps at encouraging a child to interact with things that are hard for them – in this case,  talking about food, is the best way forward.  You help them to build some thicker skin about topics that they feel like they can’t talk about without becoming overwhelmed.  
• As a parent, don’t forget that sometimes change happens slowly:  The problem didn’t arise overnight and it takes some patience, love, and good strategy to shift long-standing challenges with food.   

For more on creating a balance with eating for your T1D kids, check out Sweet Talk’s free Sweet Talk Snack Course.

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast!  Like, subscribe, and share!

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

Annie and I both relate to this mom. We know what it’s like to feel like you’ve got the hang of this disease – that you can handle what it throws at you – only to find yourself yelling and distressed.  Being more seasoned as a T1D caregiver can trick you into thinking that the problems have gone away and that it will all be smooth sailing.  

A few highlights; 

• It’s super normal to feel angry when there’s a big pump failure or when diabetes side-swipes you.  What’s important is to separate your feelings from the behavior that comes next.  Yelling is probably not your next best move.  ; 
• But to handle the anger and not start yelling, it’s also important to practice making more room for your feelings.  That anger may be telling you that you need (and deserve) more support and connection around the problems that come up.  It might also indicate that you need to give yourself permission for these tough feelings – even as you’re putting the brakes on some of the behaviors.  
• It’s okay to talk to your kids about being angry, as long as you’re being age appropriate.  Even better is to show them ways to manage that anger appropriately.  We go into this more in the show!

Sign up for my free The T1D Partner Toolbox webinar on May 17 at 5:30PT/8:30 ET. 

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast!  Like, subscribe, and share!

And how much more complicated is this when we fold type 1 into the mix?  We want our kids to have good glycemic control – and it often feels like that’s about restricting food choices.  How’s a parent going to win this one? 

Together with fellow T1D mom Annie, JoAnne talks through a question written in from Health Food Mama in Detroit, who explains that she has started finding wrappers in her 9-year-old daughter’s room.

“She’s sneaking food,” writes Health Food Mama. “She also has high blood sugar often in a way that doesn't make sense. She’s eating junk.  Most of the stuff I don’t even keep in the house - I think she’s getting it from friends in school.”

How do I encourage her to make good food choices?” she asks.

Here’s what JoAnne has to say:

“I hear this kind of question often because parents often have concerns about how their kids should be eating. With T1Dkids, it’s about keeping good glycemic control and not being too restrictive.” 

This 9-year-old is feeding herself by getting her own food. What she is doing is eating without dosing, and not sneaking food. This is a really important distinction because sneaking makes it sound malicious and bad.

We don’t want to shame our children for feeding themselves. She is feeding herself and we need to figure out how to dose for it.”

How to make all foods are acceptable 

Another important topic in this episode is how to eliminate the idea that there are good and bad foods. This is especially important in preventing eating disorders, which is a risk factor for people with type 1.

Not to mention that it’s human nature for children to crave or want more of foods that are considered forbidden. The remedy? Make all foods acceptable. 

For Health Food Mama and other concerned parents facing this issue, the suggestion is to start stocking the pantry with some of the foods you find your child “sneaking.”

Say to your child: “You don’t have to sneak these foods. I see that you are eating this. It is now here in the pantry. We can eat them sometimes. This is not forbidden – it is a sometimes food.”

They get more choice in feeding themselves and as parents, we figure out how to dose for it.

For more on creating a balance with eating for your T1D kids, check out Sweet Talk’s free Sweet Talk Snack Course.

Sign up for my free The T1D Partner Toolbox webinar on May 17 at 5:30PT/8:30 ET.

Stay tuned for our next episode of the Sweet Talk podcast!  Like, subscribe, and share!

Show Highlights:

• Guest: Stella, whose son Nico (7) was diagnosed at eight months
• Since Nico is homeschooled, his T1D management is completely managed by family members within the household–and no one else at this point. 
• As Stella prepares for Nico to go away to diabetes camp for the very first time, she is feeling anxious about turning over his care to others. 
• Stella’s Question: “How does a T1D parent work through the feelings of anxiety and overwhelm when something new is presented as part of T1D management? Also, how do we prepare for my son’s first T1D camp with the fear that I feel in letting go of his management for those days?”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “Your ‘letting go’ muscle is not developed yet since he is within the family system all the time, so you are essentially starting from scratch here. All of us have anxiety about letting go of our kids, even with non-T1D kids; it is normal. With diabetes, we have to work more systematically because of the safety issues involved. Think of this process in terms of baby steps you can take to help lower your anxiety and regulate yourself within your window of tolerance. You could try to have a conversation with the camp director now about the camp’s philosophy and management plan. I think it would be good for you to do a controlled experiment of letting someone outside the family take care of him for  a time. This will give you practice, and it would be ideal if this could be one of the local junior counselors from camp. I love how you can recognize what you are feeling in your body and use that as a cue to not take those thoughts so seriously, knowing that things will likely be better than you think. Those are great tools to have in place. You could also take baby steps in leaving him in someone else’s care, like having them care for him while you are still in the house or possibly making a 30-minute Target run while they keep him at your house. One of your baby steps will be to practice not looking at his numbers when he’s with people you trust. I think it would be helpful to reach out to other parents who have sent their kids to that camp and learn about their experiences. A philosophy shift may be helpful in that course correction will happen if his numbers go too high or too low; nothing disastrous will happen if those numbers are managed as they get out of range. This is the reality of his stepping out into the world. You have to create a mantra and find a way to get to some kind of peace in accepting that ‘safe’ is different from ‘perfect’. You have to determine how you are going to react to the mistakes that are going to happen in his care. Part of diabetes management is about being flexible, and that goes for you and your son. In asking these questions, what you are doing is being attentive to the emotional side of diabetes, and that is important and very beneficial.”  

Resources:

Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

*Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

*For help with the emotional and parenting...]]>It is not an easy thing to let go of our kids as they grow up and become more independent. Having a T1D diagnosis only makes that process more difficult, and there is much anxiety, frustration, and fear in relinquishing diabetes management to other people. What if something happens and I’m not there? Will the caregiver know what to do? These questions flood our thoughts and can be paralyzing. Today’s question is from a mom who is experiencing a spectrum of emotions as the family prepares for her young son’s first stay at diabetes camp. Join us to hear the conversation. 

Show Highlights:

• Guest: Stella, whose son Nico (7) was diagnosed at eight months
• Since Nico is homeschooled, his T1D management is completely managed by family members within the household–and no one else at this point. 
• As Stella prepares for Nico to go away to diabetes camp for the very first time, she is feeling anxious about turning over his care to others. 
• Stella’s Question: “How does a T1D parent work through the feelings of anxiety and overwhelm when something new is presented as part of T1D management? Also, how do we prepare for my son’s first T1D camp with the fear that I feel in letting go of his management for those days?”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “Your ‘letting go’ muscle is not developed yet since he is within the family system all the time, so you are essentially starting from scratch here. All of us have anxiety about letting go of our kids, even with non-T1D kids; it is normal. With diabetes, we have to work more systematically because of the safety issues involved. Think of this process in terms of baby steps you can take to help lower your anxiety and regulate yourself within your window of tolerance. You could try to have a conversation with the camp director now about the camp’s philosophy and management plan. I think it would be good for you to do a controlled experiment of letting someone outside the family take care of him for  a time. This will give you practice, and it would be ideal if this could be one of the local junior counselors from camp. I love how you can recognize what you are feeling in your body and use that as a cue to not take those thoughts so seriously, knowing that things will likely be better than you think. Those are great tools to have in place. You could also take baby steps in leaving him in someone else’s care, like having them care for him while you are still in the house or possibly making a 30-minute Target run while they keep him at your house. One of your baby steps will be to practice not looking at his numbers when he’s with people you trust. I think it would be helpful to reach out to other parents who have sent their kids to that camp and learn about their experiences. A philosophy shift may be helpful in that course correction will happen if his numbers go too high or too low; nothing disastrous will happen if those numbers are managed as they get out of range. This is the reality of his stepping out into the world. You have to create a mantra and find a way to get to some kind of peace in accepting that ‘safe’ is different from ‘perfect’. You have to determine how you are going to react to the mistakes that are going to happen in his care. Part of diabetes management is about being flexible, and that goes for you and your son. In asking these questions, what you are doing is being attentive to the emotional side of diabetes, and that is important and very beneficial.”  

Resources:

Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

*Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

*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 website homepage.

*For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. This is the course I wish I’d had when my kids were diagnosed. 

*For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. It’s designed specifically for parents whose child was diagnosed within the last year. Let me help you find a faster path to calm. 

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

Show Highlights:

• Listener Question from “Resistant”: “I’m feeling a lot of pressure to put my six-year-old daughter on a pump, and I really don’t want to. The only downside to multiple daily injections for us is that the back of her arms are a little bruised. I don’t want to learn something else and have to manage the ins and outs of new technology. Is it bad if I say NO? I just don’t trust it and am afraid it will fail.”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “Some people put their kids on pumps as soon as possible, and others don’t want to do it. It is possible to have ‘good enough control’ with multiple daily injections. Even with all our diabetes technology, the truth is that A1C averages for diabetics have not changed much across the decades. Multiple daily injections can accomplish the same thing as an insulin pump. When first going on a pump, there is a learning curve with a lot of new things to figure out. It’s understandable that someone might feel overwhelmed with having to learn new things. It sounds like this mom is only hearing the pump horror stories, so there is nothing wrong with saying NO to the pump as long as other strategies are working. If the bruising on the arms becomes painful, she might want to shift to a pump, if possible. There is a lot more flexibility for your kids out in the world when they are on a pump because there is a phobia about giving shots to a child; I think there is more partnership available with the use of a pump. Both school and playdates become problematic as a child gets older without a pump. The mom might need to stretch and consider what is best for the child at that point and what the child might want. We do our kids a disservice when we ALWAYS take their lead, but we have to look at the bigger picture of what’s best for everyone involved. The mom should be careful about voicing her resistance to the child and influencing the child’s opinion about the pump. Some kids like technology and the idea of being the ‘cool kid’ wearing ‘the thing’ and are open to the pump. When the situation is reversed, the parent has to convince the reluctant child to wear the pump. Different parenting styles (authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative) come into play in setting limits, but validation is always the key in acknowledging their feelings about what they have to do. Again, as we discussed in the previous episode, a ‘pump vacation’ is possible to allow more flexibility in their lives.”

Resources:

Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

*Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

*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 website homepage.

*For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. This is the course I wish I’d had when my kids were diagnosed. 

*For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. It’s designed specifically for parents whose child was diagnosed within the last year. Let...]]>Being skeptical and fearful of the new technology of an insulin pump is real for many T1D parents. Is it reliable? Will it do what it’s supposed to do? Annie, a friend and fellow T1D mom, joins us to read a listener question from “Resistant” in California. Join us!

Show Highlights:

• Listener Question from “Resistant”: “I’m feeling a lot of pressure to put my six-year-old daughter on a pump, and I really don’t want to. The only downside to multiple daily injections for us is that the back of her arms are a little bruised. I don’t want to learn something else and have to manage the ins and outs of new technology. Is it bad if I say NO? I just don’t trust it and am afraid it will fail.”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “Some people put their kids on pumps as soon as possible, and others don’t want to do it. It is possible to have ‘good enough control’ with multiple daily injections. Even with all our diabetes technology, the truth is that A1C averages for diabetics have not changed much across the decades. Multiple daily injections can accomplish the same thing as an insulin pump. When first going on a pump, there is a learning curve with a lot of new things to figure out. It’s understandable that someone might feel overwhelmed with having to learn new things. It sounds like this mom is only hearing the pump horror stories, so there is nothing wrong with saying NO to the pump as long as other strategies are working. If the bruising on the arms becomes painful, she might want to shift to a pump, if possible. There is a lot more flexibility for your kids out in the world when they are on a pump because there is a phobia about giving shots to a child; I think there is more partnership available with the use of a pump. Both school and playdates become problematic as a child gets older without a pump. The mom might need to stretch and consider what is best for the child at that point and what the child might want. We do our kids a disservice when we ALWAYS take their lead, but we have to look at the bigger picture of what’s best for everyone involved. The mom should be careful about voicing her resistance to the child and influencing the child’s opinion about the pump. Some kids like technology and the idea of being the ‘cool kid’ wearing ‘the thing’ and are open to the pump. When the situation is reversed, the parent has to convince the reluctant child to wear the pump. Different parenting styles (authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative) come into play in setting limits, but validation is always the key in acknowledging their feelings about what they have to do. Again, as we discussed in the previous episode, a ‘pump vacation’ is possible to allow more flexibility in their lives.”

Resources:

Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

*Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

*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 website homepage.

*For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. This is the course I wish I’d had when my kids were diagnosed. 

*For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. It’s designed specifically for parents whose child was diagnosed within the last year. Let me help you find a faster path to calm. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Get Help After Diagnosis!

Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

Show Highlights:

• Guest: Janelle, whose daughter Michaela (16) was diagnosed with T1D at age 12
• Testing has recently revealed that Michaela has a very rare antibody syndrome in which 75% of her dosed insulin is not usable, which leaves her needing unusual amounts of insulin.
• The unpredictability of her levels with this antibody syndrome adds a new layer of stress, and her doctors aren’t even sure of what to do.
• Janelle’s Question: “Why does this new diagnosis feel like we are going through the initial T1D diagnosis all over again, including the grief and other strong emotions that we have felt before?”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “There is a fear of the unknown with this new diagnosis, and I applaud you for the way you are talking about it. I think that getting connected with support can be helpful in many ways, and you can often find these people on various social media platforms. It is also important to find medical providers who may be at the most elite institutions and have knowledge of her rare condition. It is scary to be dealing with something like this fluctuating and life-threatening condition without having the right care team in place. Since you have said that your daughter doesn’t want to wear an insulin pump, now might not be the right time to take that step. With that being said, if the short-acting insulin does not induce the antibody syndrome and the long-acting insulin does, that would be a very good reason to put her on a pump. I’m all for letting the child make the decision on that, but it’s not just ‘her body’ if you, her parents, are deeply involved. As with any other illness or disorder, people don’t always get to choose their treatment. Regarding the emotional piece of this situation, this is a stressful experience, and you are having to navigate and manage this as the rock for your family. I encourage you to hold steady and know that you are advocating for your daughter and holding the line for your family. Being there for your family is powerful, but it’s not a permanent situation. You need support. Having more resources and more community around you can help, even though it would be a very small community who also deals with this rare condition. As always, the larger T1D community is always helpful for support.” 

Resources:

Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

*Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

*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 website homepage.

*For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. This is the course I wish I’d had when my kids were diagnosed. 

*For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. It’s designed specifically for parents whose child was diagnosed within the last year. Let me help you find a faster path to calm. 

Show Highlights:

• Listener Question from “Worried”: “My 11-year-old son was diagnosed about five months ago and seemed to be taking it all in stride and doing well. Recently, he expressed a desire to take a break from some of the management steps and stated that he was ‘tired of diabetes.’ How do I make him understand that T1D is a lifelong thing and breaks like this can be fatal? How do I show him that he has to do the hard things even if he is tired?”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “These feelings that he is having, as reality has set in, seem incredibly normal to me. It is important to make room for this child’s emerging T1D experience in not ‘liking’ what he is going through. Strong and good validation of his experience is critical in stating that he didn’t ask or want this–and the parent understands. The parent should acknowledge that, of course, he would rather have his ‘regular old life’ back as opposed to what it’s become. The keys in validation are using ‘of course’ and ‘that makes so much sense’ language. Helping him feel seen, heard, and understood is the most important thing to help him not feel as burdened and alone. Parents usually fear that in validating their child’s experience, they are giving them permission to fall apart emotionally–and the opposite is true. Parents of newly-diagnosed kids usually learn over time that there is more flexibility in T1D care, even though there are certain things that the child cannot take breaks from doing. There can be variations in giving shots, changing Dexcoms, and doing finger-sticks that his mom can implement to give him a ‘break’ every once in a while. This is where parents need to carry as much of the burden for the T1D child as long as possible because they are going to do this for their whole lives. A common fear for the parent is that the child is NEVER going to be able to do their care on their own, so they need to demonstrate NOW that they can do it. We have to realize that they still have many years before they have to do it all on their own as adults in the world, and we don’t want to push our parental worries onto our children. I encourage this mother to pause, take a breath, and think about where her worry is coming from so she doesn’t put it all on him. A lot of people in the T1D community encourage a ‘diabetes vacation,’ which allows someone to step away from as much of their management as possible for a day or a week. A loved one can shoulder as much of the care as possible to give the T1D person a break. We should think about how kids can do this safely while viewing it as an exception to the well-established good habits in T1D care. One suggestion is that maybe once every ten days or so, the child can go without the Dexcom at night while the parent does finger sticks to give that break.”

Resources:

Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

*Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

*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 website homepage.

*For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Worrying about how your T1D child is adjusting to the new routine of diabetes management is common. How do you convey the seriousness of diabetes management while not overwhelming them with anxiety and fear? Is there a way they can take a “break” without endangering their safety? I’m joined again by Annie, a friend and fellow T1D mom, who will read and discuss a listener question on this issue from “Worried” in Oregon. Join us!

Show Highlights:

• Listener Question from “Worried”: “My 11-year-old son was diagnosed about five months ago and seemed to be taking it all in stride and doing well. Recently, he expressed a desire to take a break from some of the management steps and stated that he was ‘tired of diabetes.’ How do I make him understand that T1D is a lifelong thing and breaks like this can be fatal? How do I show him that he has to do the hard things even if he is tired?”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “These feelings that he is having, as reality has set in, seem incredibly normal to me. It is important to make room for this child’s emerging T1D experience in not ‘liking’ what he is going through. Strong and good validation of his experience is critical in stating that he didn’t ask or want this–and the parent understands. The parent should acknowledge that, of course, he would rather have his ‘regular old life’ back as opposed to what it’s become. The keys in validation are using ‘of course’ and ‘that makes so much sense’ language. Helping him feel seen, heard, and understood is the most important thing to help him not feel as burdened and alone. Parents usually fear that in validating their child’s experience, they are giving them permission to fall apart emotionally–and the opposite is true. Parents of newly-diagnosed kids usually learn over time that there is more flexibility in T1D care, even though there are certain things that the child cannot take breaks from doing. There can be variations in giving shots, changing Dexcoms, and doing finger-sticks that his mom can implement to give him a ‘break’ every once in a while. This is where parents need to carry as much of the burden for the T1D child as long as possible because they are going to do this for their whole lives. A common fear for the parent is that the child is NEVER going to be able to do their care on their own, so they need to demonstrate NOW that they can do it. We have to realize that they still have many years before they have to do it all on their own as adults in the world, and we don’t want to push our parental worries onto our children. I encourage this mother to pause, take a breath, and think about where her worry is coming from so she doesn’t put it all on him. A lot of people in the T1D community encourage a ‘diabetes vacation,’ which allows someone to step away from as much of their management as possible for a day or a week. A loved one can shoulder as much of the care as possible to give the T1D person a break. We should think about how kids can do this safely while viewing it as an exception to the well-established good habits in T1D care. One suggestion is that maybe once every ten days or so, the child can go without the Dexcom at night while the parent does finger sticks to give that break.”

Resources:

Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

*Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

*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 website homepage.

*For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. This is the course I wish I’d had when my kids were diagnosed. 

*For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. It’s designed specifically for parents whose child was diagnosed within the last year. Let me help you find a faster path to calm. 

Show Highlights:

• Guest: Alaina, the mother of Jesse (17) who was diagnosed at age 13
• Their struggles are not in diabetes management but in the social and emotional areas.
• Alaina tries to handle nighttime duties to allow him to get as much sleep as possible so he can be his best for school.
• Alaina’s Question: “How much should I share with him about how much sleep I am losing in managing his care during the night? I don’t want to make him feel guilty, but I do need some sleep!”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “I think every T1D teen is aware that their diagnosis has a huge impact on their parents. I think we can do a better or worse job in managing this and using strategies. Diabetes is a family disease that affects everyone. The most important thing is that you have this conversation with him, and you need to identify what worries you have in being clear with him about the impact his nighttime care is having on you and your sleep. It is good to give him a chance to respond honestly about how this conversation lands with him; it’s fine that it brings discomfort to him, but it’s important to have this assessment. Approach the situation from the viewpoint that you want to partner with him in better nighttime management regarding late-night snacks, etc. Since you have a budding adult on your hands, it might be good for him to suffer the consequences of his blood sugar highs, including overnight. He needs to learn how that feels and affects him so he can make better choices for late-night snacks. You could even set the ‘high’ alarm even higher so that you can get some sleep but be aware if his numbers go above a certain level. When he’s in college, he will have to handle this on his own, so it is good for him to know why it’s good to make better choices. In the conversation, it’s OK to let him know that, even though not intentional, his late-night snack choices are currently robbing you of sleep. Use the language about ‘thinking together about being partners’ in this issue. If he lets you know what he has eaten at night, you can make different responses to the high alarms based on what he has eaten. If dinnertime is the issue (or certain dinner meals), you can discuss how to partner with him to think through his dinner dosing–because of the impact on your sleep later. Another piece of the conversation with him is whether or not he still wants nighttime support. You have to ask him how he imagines self-management for himself when he goes to college. It’s time for you to feel out that conversation with him.”

Resources:

Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

*Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

*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 website homepage.

*For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. This is the course I wish I’d had when my kids were diagnosed. 

*For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the Nighttime alarms for your T1D teen’s blood sugar levels are difficult. They bring fear and stress, besides robbing the family of good sleep. How much should the parent be involved in nighttime dosing, and how much ownership should the T1D teen take? Join us for today’s listener question about how that partnership might work. 

Show Highlights:

• Guest: Alaina, the mother of Jesse (17) who was diagnosed at age 13
• Their struggles are not in diabetes management but in the social and emotional areas.
• Alaina tries to handle nighttime duties to allow him to get as much sleep as possible so he can be his best for school.
• Alaina’s Question: “How much should I share with him about how much sleep I am losing in managing his care during the night? I don’t want to make him feel guilty, but I do need some sleep!”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “I think every T1D teen is aware that their diagnosis has a huge impact on their parents. I think we can do a better or worse job in managing this and using strategies. Diabetes is a family disease that affects everyone. The most important thing is that you have this conversation with him, and you need to identify what worries you have in being clear with him about the impact his nighttime care is having on you and your sleep. It is good to give him a chance to respond honestly about how this conversation lands with him; it’s fine that it brings discomfort to him, but it’s important to have this assessment. Approach the situation from the viewpoint that you want to partner with him in better nighttime management regarding late-night snacks, etc. Since you have a budding adult on your hands, it might be good for him to suffer the consequences of his blood sugar highs, including overnight. He needs to learn how that feels and affects him so he can make better choices for late-night snacks. You could even set the ‘high’ alarm even higher so that you can get some sleep but be aware if his numbers go above a certain level. When he’s in college, he will have to handle this on his own, so it is good for him to know why it’s good to make better choices. In the conversation, it’s OK to let him know that, even though not intentional, his late-night snack choices are currently robbing you of sleep. Use the language about ‘thinking together about being partners’ in this issue. If he lets you know what he has eaten at night, you can make different responses to the high alarms based on what he has eaten. If dinnertime is the issue (or certain dinner meals), you can discuss how to partner with him to think through his dinner dosing–because of the impact on your sleep later. Another piece of the conversation with him is whether or not he still wants nighttime support. You have to ask him how he imagines self-management for himself when he goes to college. It’s time for you to feel out that conversation with him.”

Resources:

Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

*Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

*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 website homepage.

*For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. This is the course I wish I’d had when my kids were diagnosed. 

*For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. It’s designed specifically for parents whose child was diagnosed within the last year. Let me help you find a faster path to calm. 

Show Highlights:

• Listener Question from “Desperate for a Break”: “In planning an NYC weekend vacation with my husband and another couple, I am filled with anxiety at the thought of leaving my T1D (7-year-old) daughter for an entire weekend. My mom often cares for her and deals with the diabetes basics, but she’s never done pod or Dexcom changes. Am I supposed to give up all vacations unless I bring my daughter along? What should I do?”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “Feeling trapped by diabetes is a common feeling for parents, but it’s important to remember that we, as parents and caregivers, are allowed to step away. If the grandmother is willing to learn to do the pod and Dexcom changes and there is enough time before the trip happens, that is the best-case scenario. Another option is that there might be a caregiver at the child’s school or a T1D babysitter in the area who would be willing to help with those changes and be available for the grandmother to call in case of an emergency. This backup plan could also include a trusted person in their T1D community who could be taught what to do for the child. This backup person would need to come over, get to know the child, and be around for pod and Dexcom changes for a few days. The online links with video instructions should be provided to the grandmother and the backup person. There are baby steps that can take place, if time permits before the trip, to plan for pod and Dexcom changes. The mother should also be clear about communication expectations while she is away and how much she is willing to ‘step away’ from her daughter’s diabetes management while on the trip. Another layer to this issue is the judgment a T1D parent receives from other parents; it’s all about feeling sturdy in your own decision to go away while leaving a solid and secure plan in place for your child’s safety. Another baby step in the planning would be for the child to stay overnight at Grandma’s house while the parents are still in town; this would be a good test for the grandmother AND the mother to practice. There might be stress and anxiety for the child in knowing Mom is away, so the need is great for Grandma to be well-trained and for good backups to be in place to help. This mom needs practice in stepping away because we don’t want T1D kids to feel like their mom is the ONLY safety in their diabetes care. We want them to feel safe in the world with lots of adults caring for them and looking out for their needs.”

Resources:

Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

*Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

*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 website homepage.

*For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. This is the course I wish I’d had when my kids were diagnosed. 

*For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the Leaving your T1D child for an overnight or weekend trip for the first time brings up many anxious thoughts and concerns. The multitude of fears and “what ifs” can spiral out of control without a solid safety plan, but how do you put that in place? I’m joined today by Annie, a friend and fellow T1D mom, who is here to read and discuss a listener question about this topic from “Desperate for a Break” in Vermont. Join us for the conversation!

Show Highlights:

• Listener Question from “Desperate for a Break”: “In planning an NYC weekend vacation with my husband and another couple, I am filled with anxiety at the thought of leaving my T1D (7-year-old) daughter for an entire weekend. My mom often cares for her and deals with the diabetes basics, but she’s never done pod or Dexcom changes. Am I supposed to give up all vacations unless I bring my daughter along? What should I do?”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “Feeling trapped by diabetes is a common feeling for parents, but it’s important to remember that we, as parents and caregivers, are allowed to step away. If the grandmother is willing to learn to do the pod and Dexcom changes and there is enough time before the trip happens, that is the best-case scenario. Another option is that there might be a caregiver at the child’s school or a T1D babysitter in the area who would be willing to help with those changes and be available for the grandmother to call in case of an emergency. This backup plan could also include a trusted person in their T1D community who could be taught what to do for the child. This backup person would need to come over, get to know the child, and be around for pod and Dexcom changes for a few days. The online links with video instructions should be provided to the grandmother and the backup person. There are baby steps that can take place, if time permits before the trip, to plan for pod and Dexcom changes. The mother should also be clear about communication expectations while she is away and how much she is willing to ‘step away’ from her daughter’s diabetes management while on the trip. Another layer to this issue is the judgment a T1D parent receives from other parents; it’s all about feeling sturdy in your own decision to go away while leaving a solid and secure plan in place for your child’s safety. Another baby step in the planning would be for the child to stay overnight at Grandma’s house while the parents are still in town; this would be a good test for the grandmother AND the mother to practice. There might be stress and anxiety for the child in knowing Mom is away, so the need is great for Grandma to be well-trained and for good backups to be in place to help. This mom needs practice in stepping away because we don’t want T1D kids to feel like their mom is the ONLY safety in their diabetes care. We want them to feel safe in the world with lots of adults caring for them and looking out for their needs.”

Resources:

Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

*Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

*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 website homepage.

*For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. This is the course I wish I’d had when my kids were diagnosed. 

*For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. It’s designed specifically for parents whose child was diagnosed within the last year. Let me help you find a faster path to calm. 

Show Highlights:

• Guest: Beth, whose daughter (Vanessa-age 8) was diagnosed at age 4
• Why the sudden T1D diagnosis and week-long hospital stay were extra traumatic experiences while Vanessa’s parents were away on a planned trip to Hawaii
• How Beth’s goal has always been to keep T1D in the background of her daughter’s life as much as possible
• Beth’s First Question: “Where and when can we start to give her more responsibility in handling her T1D management? I’m concerned about the technical side of things and the emotional side for her.”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “One thing that happens for kids is that when they want something, they learn to take more responsibility to get that something. That “something” can usually be the motivator or the fact that they just want to take on more responsibility in their T1D management. There is nothing artificial that you need to do for this to happen; your child’s normal developmental ability will gradually shift to her taking more control. If you put her in environments, like camp, where she is around more T1D kids like herself, kids usually come home feeling way more empowered to “do the next thing.” If she isn’t gunning to take on something new, I wouldn’t push it on her. If you are concerned, I would advise that you immerse her in an environment with other T1D kids, so she can think about what she wants to do. I would not be concerned about it at this point. As with most developmental things, these responsibilities are variable from kid to kid, and I’m glad to hear about your commitment to letting her be a kid for as long as possible. You will probably see her ask for more responsibility as she grows up. 
• Beth’s Second Question: “This disease is so invisible to family and friends. As the dust settles, do you have recommendations about reaching out and communicating our needs to get more support from friends and family?”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “I can’t plug family camp enough. If you’ve been, keep going. You will meet people that you’ll be friends with for life who speak the same language. My guess is that you are holding back with people who don’t have T1D in their families. I think you should identify what you need from people and be aware of where you are holding back and feeling isolated. Let them know that you feel lonely and sometimes need to share how difficult T1D is. Don’t be afraid to ask people to let you share when you feel down and to check in on you from time to time.”

Resources:

Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

*Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

*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 website homepage.

*For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. This is the course I wish I’d had when my kids were diagnosed. 

*For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the As a T1D parent, you go through a flurry of activity and adjustment when your child is diagnosed. The years that follow can be very difficult with daily management and monitoring, and it may look like you have it under control. The truth is that we all need the support that comes from other T1D parents and other friends and family members—and we aren’t always good at asking for what we need. Join us for today’s question from a concerned mom who admits that she needs those check-ins from time to time. 

Show Highlights:

• Guest: Beth, whose daughter (Vanessa-age 8) was diagnosed at age 4
• Why the sudden T1D diagnosis and week-long hospital stay were extra traumatic experiences while Vanessa’s parents were away on a planned trip to Hawaii
• How Beth’s goal has always been to keep T1D in the background of her daughter’s life as much as possible
• Beth’s First Question: “Where and when can we start to give her more responsibility in handling her T1D management? I’m concerned about the technical side of things and the emotional side for her.”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “One thing that happens for kids is that when they want something, they learn to take more responsibility to get that something. That “something” can usually be the motivator or the fact that they just want to take on more responsibility in their T1D management. There is nothing artificial that you need to do for this to happen; your child’s normal developmental ability will gradually shift to her taking more control. If you put her in environments, like camp, where she is around more T1D kids like herself, kids usually come home feeling way more empowered to “do the next thing.” If she isn’t gunning to take on something new, I wouldn’t push it on her. If you are concerned, I would advise that you immerse her in an environment with other T1D kids, so she can think about what she wants to do. I would not be concerned about it at this point. As with most developmental things, these responsibilities are variable from kid to kid, and I’m glad to hear about your commitment to letting her be a kid for as long as possible. You will probably see her ask for more responsibility as she grows up. 
• Beth’s Second Question: “This disease is so invisible to family and friends. As the dust settles, do you have recommendations about reaching out and communicating our needs to get more support from friends and family?”
• JoAnne’s Answer: “I can’t plug family camp enough. If you’ve been, keep going. You will meet people that you’ll be friends with for life who speak the same language. My guess is that you are holding back with people who don’t have T1D in their families. I think you should identify what you need from people and be aware of where you are holding back and feeling isolated. Let them know that you feel lonely and sometimes need to share how difficult T1D is. Don’t be afraid to ask people to let you share when you feel down and to check in on you from time to time.”

Resources:

Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

*Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

*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 website homepage.

*For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. This is the course I wish I’d had when my kids were diagnosed. 

*For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. It’s designed specifically for parents whose child was diagnosed within the last year. Let me help you find a faster path to calm. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Get Help After Diagnosis!

Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

Show Highlights:

• Guest: Sarah has a 17-year-old son who was diagnosed with T1D at age four.
• After navigating many different T1D issues over the years, the questions now are around alcohol and drug use. 
• As he will probably become a social drinker with friends and family, Sarah wants her son to use strategies that will keep him safe.

• Sarah’s First Question: “Is beer better than mixed drinks as far as having well-defined carb counts?"
• Dr. Justin’s Answer: “For teens and young adults, the thing I worry about the most is not high blood sugars and carbs but low blood sugars. When someone drinks alcohol, it goes straight to the liver, which becomes preoccupied with processing the alcohol and stops releasing sugar into the bloodstream for several hours. As regular glycogen isn’t being released when alcohol is present, the implications are that blood sugar lows will happen when someone is drinking, and a sugar release will happen to combat the low. The challenge is that, when someone is drinking, the normal body-rescue mechanism isn’t there. This persists for several hours. The risk with teenage drinking is NOT having them wake up at 300 but their blood sugar going so low that they don’t wake up. The carb counts of beer vs. mixed drinks really don’t matter in this context; the key is to keep them in the safest zone possible with alcohol use. Because you don’t know what’s in a mixed drink, it’s a way of taking in a lot of alcohol very quickly and not recognizing it. From that perspective, I would say beer is preferred.” 

• Sarah’s Second Question: “So how do you avoid the lows?”
• Dr. Justin’s Answer: “I tell teens to put their smart pump device in exercise mode and to eat before drinking. Their blood sugar should be around 200-250 before drinking. While they are drinking, I tell them not to bolus, because I’d rather their blood sugar be too high than too low. If they have to bolus, I recommend entering half the amount of carbs that they otherwise would use. It’s a good idea for kids to eat snacks while drinking, and there are good strategies kids can use to fit in socially and not have to drink excessively. They can open a beer, pour half of it out, and walk around with the rest of it throughout the night. They can still fit in without putting a bunch of alcohol into their bodies.

• JoAnne’s Question: “What about those kids who want to get drunk? What do you recommend for them in staying as safe as possible?”
• Dr. Justin’s Answer: “Recognizing that spectrum and knowing what your kid wants in their relationship with alcohol is important. If they want to get drunk, the important safety issues are not to disconnect their pump. I’ve seen kids do that in order to avoid the low readings, but they can wake up eight hours later in DKA. Another thing is that they need a buddy who knows them and their T1D and how to interpret the Dexcom numbers. At a party, if someone is passed out in a corner, everyone assumes they are drunk and won’t think about their blood sugar being low; that’s where a buddy comes in who knows what’s going on. The issue can become that a T1D kid needs IV glucose, but no one wants to call EMS for that and get in trouble. To keep your T1D kid]]>I’m honored to be joined by two guests today. One is a mom who has questions about substance use and her T1D teen. Because I’m not an expert on this topic, I invited Dr. Justin Altschuler to join us. Besides having T1D himself, he has a private practice that specializes in addiction and T1D, and he is the medical director of Diabetes Youth Families (DYF), which is the organization in the Bay Area that hosts the diabetes camps that you hear me mention frequently. Join us for this important conversation!

  Show Highlights:

  • Guest: Sarah has a 17-year-old son who was diagnosed with T1D at age four.
  • After navigating many different T1D issues over the years, the questions now are around alcohol and drug use. 
  • As he will probably become a social drinker with friends and family, Sarah wants her son to use strategies that will keep him safe.
  
  
  • Sarah’s First Question: “Is beer better than mixed drinks as far as having well-defined carb counts?"
  • Dr. Justin’s Answer: “For teens and young adults, the thing I worry about the most is not high blood sugars and carbs but low blood sugars. When someone drinks alcohol, it goes straight to the liver, which becomes preoccupied with processing the alcohol and stops releasing sugar into the bloodstream for several hours. As regular glycogen isn’t being released when alcohol is present, the implications are that blood sugar lows will happen when someone is drinking, and a sugar release will happen to combat the low. The challenge is that, when someone is drinking, the normal body-rescue mechanism isn’t there. This persists for several hours. The risk with teenage drinking is NOT having them wake up at 300 but their blood sugar going so low that they don’t wake up. The carb counts of beer vs. mixed drinks really don’t matter in this context; the key is to keep them in the safest zone possible with alcohol use. Because you don’t know what’s in a mixed drink, it’s a way of taking in a lot of alcohol very quickly and not recognizing it. From that perspective, I would say beer is preferred.” 
  
  

  
  

  • Sarah’s Second Question: “So how do you avoid the lows?”
  • Dr. Justin’s Answer: “I tell teens to put their smart pump device in exercise mode and to eat before drinking. Their blood sugar should be around 200-250 before drinking. While they are drinking, I tell them not to bolus, because I’d rather their blood sugar be too high than too low. If they have to bolus, I recommend entering half the amount of carbs that they otherwise would use. It’s a good idea for kids to eat snacks while drinking, and there are good strategies kids can use to fit in socially and not have to drink excessively. They can open a beer, pour half of it out, and walk around with the rest of it throughout the night. They can still fit in without putting a bunch of alcohol into their bodies.
  
  

  
  

  • JoAnne’s Question: “What about those kids who want to get drunk? What do you recommend for them in staying as safe as possible?”
  • Dr. Justin’s Answer: “Recognizing that spectrum and knowing what your kid wants in their relationship with alcohol is important. If they want to get drunk, the important safety issues are not to disconnect their pump. I’ve seen kids do that in order to avoid the low readings, but they can wake up eight hours later in DKA. Another thing is that they need a buddy who knows them and their T1D and how to interpret the Dexcom numbers. At a party, if someone is passed out in a corner, everyone assumes they are drunk and won’t think about their blood sugar being low; that’s where a buddy comes in who knows what’s going on. The issue can become that a T1D kid needs IV glucose, but no one wants to call EMS for that and get in trouble. To keep your T1D kid safe while drinking, there is a lot of prep work that needs to happen before the drinking starts. I encourage parents when talking to their kids, to make their intention clear about keeping them safe above all else.”
  
  

  
  

  • Sarah’s Third Question: “How do we coach our son regarding practical advice on buddy training?”
  • Dr. Justin’s Answer: “Even outside the T1D realm, parents need to have conversations with their kids about drinking and driving. I think of this conversation in a similar way to parents wanting to give their kids the freedom to go out and do things with the confidence that they are safe. Part of their safety plan should be to be with someone who can look at their dexcom, check their numbers, and know what to do. It’s as simple as the buddy knowing that if the number drops below 100-150 that they need to make the T1D person eat something. They should know not to assume that any strange behavior means that they are drunk, but that low blood sugar means they need to eat something right away. These conversations aren’t a one-time thing, but should start with young teens and be part of what they learn and discuss within their families.”
  
  

  
  

  • Sarah’s Fourth Question: “Is there much known about T1D and marijuana use? Are there things we should advise T1D kids to do differently around smoking weed or taking gummies?”
  • Dr. Justin’s Answer: “The physiology around marijuana use is different from alcohol and glucose metabolism. The concerns around alcohol use with kids not being able to accurately count carbs and read their numbers are still true with marijuana use. I tend to err on the conservative side of wanting them to be on the hyperglycemic side rather than the hypoglycemic side, but it’s not quite as scary in terms of glucose metabolism. The perception that ‘if it’s legal, it must be OK’ is dangerous; we know that early exposure to marijuana is not good for developing brains. The concern is that doing this at age 16 is different than doing it later in your 20s. The marijuana products on the market today are much more potent than over the last few years, and that difference is tremendous in the effect on young, developing brains. In talking to kids about substance use, it’s important to think about the underlying context in why kids are drawn to it. I think of it as a ‘push and pull’ of why they don’t like being sober and how the chemical makes them feel. T1D kids using these substances as an escape valve is something I worry about in the long term.”
  
  

  
  

  • Dr. Justin’s General Takeaways: “These conversations around substances don’t take place one time but should be occurring over and over with your kids. It’s important to acknowledge that parents can’t control this with their kids, and the locus of control lies within the child’s decision-making. Adolescents and young adults have to take ownership of these decisions, and that requires that they have all the information to make informed decisions. As a parent, surrendering control and actually trusting your kid helps paradoxically and lays the groundwork for their own choices. That attitude takes substance use out of the realm of ‘rebelling against mom and dad’ and gives them the chance to make good choices in a much more helpful framework. Adolescents view risk-taking and novelty-seeking behaviors differently because their brains are different; we have to help them walk through concrete steps to take so they can make good decisions when those times come.” 
  
  

  
  

  Resources:

  Connect with Dr. Justin: Website and Newsletter

  Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  *Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine!

  *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 website homepage.

  *For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. 

  *For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. 

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>b0c397da-345a-4ec6-8a20-cb48994df1fdTue, 14 Feb 2023 03:00:00 -050039:33falsefull2020JoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT19: When Your T1D Child is Being Rejected by a FriendWelcome to another episode! Today’s question comes from a listener who wrote to me, and I have a friend and fellow T1D mom, Annie, to join the discussion and offer her perspective on this difficult situation. Join us!

  Show Highlights:

  • Question from “Feeling Powerless”: “I need help in supporting my T1D daughter, who is in 3rd grade and was diagnosed almost a year ago. Her best friend since forever has begun to reject her around her diabetes. Most recently, she said that she doesn’t want to come to the anniversary celebration of her diagnosis, but the problem extends to not wanting to be around her at school or our house. I am friends with the girl’s mother, but I don’t know how to talk to her about it. My daughter is so sad, and I don’t know how to help, even though I’ve tried telling her to focus on other friends who are willing to help out.”
  • JoAnne’s Answer (with input from Annie): “Friendship shifts are not uncommon for 3rd graders, but this is a hard thing. Kids often feel uncomfortable around their friends getting all the attention, and we see this often at school or with siblings at home. It’s also possible that this friend is afraid of needles and the responsibility of walking her friend to the school nurse because it feels scary. Since we don’t know the child’s reasons, we are focusing on how this mom can support her T1D daughter, and whether there is room to have a conversation with the friend’s mom. “Powerless” can validate that it feels bad for her daughter and speculate that this is a rough patch that may change for the better with the friendship over time. The friendship doesn’t have to be over because this girl is struggling with diabetes right now. Since there is a relationship with the girl’s mom, I think “Powerless” should go to the mom and discuss the problem with curiosity around how she might be feeling. It might be helpful for the moms to have the discussion first, and it’s important for the moms not to catastrophize the situation for the girls. These are eight- or nine-year-old girls, and there can be all kinds of ups and downs in friendships. I think the validation piece is about how diabetes is causing the shift in the friendship, which is painful, but there are other allies who can be supportive and helpful. As far as the Dia-versary celebration (See Resources for a blog post on the topic), there isn’t a right or wrong way to do it, but this may be another situation in which the friend may not be comfortable with all the attention around diabetes. It might be better to keep those celebrations within the family and not invite others to participate. It is not a birthday party, and sometimes it’s harder for people outside the family to understand the context of the celebration. It might be an easier pill to swallow for this friend for the special-ness of the occasion to be kept for the family members. This is an opportunity for “Powerless” to teach her daughter to state her needs in a situation that seems almost adversarial. It would be great for her daughter to acknowledge to her friend that diabetes is hard, but she still wants her to be a friend. That’s a big ask for a 3rd grader, I know. It’s important to realize that sometimes friends are good at showing up in some ways but not so much in others. Parents have to exercise caution about getting caught up in the kids’ drama. It’s always better to hold it lightly.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Blog post mentioned in this episode about Celebrating Dia-versaries: https://www.diabetessweettalk.com/blog/pe968a6ocp7vomgcos4rw2i0jdif8z  

  Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: Welcome to another episode! Today’s question comes from a listener who wrote to me, and I have a friend and fellow T1D mom, Annie, to join the discussion and offer her perspective on this difficult situation. Join us!

  Show Highlights:

  • Question from “Feeling Powerless”: “I need help in supporting my T1D daughter, who is in 3rd grade and was diagnosed almost a year ago. Her best friend since forever has begun to reject her around her diabetes. Most recently, she said that she doesn’t want to come to the anniversary celebration of her diagnosis, but the problem extends to not wanting to be around her at school or our house. I am friends with the girl’s mother, but I don’t know how to talk to her about it. My daughter is so sad, and I don’t know how to help, even though I’ve tried telling her to focus on other friends who are willing to help out.”
  • JoAnne’s Answer (with input from Annie): “Friendship shifts are not uncommon for 3rd graders, but this is a hard thing. Kids often feel uncomfortable around their friends getting all the attention, and we see this often at school or with siblings at home. It’s also possible that this friend is afraid of needles and the responsibility of walking her friend to the school nurse because it feels scary. Since we don’t know the child’s reasons, we are focusing on how this mom can support her T1D daughter, and whether there is room to have a conversation with the friend’s mom. “Powerless” can validate that it feels bad for her daughter and speculate that this is a rough patch that may change for the better with the friendship over time. The friendship doesn’t have to be over because this girl is struggling with diabetes right now. Since there is a relationship with the girl’s mom, I think “Powerless” should go to the mom and discuss the problem with curiosity around how she might be feeling. It might be helpful for the moms to have the discussion first, and it’s important for the moms not to catastrophize the situation for the girls. These are eight- or nine-year-old girls, and there can be all kinds of ups and downs in friendships. I think the validation piece is about how diabetes is causing the shift in the friendship, which is painful, but there are other allies who can be supportive and helpful. As far as the Dia-versary celebration (See Resources for a blog post on the topic), there isn’t a right or wrong way to do it, but this may be another situation in which the friend may not be comfortable with all the attention around diabetes. It might be better to keep those celebrations within the family and not invite others to participate. It is not a birthday party, and sometimes it’s harder for people outside the family to understand the context of the celebration. It might be an easier pill to swallow for this friend for the special-ness of the occasion to be kept for the family members. This is an opportunity for “Powerless” to teach her daughter to state her needs in a situation that seems almost adversarial. It would be great for her daughter to acknowledge to her friend that diabetes is hard, but she still wants her to be a friend. That’s a big ask for a 3rd grader, I know. It’s important to realize that sometimes friends are good at showing up in some ways but not so much in others. Parents have to exercise caution about getting caught up in the kids’ drama. It’s always better to hold it lightly.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Blog post mentioned in this episode about Celebrating Dia-versaries: https://www.diabetessweettalk.com/blog/pe968a6ocp7vomgcos4rw2i0jdif8z  

  Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  *Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

  *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 website homepage.

  *For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. 

  *For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course.

  
  

  
  

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>b0de0357-b926-4ecd-90fd-feee232eee25Tue, 07 Feb 2023 03:00:00 -050023:07falsefull1919JoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT18: Navigating Challenges with School CaregiversCoordinating your T1D child’s care with school caregivers can vary from one extreme to the other. Some parents have wonderful support in place, and others feel like they are constantly battling and advocating. The truth is that parents, teachers, and school staff CAN and SHOULD work together to keep the child safe–that’s the bottom line. All the nuances of what that looks like can be worked out with cooperation, information, and mutual respect. Today’s question comes from a mother who is looking to strengthen that team without creating barriers and animosity. Join us to learn more about this important relationship!

  Show Highlights:

  Guest: Wendy’s daughter, Sophia, was diagnosed at 22 months and is now in 6th grade.

  • The family received an email from the school nurse, prompted by a teacher, to say that Sophia should be responsible for her dosing at school and not need assistance from the nurse. 
  • Because her daily schedule varies, Sophia’s snacks and lunch are not always at the same time, and the school caregivers feel that she is being babied too much by their help.
  • Wendy’s Question: “At what point do you think my daughter should be responsible to dose on her own without talking things out and getting supervision from a caregiver?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “The important thing is what YOU feel that Sophia is ready for. If your gut feeling is that she isn’t quite ready (and you aren’t ready), the next questions are around what steps can be taken to “get her ready” to take more responsibility. Kids are different, and there is no correct path to diabetes management. The bottom line is that she needs to be well-supported. Another issue is whether or not the school personnel will be respectful of your decision to say she isn’t ready to take this on. With 6+ years still at home, you don’t need to be super anxious at this point about her heading off into the world without knowing how to manage her care. It sounds like Sophia feels really comfortable “thinking out loud” about her care and responsibilities, and that’s something that you should encourage. She will be able to make these decisions more independently down the road. The school may be overwhelmed with the logistics of her care, but legally, the school doesn’t get to decide what she needs; YOU and her doctor determine the care that she needs right now. I recommend that you go back and listen to Episode 16 of the podcast, where the guest is a school caregiver, and it might be helpful if you share that episode with your school caregiver. The goal for everyone should be to keep Sophia safe. A good way to phrase it would be to talk with them about what is “developmentally needed” for her right now, and hopefully, you can get their support in a more robust way. Sophia will carry this on her own for a long time, and I believe she should be moved toward independence at her own pace and in the ways that work best for her.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  *Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

  *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 website homepage.

  *For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. 

  *For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching...]]>Coordinating your T1D child’s care with school caregivers can vary from one extreme to the other. Some parents have wonderful support in place, and others feel like they are constantly battling and advocating. The truth is that parents, teachers, and school staff CAN and SHOULD work together to keep the child safe–that’s the bottom line. All the nuances of what that looks like can be worked out with cooperation, information, and mutual respect. Today’s question comes from a mother who is looking to strengthen that team without creating barriers and animosity. Join us to learn more about this important relationship!

  Show Highlights:

  Guest: Wendy’s daughter, Sophia, was diagnosed at 22 months and is now in 6th grade.

  • The family received an email from the school nurse, prompted by a teacher, to say that Sophia should be responsible for her dosing at school and not need assistance from the nurse. 
  • Because her daily schedule varies, Sophia’s snacks and lunch are not always at the same time, and the school caregivers feel that she is being babied too much by their help.
  • Wendy’s Question: “At what point do you think my daughter should be responsible to dose on her own without talking things out and getting supervision from a caregiver?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “The important thing is what YOU feel that Sophia is ready for. If your gut feeling is that she isn’t quite ready (and you aren’t ready), the next questions are around what steps can be taken to “get her ready” to take more responsibility. Kids are different, and there is no correct path to diabetes management. The bottom line is that she needs to be well-supported. Another issue is whether or not the school personnel will be respectful of your decision to say she isn’t ready to take this on. With 6+ years still at home, you don’t need to be super anxious at this point about her heading off into the world without knowing how to manage her care. It sounds like Sophia feels really comfortable “thinking out loud” about her care and responsibilities, and that’s something that you should encourage. She will be able to make these decisions more independently down the road. The school may be overwhelmed with the logistics of her care, but legally, the school doesn’t get to decide what she needs; YOU and her doctor determine the care that she needs right now. I recommend that you go back and listen to Episode 16 of the podcast, where the guest is a school caregiver, and it might be helpful if you share that episode with your school caregiver. The goal for everyone should be to keep Sophia safe. A good way to phrase it would be to talk with them about what is “developmentally needed” for her right now, and hopefully, you can get their support in a more robust way. Sophia will carry this on her own for a long time, and I believe she should be moved toward independence at her own pace and in the ways that work best for her.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  *Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

  *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 website homepage.

  *For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. 

  *For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. 

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>8790c817-7719-4c82-87d6-0a0ecbae2dbfTue, 31 Jan 2023 03:00:00 -050015:26falsefull1818JoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT17: Debating Antibody Testing for your T1D’s SiblingsAs with many medical issues, testing can be done for T1D markers. The problem is that those testing results give a measure for a particular point in time, and a negative result does not mean that someone will never be diagnosed with diabetes. For parents, it can be a real dilemma whether to test a child for these markers. Today’s question comes from a mom who doesn’t know what to do regarding this testing for the siblings of her T1D child. Join us for a closer look!

  Show Highlights:

  • Guest: Danielle is the mother of three girls, and her middle daughter (10) was diagnosed T1D about two years ago.
  • She has constant worry and pressure that another of her girls will be diagnosed with T1D, knowing how difficult that would be to process.
  • Danielle’s Question: “I want to know if I should have antibody testing for the T1D markers on my other two children. I have concerns about the testing, and I don’t know how I would psychologically handle the information if they tested positive for the T1D markers. Both roads have trauma involved for me, and I don’t know what to do.”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “It makes sense to me why you are torn. I want to share my personal story of how we tested (after my son was diagnosed) and found that my daughter had the markers, but only after the second year of testing. A snapshot at one moment of testing doesn’t give a solid picture, so even if you did the testing to reassure yourself, that doesn’t mean you have a fixed piece of data for all time. In my daughter’s case, we had an easy transition into diabetes with her because of the early interventions that were taken as her pancreas function was failing. This is the danger of having so many medical choices because they kick up so many emotions for us. You have to decide in a thoughtful way what you can handle, and I believe that you would learn to make it work if you had a second kid with T1D. The grief you encounter is not a circle but a spiral; you won’t grieve the same if a second child is diagnosed. The difference in having a second T1D child is that the grief is still there, but the learning is also there. You know what you need to do, and you’ll be in a different place at that point. One of the toughest things about T1D is learning and accepting that we have no control over what’s happening to our child. If, God forbid, one of your other children is diagnosed, you will recognize the signs earlier, and it will be a very different experience for you. You have the strength and capacity to manage what comes your way, and you need to understand how to talk to and soothe the part of you that is terrified in the not knowing. There are no easy answers here, and I think you are doing a good job at knowing yourself.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>As with many medical issues, testing can be done for T1D markers. The problem is that those testing results give a measure for a particular point in time, and a negative result does not mean that someone will never be diagnosed with diabetes. For parents, it can be a real dilemma whether to test a child for these markers. Today’s question comes from a mom who doesn’t know what to do regarding this testing for the siblings of her T1D child. Join us for a closer look!

  Show Highlights:

  • Guest: Danielle is the mother of three girls, and her middle daughter (10) was diagnosed T1D about two years ago.
  • She has constant worry and pressure that another of her girls will be diagnosed with T1D, knowing how difficult that would be to process.
  • Danielle’s Question: “I want to know if I should have antibody testing for the T1D markers on my other two children. I have concerns about the testing, and I don’t know how I would psychologically handle the information if they tested positive for the T1D markers. Both roads have trauma involved for me, and I don’t know what to do.”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “It makes sense to me why you are torn. I want to share my personal story of how we tested (after my son was diagnosed) and found that my daughter had the markers, but only after the second year of testing. A snapshot at one moment of testing doesn’t give a solid picture, so even if you did the testing to reassure yourself, that doesn’t mean you have a fixed piece of data for all time. In my daughter’s case, we had an easy transition into diabetes with her because of the early interventions that were taken as her pancreas function was failing. This is the danger of having so many medical choices because they kick up so many emotions for us. You have to decide in a thoughtful way what you can handle, and I believe that you would learn to make it work if you had a second kid with T1D. The grief you encounter is not a circle but a spiral; you won’t grieve the same if a second child is diagnosed. The difference in having a second T1D child is that the grief is still there, but the learning is also there. You know what you need to do, and you’ll be in a different place at that point. One of the toughest things about T1D is learning and accepting that we have no control over what’s happening to our child. If, God forbid, one of your other children is diagnosed, you will recognize the signs earlier, and it will be a very different experience for you. You have the strength and capacity to manage what comes your way, and you need to understand how to talk to and soothe the part of you that is terrified in the not knowing. There are no easy answers here, and I think you are doing a good job at knowing yourself.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>8ac13487-360e-43f4-a06b-aa41fc3d7000Tue, 24 Jan 2023 03:00:00 -050036:24falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT16: Managing T1D at School : A Caregiver's PerspectiveWe are talking about T1D from a perspective other than that of a parent, which is our usual format. I’m talking to the care provider who helped both of my children when they were in elementary and middle school. Cassandra shares what it’s like to be a care provider, along with what worked best (and what didn’t), and how she coordinated with school administrators and parents. I hope this perspective will be helpful for parents who are looking to better partner with their schools.

  Show Highlights:

  • How Cassandra became a “diabetes superhero” at school
  • How it felt when she first took up the task of T1D management for students
  • What it was like to develop communication and partnership with parents in their kids’ care
  • Why Cassandra believes the students were gracious in allowing her to be in their space so often
  • What worked best in forming partnerships with parents in their various diabetes management styles
  • What Cassandra would say to parents who are hesitant to ask for her help
  • What she learned through working with different parenting styles of T1D management
  • How Cassandra formed a partnership with teachers and school administration to serve the students
  • What a caregiver should ask for from T1D parents
  • Why honest and open communication is necessary, even when mistakes are made
  • How Cassandra learned not to take things personally when dealing with parents and students
  • How parents can help educate teachers and staff about T1D needs and management
  • Cassandra’s best advice about advocating for your child’s needs
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  *Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

  *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 website homepage.

  *For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. 

  *For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. 

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>We are talking about T1D from a perspective other than that of a parent, which is our usual format. I’m talking to the care provider who helped both of my children when they were in elementary and middle school. Cassandra shares what it’s like to be a care provider, along with what worked best (and what didn’t), and how she coordinated with school administrators and parents. I hope this perspective will be helpful for parents who are looking to better partner with their schools.

  Show Highlights:

  • How Cassandra became a “diabetes superhero” at school
  • How it felt when she first took up the task of T1D management for students
  • What it was like to develop communication and partnership with parents in their kids’ care
  • Why Cassandra believes the students were gracious in allowing her to be in their space so often
  • What worked best in forming partnerships with parents in their various diabetes management styles
  • What Cassandra would say to parents who are hesitant to ask for her help
  • What she learned through working with different parenting styles of T1D management
  • How Cassandra formed a partnership with teachers and school administration to serve the students
  • What a caregiver should ask for from T1D parents
  • Why honest and open communication is necessary, even when mistakes are made
  • How Cassandra learned not to take things personally when dealing with parents and students
  • How parents can help educate teachers and staff about T1D needs and management
  • Cassandra’s best advice about advocating for your child’s needs
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  *Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

  *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 website homepage.

  *For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. 

  *For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. 

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>cb5dd67f-b4ac-47c4-ae3b-b09c9cc591eaTue, 17 Jan 2023 03:00:00 -050037:32falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT15: Dexcom Change ChallengesDexcom changes can bring a host of issues for T1D kids and their families. There are some tried and true strategies that I’ve seen work for many people. Today’s question comes from a mom who is trying to smooth out the rough edges for her newly-diagnosed, middle-school daughter. Join us!

  Show Highlights:

  • Guest: Ashley, whose daughter (12) was diagnosed just a few months ago
  • How the diagnosis has been traumatic and shocking for a child who is rarely ever sick
  • How this diagnosis has jarred the entire family since there is no family history of diabetes on either side
  • How her daughter has become a competent advocate for herself because of other issues like dyslexia and dysgraphia
  • How they have gotten great support from her school and their family and been able to work as a team
  • How Dexcom changes bring a floodgate of anxiety and tears and break down the communication and teamwork
  • Ashley’s Question: “When we get to those places of anxiety about Dexcom changes, how can we handle the conflict without arguing?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “What I hear is how much you love her and how incredibly frustrating it is when she gets to this place of anxiety. One important thing is to change your language to and instead of but in a comment like, “I know it’s hard, AND you still have to do it.” Even though she doesn’t want to have these conversations about Dexcom changes, I think you still need to bring it up and validate the fact that it’s difficult. One strategy is to let her know you are leaving her there to change the Dexcom on her own, and another is to talk about it ahead of time and ask what her plan is to make it easier. A third strategy would be to let her know that you have suggestions to make it easier if she is interested in those, like breathing meditations, humming, distraction, etc. This is a hard age at which to be diagnosed; she’s being a superstar, AND it’s still a lot to handle. You should let her know that and give her permission to hate it and fall apart at other moments when the Dexcom change is not the issue. One idea is to ask the endocrinologist for a loaner Dexcom that you can wear to be in solidarity with her and show her that you understand. I think going to diabetes camp will be extremely helpful for her and your family.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  *Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

  *Visit my website to sign up for my FREE webinar, Let Them Eat Cake? It’s happening on December 14, and I’d love for you to join us!

  *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 website homepage.

  *For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. 

  *For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. 

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>Dexcom changes can bring a host of issues for T1D kids and their families. There are some tried and true strategies that I’ve seen work for many people. Today’s question comes from a mom who is trying to smooth out the rough edges for her newly-diagnosed, middle-school daughter. Join us!

  Show Highlights:

  • Guest: Ashley, whose daughter (12) was diagnosed just a few months ago
  • How the diagnosis has been traumatic and shocking for a child who is rarely ever sick
  • How this diagnosis has jarred the entire family since there is no family history of diabetes on either side
  • How her daughter has become a competent advocate for herself because of other issues like dyslexia and dysgraphia
  • How they have gotten great support from her school and their family and been able to work as a team
  • How Dexcom changes bring a floodgate of anxiety and tears and break down the communication and teamwork
  • Ashley’s Question: “When we get to those places of anxiety about Dexcom changes, how can we handle the conflict without arguing?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “What I hear is how much you love her and how incredibly frustrating it is when she gets to this place of anxiety. One important thing is to change your language to and instead of but in a comment like, “I know it’s hard, AND you still have to do it.” Even though she doesn’t want to have these conversations about Dexcom changes, I think you still need to bring it up and validate the fact that it’s difficult. One strategy is to let her know you are leaving her there to change the Dexcom on her own, and another is to talk about it ahead of time and ask what her plan is to make it easier. A third strategy would be to let her know that you have suggestions to make it easier if she is interested in those, like breathing meditations, humming, distraction, etc. This is a hard age at which to be diagnosed; she’s being a superstar, AND it’s still a lot to handle. You should let her know that and give her permission to hate it and fall apart at other moments when the Dexcom change is not the issue. One idea is to ask the endocrinologist for a loaner Dexcom that you can wear to be in solidarity with her and show her that you understand. I think going to diabetes camp will be extremely helpful for her and your family.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  *Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

  *Visit my website to sign up for my FREE webinar, Let Them Eat Cake? It’s happening on December 14, and I’d love for you to join us!

  *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 website homepage.

  *For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. 

  *For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. 

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>9844fce5-8dbc-469d-85a0-201cc94edd7aTue, 20 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -050018:28falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT14: Strategies for Managing the Holiday Stress with T1DThe holiday season is here, and that means cookies, candies, and other scrumptious foods are all around us. If you are the parent of a T1D kid, you may experience a LOT of stress around diabetes management during this time. An added source of stress is the comments you’ll get from people who don’t understand T1D management. Today’s question comes from a mother who wants to prepare herself ahead of time for the food issues AND the comments. Join us for the conversation. 

  Show Highlights:

  • Guest: Julianna, whose son (7) was just diagnosed in the summer of this year
  • Since his diagnosis is still new, their family is facing their first holiday season with T1D.
  • Julianna’s son is a “cookie monster” who loves sweets, and there is another family member (diagnosed many years ago) who manages diabetes by avoiding all sweets. 
  • Julianna’s Question: ”What should I be on the lookout for as we go into our first holiday season with my son’s T1D diagnosis?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “I think there are two main things that need your attention. The first is about food and eating at parties and family gatherings. It’s normal for a 7-year-old to want to grab and eat whatever he wants. My advice to you is not to panic about this. When his numbers go up, just take a breath and do a correction. Stay as calm as you can. I encourage you to attend my free webinar, Let Them Eat Cake, on December 14. Creating a healthy relationship with food and eating includes allowing the normal holiday foods that are there. The second thing to be aware of is the comments that come from family members, especially if some of them manage diabetes differently than you do. You could send email communication to them in advance and ask for their respect in how you are handling your son’s T1D. If that feels too aggressive, you just need to realize that people say stupid things about diabetes management, so don’t take it personally. My website has a blog post called “Setting Boundaries Around Well-Meaning Advice” that might be helpful for you. There is also a humorous YouTube video called “What Not to Say to the Parent of a Type-1 Diabetic” that might help you not take stupid comments too seriously.” 
  
  

  Resources:

  Mentioned in this episode: “Setting Boundaries Around Well-Meaning Advice” blog post and “What Not to Say to the Parent of a Type-1 Diabetic” YouTube video

  Visit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  *Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

  *Visit my website to sign up for my FREE webinar, Let Them Eat Cake? It’s happening on December 14, and I’d love for you to join us!

  *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 website homepage.

  *For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. 

  *For a more hopeful future for you and your]]>The holiday season is here, and that means cookies, candies, and other scrumptious foods are all around us. If you are the parent of a T1D kid, you may experience a LOT of stress around diabetes management during this time. An added source of stress is the comments you’ll get from people who don’t understand T1D management. Today’s question comes from a mother who wants to prepare herself ahead of time for the food issues AND the comments. Join us for the conversation. 

  Show Highlights:

  • Guest: Julianna, whose son (7) was just diagnosed in the summer of this year
  • Since his diagnosis is still new, their family is facing their first holiday season with T1D.
  • Julianna’s son is a “cookie monster” who loves sweets, and there is another family member (diagnosed many years ago) who manages diabetes by avoiding all sweets. 
  • Julianna’s Question: ”What should I be on the lookout for as we go into our first holiday season with my son’s T1D diagnosis?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “I think there are two main things that need your attention. The first is about food and eating at parties and family gatherings. It’s normal for a 7-year-old to want to grab and eat whatever he wants. My advice to you is not to panic about this. When his numbers go up, just take a breath and do a correction. Stay as calm as you can. I encourage you to attend my free webinar, Let Them Eat Cake, on December 14. Creating a healthy relationship with food and eating includes allowing the normal holiday foods that are there. The second thing to be aware of is the comments that come from family members, especially if some of them manage diabetes differently than you do. You could send email communication to them in advance and ask for their respect in how you are handling your son’s T1D. If that feels too aggressive, you just need to realize that people say stupid things about diabetes management, so don’t take it personally. My website has a blog post called “Setting Boundaries Around Well-Meaning Advice” that might be helpful for you. There is also a humorous YouTube video called “What Not to Say to the Parent of a Type-1 Diabetic” that might help you not take stupid comments too seriously.” 
  
  

  Resources:

  Mentioned in this episode: “Setting Boundaries Around Well-Meaning Advice” blog post and “What Not to Say to the Parent of a Type-1 Diabetic” YouTube video

  Visit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  *Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

  *Visit my website to sign up for my FREE webinar, Let Them Eat Cake? It’s happening on December 14, and I’d love for you to join us!

  *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 website homepage.

  *For help in diabetes management, check out Sweet Talk’s Put Diabetes In Its Place coaching course. 

  *For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course. 

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>035215fd-a575-4766-ac4c-368835c1b6f9Tue, 13 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -050008:36falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT13: When the T1D Parent Needs to Let Go of ControlEvery T1D parent feels the compulsion to tightly control the food, the doses, and every aspect of diabetes management for their child. We have to realize that the goals should be to normalize  T1D as much as possible, keep the numbers in the “good enough” range, and keep a good relationship with the child. We are NEVER going to achieve perfection, and we can’t expect perfection from our kids in T1D management. Sometimes the best thing we can do is to loosen the pressure we put on our T1D kid and keep the communication lines open. Join us to hear the conversation between Paige and JoAnne.  

  Show Highlights:

  Guest: Paige, the mother of an 11-year-old son who was diagnosed at age 8

  • Since he was diagnosed just a few months before the pandemic occurred, management became routine as the family was together all the time.
  • As of January 2022, Paige’s son is back in school but struggling to independently manage his T1D throughout the school day.
  • How her son has recently cut back on logging his food intake precisely, which has brought more chaos into the situation
  • How his “guesses” at dosing are leading to rollercoaster moments and scary highs and lows
  • Paige’s Question: “Is this ‘rage dosing’ just a phase of his management? Will he at some point go back to logging his food correctly? How do we handle this loss of control when he’s dosing himself or when we leave him with other people?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “I feel like you had a double-edged sword with the pandemic, with the upside being the ease in taking care of him all the time because he was at home. The downside is that you became used to keeping a flatline of his blood sugar numbers all the time, which is not realistic, especially for children. I think you need to loosen some of your idea of what he should be doing in T1D management because that probably feels like a noose to him. With the lived experience you’ve shared about your T1D family history, that ramps up your anxiety about T1D management and the worst scenario outcomes. What I know is that you want your child to have a positive relationship with diabetes, as much as possible. We want him to embrace the care of T1D while hating the T1D; the more rigid it becomes, the harder it is to embrace the care. You’ll have to figure out where you can let go so that his life can be as normal as possible. I feel like a visit to family camp will be really, really helpful for you. The question is how you can keep your relationship with him strong enough as he goes through the upcoming teen years so you have a positive connection into which diabetes is woven. Where you are now is not the total story, so you need to figure out how you can quiet your own nervous system around diabetes so you can allow some normalcy into your son’s life. You can be the superstar diabetes manager, but at what cost? Your relationship with your son should be at the forefront. My Put Diabetes in Its Place might be helpful for you because it teaches you to identify a place where you can be more flexible and work from there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. At this point, you need to aim for ‘good enough’. You have to take a breath and realize that the end of the world is not coming when he is out of range with his numbers sometimes. My Self-Care Kit might be helpful in helping you turn down the volume on your dysregulation when his numbers are high. I would ask your endocrinologist about using a mini-gluc dose to help him come up from a low; some doctors will support that use. You can work with your endo team and adjust the doses to cover those pre-bedtime snacks he wants without them keeping you up all night. My free webinar (coming on December 14), Let Them Eat Cake? will benefit you.” 
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit my website for available resources: Every T1D parent feels the compulsion to tightly control the food, the doses, and every aspect of diabetes management for their child. We have to realize that the goals should be to normalize  T1D as much as possible, keep the numbers in the “good enough” range, and keep a good relationship with the child. We are NEVER going to achieve perfection, and we can’t expect perfection from our kids in T1D management. Sometimes the best thing we can do is to loosen the pressure we put on our T1D kid and keep the communication lines open. Join us to hear the conversation between Paige and JoAnne.  

  Show Highlights:

  Guest: Paige, the mother of an 11-year-old son who was diagnosed at age 8

  • Since he was diagnosed just a few months before the pandemic occurred, management became routine as the family was together all the time.
  • As of January 2022, Paige’s son is back in school but struggling to independently manage his T1D throughout the school day.
  • How her son has recently cut back on logging his food intake precisely, which has brought more chaos into the situation
  • How his “guesses” at dosing are leading to rollercoaster moments and scary highs and lows
  • Paige’s Question: “Is this ‘rage dosing’ just a phase of his management? Will he at some point go back to logging his food correctly? How do we handle this loss of control when he’s dosing himself or when we leave him with other people?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “I feel like you had a double-edged sword with the pandemic, with the upside being the ease in taking care of him all the time because he was at home. The downside is that you became used to keeping a flatline of his blood sugar numbers all the time, which is not realistic, especially for children. I think you need to loosen some of your idea of what he should be doing in T1D management because that probably feels like a noose to him. With the lived experience you’ve shared about your T1D family history, that ramps up your anxiety about T1D management and the worst scenario outcomes. What I know is that you want your child to have a positive relationship with diabetes, as much as possible. We want him to embrace the care of T1D while hating the T1D; the more rigid it becomes, the harder it is to embrace the care. You’ll have to figure out where you can let go so that his life can be as normal as possible. I feel like a visit to family camp will be really, really helpful for you. The question is how you can keep your relationship with him strong enough as he goes through the upcoming teen years so you have a positive connection into which diabetes is woven. Where you are now is not the total story, so you need to figure out how you can quiet your own nervous system around diabetes so you can allow some normalcy into your son’s life. You can be the superstar diabetes manager, but at what cost? Your relationship with your son should be at the forefront. My Put Diabetes in Its Place might be helpful for you because it teaches you to identify a place where you can be more flexible and work from there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. At this point, you need to aim for ‘good enough’. You have to take a breath and realize that the end of the world is not coming when he is out of range with his numbers sometimes. My Self-Care Kit might be helpful in helping you turn down the volume on your dysregulation when his numbers are high. I would ask your endocrinologist about using a mini-gluc dose to help him come up from a low; some doctors will support that use. You can work with your endo team and adjust the doses to cover those pre-bedtime snacks he wants without them keeping you up all night. My free webinar (coming on December 14), Let Them Eat Cake? will benefit you.” 
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  *Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

  *Visit my website to sign up for my FREE webinar, Let Them Eat Cake? It’s happening on December 14, and I’d love for you to join us!

  *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 website homepage.

  For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis coaching course at www.diabetessweettalk.com/courses. 

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>cc7527b0-6f7d-43bd-a632-65e38f76e2e2Tue, 06 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -050037:32falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT12: When Your Child Gets Derailed by DiabetesHaving a newly diagnosed T1D child sends parents on a new and unexpected journey. Today’s question is from a mom who is struggling with all the pieces of the T1D journey with her preteen daughter. As is expected, her daughter wants to be private about her diabetes because she wants to fit in with her peers, and she just wants life to be about other things besides T1D. This shows up in anger and frustration with what is now required of her in diabetes management. Join us for the conversation.

  Show Highlights:

  • Guest: Amy’s daughter, Katie (12), was diagnosed with T1D just two months ago in September, and she’s being homeschooled now for 6th grade.  
  • How Amy’s family has felt flooded and emotionally overwhelmed with this diagnosis and all the pieces to the T1D puzzle
  • How Katie is super private and embarrassed about T1D and refuses to let anyone else be around when she has an injection
  • Amy’s Question: “I want to ask about the grief piece that seems to be lingering and unending. It sometimes shows up in Katie as anger, especially in the mornings as we have transitioned to homeschool until she's ready to get back into school, so I need strategies for managing those emotions in the moment. I also need to know how to handle the fact that she doesn’t want anyone to know that she has T1D.”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “I think it’s important to normalize her life as much as possible, and a big piece of that is having her return to school instead of being homeschooled. She needs to know that her life can be normal and stay on track even though the T1D diagnosis has derailed you for a time. The most important aspect is to figure out how you both will live normal lives while managing T1D. By having her at home, you are communicating to her that “this” is too much and too big. Look to partner with the school nurse and teachers to make sure they know what she needs. You have to find the line between what Katie wants and what the reality is. You may have to push her to get her on board with doing what she needs to regarding dosing at school, and get her to understand that her T1D cannot be private from the adults who care for her at school. We, as parents, have to be practical about the suffering our T1D kids are enduring because they have to learn to tolerate it. They don’t have a choice about the pain of injections, but their lives can remain intact. It might be helpful to find a T1D mentor for her from the local high school, and it’s not something you give her a choice about– because she doesn’t know what she needs.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Mentioned in this episode: Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents by Reid Wilson

  Visit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  *Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

  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.  

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were...]]>Having a newly diagnosed T1D child sends parents on a new and unexpected journey. Today’s question is from a mom who is struggling with all the pieces of the T1D journey with her preteen daughter. As is expected, her daughter wants to be private about her diabetes because she wants to fit in with her peers, and she just wants life to be about other things besides T1D. This shows up in anger and frustration with what is now required of her in diabetes management. Join us for the conversation.

  Show Highlights:

  • Guest: Amy’s daughter, Katie (12), was diagnosed with T1D just two months ago in September, and she’s being homeschooled now for 6th grade.  
  • How Amy’s family has felt flooded and emotionally overwhelmed with this diagnosis and all the pieces to the T1D puzzle
  • How Katie is super private and embarrassed about T1D and refuses to let anyone else be around when she has an injection
  • Amy’s Question: “I want to ask about the grief piece that seems to be lingering and unending. It sometimes shows up in Katie as anger, especially in the mornings as we have transitioned to homeschool until she's ready to get back into school, so I need strategies for managing those emotions in the moment. I also need to know how to handle the fact that she doesn’t want anyone to know that she has T1D.”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “I think it’s important to normalize her life as much as possible, and a big piece of that is having her return to school instead of being homeschooled. She needs to know that her life can be normal and stay on track even though the T1D diagnosis has derailed you for a time. The most important aspect is to figure out how you both will live normal lives while managing T1D. By having her at home, you are communicating to her that “this” is too much and too big. Look to partner with the school nurse and teachers to make sure they know what she needs. You have to find the line between what Katie wants and what the reality is. You may have to push her to get her on board with doing what she needs to regarding dosing at school, and get her to understand that her T1D cannot be private from the adults who care for her at school. We, as parents, have to be practical about the suffering our T1D kids are enduring because they have to learn to tolerate it. They don’t have a choice about the pain of injections, but their lives can remain intact. It might be helpful to find a T1D mentor for her from the local high school, and it’s not something you give her a choice about– because she doesn’t know what she needs.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Mentioned in this episode: Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents by Reid Wilson

  Visit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com

  *Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine! 

  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.  

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>2d922a98-cca5-40f4-9c9d-689e94e465bcTue, 29 Nov 2022 03:00:00 -050024:53falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT11: When Pump Change Sends Your T1D Kid into a MeltdownToday’s question comes from a mom who sees her son go into full-meltdown mode at pump change time, but this behavior differs, depending on who is observing him. As with any outward behavior, the internal emotions behind it are the key.

  Join us as we discuss how this mom can be supportive and allow his independence while giving her son the space to express his frustration with T1D. 

  Show Highlights:

  Guest: Terezinha lives in Ontario, Canada. Her 11-year-old son, Theo, was diagnosed in 2021.

  • How healthcare in Ontario provides a pump for diabetes care one year after diagnosis
  • How both Terezinha and Theo notice that T1D life is much easier with a pump, with sleeping, keeping numbers in range, etc.
  • How Theo wants to be in control and put his pump in himself but has problems and pain which spiral into a meltdown of anger, name-calling, and frustration
  • How Terezinha has noticed that if any friends or family members are around at pump change (other than his parents), he gets it in on the first try with no meltdown
  • Terezinha’s Question: “What can we do to improve this situation around Theo’s pump changes?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “With all of our kids, there will always be an edge where they push the limits of what they are capable of doing. It sounds like he’s telling you that he CAN do this when he is out in the world, but at home, his message to you is that this is profoundly hard for him. I would wonder what the difference is on the inside for him when someone else is around, and why it is easier then. Your eye should be on helping him tap into whatever that capacity is that allows a “normal” pump change. Before the next pump change, choose a mellow moment to ask him about these internal differences in the situation. Talk with him about what you can both do to make the next time easier. I think it’s important not to have the conversation in a pump change moment because you won’t get clear answers. Talk about it regularly when things are calm and start the conversation about the difference when he CAN and CAN’T do the pump change. Be careful about saying things that ramp up his shame, and maybe you need to leave him alone to handle pump change a little more often. You want to be there for him, but that creates a dysregulated space for both of you. Let him know that you are stepping away to de-escalate the situation to take a break because you are dysregulated. That’s a good thing to model for him so he knows it’s OK to step away and take a break. Make space at other times for his distress and give him permission to talk about diabetes, his frustration, and how difficult it is.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit 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.  

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>Today’s question comes from a mom who sees her son go into full-meltdown mode at pump change time, but this behavior differs, depending on who is observing him. As with any outward behavior, the internal emotions behind it are the key.

  Join us as we discuss how this mom can be supportive and allow his independence while giving her son the space to express his frustration with T1D. 

  Show Highlights:

  Guest: Terezinha lives in Ontario, Canada. Her 11-year-old son, Theo, was diagnosed in 2021.

  • How healthcare in Ontario provides a pump for diabetes care one year after diagnosis
  • How both Terezinha and Theo notice that T1D life is much easier with a pump, with sleeping, keeping numbers in range, etc.
  • How Theo wants to be in control and put his pump in himself but has problems and pain which spiral into a meltdown of anger, name-calling, and frustration
  • How Terezinha has noticed that if any friends or family members are around at pump change (other than his parents), he gets it in on the first try with no meltdown
  • Terezinha’s Question: “What can we do to improve this situation around Theo’s pump changes?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “With all of our kids, there will always be an edge where they push the limits of what they are capable of doing. It sounds like he’s telling you that he CAN do this when he is out in the world, but at home, his message to you is that this is profoundly hard for him. I would wonder what the difference is on the inside for him when someone else is around, and why it is easier then. Your eye should be on helping him tap into whatever that capacity is that allows a “normal” pump change. Before the next pump change, choose a mellow moment to ask him about these internal differences in the situation. Talk with him about what you can both do to make the next time easier. I think it’s important not to have the conversation in a pump change moment because you won’t get clear answers. Talk about it regularly when things are calm and start the conversation about the difference when he CAN and CAN’T do the pump change. Be careful about saying things that ramp up his shame, and maybe you need to leave him alone to handle pump change a little more often. You want to be there for him, but that creates a dysregulated space for both of you. Let him know that you are stepping away to de-escalate the situation to take a break because you are dysregulated. That’s a good thing to model for him so he knows it’s OK to step away and take a break. Make space at other times for his distress and give him permission to talk about diabetes, his frustration, and how difficult it is.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit 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.  

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>6cc4fe68-681f-48e5-a38c-490889d570b6Tue, 15 Nov 2022 03:00:00 -050024:54falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT10: Your Child’s Teacher and T1D CareEvery T1D parent faces fear in relinquishing control to teachers and caregivers as their child grows up, and those fears are magnified further if your child is very young. How to properly educate teachers in T1D care is something every one of us encounters. Today’s question is from a mom with a young son just beginning his schooling in preschool, and thankfully, he has supportive and attentive caregivers who are partnering in his T1D care, but questions remain. Join us to hear the conversation.

  Show Highlights:

  Guest #1: Julie, a mom of three kids (ages 4, 6, and 8), has a four-year-old who was diagnosed with T1D at only 15 months.

  • Julie’s son just entered preschool, which means she’s having to train his teachers for the first time and allow others to handle his care.
  • Julie’s Question: “How do I not feel bad about having to hand over part of his care to other people when there is so much involved in the situational timing of his dosing needs?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “Your concerns are not unusual. This issue comes up in many situations, like school and playdates. It’s great that you have a supportive team of people who are willing to learn and help, and I understand the internal feelings of not wanting to burden others. I think it’s important to build a strong relationship with the person or people who are managing his T1D care when he’s away from you. Be super kind and generous with the teacher’s assistant when she makes mistakes, but understand that you aren’t being ‘too much’ in what you are asking. You can kindly advocate for your son without feeling guilty about it, and you will have to take the time to communicate clearly with her about his care. In this, you are modeling for your son that it is OK to ask for what he needs in his T1D care, and that is important for him to see and learn. The second part of this is about all the nuances and situations of his care. Our job as parents is to help his teacher learn and to make T1D care manageable for her with room to grow. Whatever is needed to keep him safe is the guideline, and you can add more nuance to it as she grows in her knowledge. Begin by setting clear guidelines about his dosing, and you can adjust those later.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit 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.  

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>Every T1D parent faces fear in relinquishing control to teachers and caregivers as their child grows up, and those fears are magnified further if your child is very young. How to properly educate teachers in T1D care is something every one of us encounters. Today’s question is from a mom with a young son just beginning his schooling in preschool, and thankfully, he has supportive and attentive caregivers who are partnering in his T1D care, but questions remain. Join us to hear the conversation.

  Show Highlights:

  Guest #1: Julie, a mom of three kids (ages 4, 6, and 8), has a four-year-old who was diagnosed with T1D at only 15 months.

  • Julie’s son just entered preschool, which means she’s having to train his teachers for the first time and allow others to handle his care.
  • Julie’s Question: “How do I not feel bad about having to hand over part of his care to other people when there is so much involved in the situational timing of his dosing needs?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “Your concerns are not unusual. This issue comes up in many situations, like school and playdates. It’s great that you have a supportive team of people who are willing to learn and help, and I understand the internal feelings of not wanting to burden others. I think it’s important to build a strong relationship with the person or people who are managing his T1D care when he’s away from you. Be super kind and generous with the teacher’s assistant when she makes mistakes, but understand that you aren’t being ‘too much’ in what you are asking. You can kindly advocate for your son without feeling guilty about it, and you will have to take the time to communicate clearly with her about his care. In this, you are modeling for your son that it is OK to ask for what he needs in his T1D care, and that is important for him to see and learn. The second part of this is about all the nuances and situations of his care. Our job as parents is to help his teacher learn and to make T1D care manageable for her with room to grow. Whatever is needed to keep him safe is the guideline, and you can add more nuance to it as she grows in her knowledge. Begin by setting clear guidelines about his dosing, and you can adjust those later.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit 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.  

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>7313bf84-4948-419f-87b3-3cd11934e7bdTue, 08 Nov 2022 03:00:00 -050016:05falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT09: When Your T1D Kid Struggles to Remember to DoseToday 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.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Connect with Katie: Sugar Mama’s podcast

  Visit 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.  

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's...]]>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.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Connect with Katie: Sugar Mama’s podcast

  Visit 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.  

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>0aff52f5-873f-4c60-b8b6-5168a1e76402Tue, 01 Nov 2022 03:00:00 -050019:18falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT08: When Your Teenage Son Wants to Hide T1DLife can be tricky with a newly-diagnosed T1D teenager. Some of them are happy to share and be open about diabetes, and some want to keep it hidden and to themselves. The point is that each of them has the right to decide if, and how, their peers will learn about their T1D. Today’s questions are from the mother of a teenager who has very strong feelings on the matter. Join us to learn more!

  Show Highlights:

  Guest #1: Sarah’s son (16) was diagnosed a little over a year ago “out of the blue” at a routine doctor visit.

  • Sarah’s son is doing well in managing his diabetes and is very responsible in his care.
  • Sarah’s First Question: “Why is it more difficult for him to accept the permanence of his situation with T1D, and why does he not want anyone to know?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “There is no right answer to your question. No 16-year-old can understand what life is like with diabetes unless they are experiencing it. There is an issue around his safety when you aren’t around, and it’s totally OK and normal that you have sadness at what he’s going through. There is a normal process of mourning for all of your family, but I like to start with strong validation around the permanence of T1D. Tap into his experience and name it back to him to help him feel seen; this will help him feel calmer about it. If you sign up for my newsletter, you can find information about my Validation Webinar, which might be helpful for you.”
  • Sarah’s Second Question: “How does a 16-year-old reach the level of vulnerability required to announce to his friends that he has T1D?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “I understand that you want everyone around him to be aware of his needs because of your safety concerns and fears that the worst may happen. Every T1D parent has those fears, but the likelihood of those worst-case scenarios happening is very small. Part of this issue is about emotional safety. When he goes to college, he will need to let others know about T1D, and he’ll need to advocate for himself. It’s OK that he doesn’t want to share with others now because he feels very different from others at this point. I would encourage you to find a diabetes camp where he can meet other kids like him and not feel ashamed; you can even find one away from home where he isn’t in his normal peer group. Another idea is that he could become a babysitter for a younger T1D kid and become a mentor and hero to that child. This could create a sense of community and inclusion for him, letting him know that he’s not alone with T1D.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit 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.  

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>Life can be tricky with a newly-diagnosed T1D teenager. Some of them are happy to share and be open about diabetes, and some want to keep it hidden and to themselves. The point is that each of them has the right to decide if, and how, their peers will learn about their T1D. Today’s questions are from the mother of a teenager who has very strong feelings on the matter. Join us to learn more!

  Show Highlights:

  Guest #1: Sarah’s son (16) was diagnosed a little over a year ago “out of the blue” at a routine doctor visit.

  • Sarah’s son is doing well in managing his diabetes and is very responsible in his care.
  • Sarah’s First Question: “Why is it more difficult for him to accept the permanence of his situation with T1D, and why does he not want anyone to know?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “There is no right answer to your question. No 16-year-old can understand what life is like with diabetes unless they are experiencing it. There is an issue around his safety when you aren’t around, and it’s totally OK and normal that you have sadness at what he’s going through. There is a normal process of mourning for all of your family, but I like to start with strong validation around the permanence of T1D. Tap into his experience and name it back to him to help him feel seen; this will help him feel calmer about it. If you sign up for my newsletter, you can find information about my Validation Webinar, which might be helpful for you.”
  • Sarah’s Second Question: “How does a 16-year-old reach the level of vulnerability required to announce to his friends that he has T1D?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “I understand that you want everyone around him to be aware of his needs because of your safety concerns and fears that the worst may happen. Every T1D parent has those fears, but the likelihood of those worst-case scenarios happening is very small. Part of this issue is about emotional safety. When he goes to college, he will need to let others know about T1D, and he’ll need to advocate for himself. It’s OK that he doesn’t want to share with others now because he feels very different from others at this point. I would encourage you to find a diabetes camp where he can meet other kids like him and not feel ashamed; you can even find one away from home where he isn’t in his normal peer group. Another idea is that he could become a babysitter for a younger T1D kid and become a mentor and hero to that child. This could create a sense of community and inclusion for him, letting him know that he’s not alone with T1D.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Visit 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.  

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>142efc41-5e38-4084-893c-32bb03bfb1dfTue, 25 Oct 2022 03:00:00 -050015:39falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT07: Helping Your Elementary-Aged Kids Get Peer Support at SchoolIf your child was diagnosed before starting school or early in elementary school, a common fear among T1D parents is how their peers will react to their needs. There are various ways to educate and inform others about T1D devices and supplies and what’s happening inside the body, including brief presentations to “normalize” T1D life at school.

  If your child tends to be shy or wants to hide their diabetes, today’s questions and answers have insights about creating an informed and compassionate peer group around your child. Join us to learn more!

  Show Highlights:

  Guest #1: Spencer, father of Claire (5) who was diagnosed at age 2

  • Claire has a Dexcom and a pump and is entering kindergarten this year.
  • Spencer’s Question: “How do we engage her new friend group around her diabetes and make them aware of it?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “I think it’s a great idea to arrange with the school to visit and do a circle time about Claire’s diabetes. A couple of books that tell a story of a kid with diabetes are Eddie’s Tale and Taking Diabetes to School. Approach it as a Show and Tell where your daughter can show her pump and the technology to the class. I think it’s helpful to show/share her low supplies with the class and briefly explain what diabetes means as far as sometimes needing extra sugar. All of this, of course, should be done according to her comfort level in sharing. It’s a great message to her that it’s OK to talk about diabetes within her new community, and that it’s not something that needs to be hidden. Look to tie everything together with the message that her body needs certain medicines and supplies to stay safe and healthy.”
  
  

  Guest #2: Tamar is a mom of two, one of whom has diabetes (she’s now 22 and thriving) and was diagnosed 14 years ago.

  • Tamar reads a question that was sent in, and we discuss it from our experiences as T1D moms.
  • The Email Question: “My first-grader was recently diagnosed and is super shy about letting other kids know about his diabetes. He doesn’t want us to do a presentation in class about what’s going on, but I feel like it’s important for his classmates to understand T1D to help keep him safe. Should I do a presentation without him there?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “This is a very common concern. Ideas that I’ve heard from others include the child doing a video that can be presented in class or outside of class, which allows the child to be part of the education process of their peers without having to talk about diabetes in front of them. I think it’s important for the adults around him to know how to keep him safe, but I don’t think his peers have the responsibility to help keep him safe. I think the bigger issue for this parent is for her son to know who he is and what he’s grappling with in life; I believe each child, especially those who are shy, needs to come out about diabetes at their own pace with which they are comfortable. I would advise parents to applaud each step the child takes in becoming more open with peers about diabetes and what it means for them. Again, a diabetes camp is a great way to build comfort and community around normalizing diabetes. Help your child with the language to use around diabetes and their pump and supplies, because their peers will ask questions. Fortunately, most of those questions come from a place of caring and compassion and are not bullying situations.Tamar adds that every child has their ‘something,’ and sharing their differences might help others to show more empathy and compassion.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Books mentioned in this episode: Eddie's Tale: A Young Child's Introduction to Type 1 Diabetes by Sue Kowalski and If your child was diagnosed before starting school or early in elementary school, a common fear among T1D parents is how their peers will react to their needs. There are various ways to educate and inform others about T1D devices and supplies and what’s happening inside the body, including brief presentations to “normalize” T1D life at school.

  If your child tends to be shy or wants to hide their diabetes, today’s questions and answers have insights about creating an informed and compassionate peer group around your child. Join us to learn more!

  Show Highlights:

  Guest #1: Spencer, father of Claire (5) who was diagnosed at age 2

  • Claire has a Dexcom and a pump and is entering kindergarten this year.
  • Spencer’s Question: “How do we engage her new friend group around her diabetes and make them aware of it?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “I think it’s a great idea to arrange with the school to visit and do a circle time about Claire’s diabetes. A couple of books that tell a story of a kid with diabetes are Eddie’s Tale and Taking Diabetes to School. Approach it as a Show and Tell where your daughter can show her pump and the technology to the class. I think it’s helpful to show/share her low supplies with the class and briefly explain what diabetes means as far as sometimes needing extra sugar. All of this, of course, should be done according to her comfort level in sharing. It’s a great message to her that it’s OK to talk about diabetes within her new community, and that it’s not something that needs to be hidden. Look to tie everything together with the message that her body needs certain medicines and supplies to stay safe and healthy.”
  
  

  Guest #2: Tamar is a mom of two, one of whom has diabetes (she’s now 22 and thriving) and was diagnosed 14 years ago.

  • Tamar reads a question that was sent in, and we discuss it from our experiences as T1D moms.
  • The Email Question: “My first-grader was recently diagnosed and is super shy about letting other kids know about his diabetes. He doesn’t want us to do a presentation in class about what’s going on, but I feel like it’s important for his classmates to understand T1D to help keep him safe. Should I do a presentation without him there?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “This is a very common concern. Ideas that I’ve heard from others include the child doing a video that can be presented in class or outside of class, which allows the child to be part of the education process of their peers without having to talk about diabetes in front of them. I think it’s important for the adults around him to know how to keep him safe, but I don’t think his peers have the responsibility to help keep him safe. I think the bigger issue for this parent is for her son to know who he is and what he’s grappling with in life; I believe each child, especially those who are shy, needs to come out about diabetes at their own pace with which they are comfortable. I would advise parents to applaud each step the child takes in becoming more open with peers about diabetes and what it means for them. Again, a diabetes camp is a great way to build comfort and community around normalizing diabetes. Help your child with the language to use around diabetes and their pump and supplies, because their peers will ask questions. Fortunately, most of those questions come from a place of caring and compassion and are not bullying situations.Tamar adds that every child has their ‘something,’ and sharing their differences might help others to show more empathy and compassion.”
  
  

  Resources:

  Books mentioned in this episode: Eddie's Tale: A Young Child's Introduction to Type 1 Diabetes by Sue Kowalski and Taking Diabetes to School by Kim Gosselin

  Visit 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.  

  Mentioned in this episode:

  Get Help After Diagnosis!

  Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

  ]]>5c6421d2-ca2c-463c-a1c7-70bf58838ca2Tue, 11 Oct 2022 03:00:00 -050020:24falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT06: Preparing for the College Experience with Your T1D TeenagerParents of T1D kids have so many unique experiences that most people don’t understand. By finding community and support, we learn that we are not alone, and we have hope through difficult times. One of those difficult times to navigate is the transition to college, and it strikes fear in the hearts of T1D parents.

  Today’s questions begin with college-related questions about accommodations, parent-involvement, responsibility, and the very normal worries and fears that every T1D parent has about the transition to college. My second guest, a T1D young adult, gives insights into her college experience to bring reassurance to anxious parents. Join us!

  Show Highlights:

  Guest #1: Terri, whose T1D daughter, Ava (17), will be going to college soon

  • Terri’s First Question: “Should my daughter register with the disabilities offices of the colleges to which she is applying? Is this something to consider before she makes a binding decision?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “I would assume that any college would have a disabilities office, and it is important to register as a student who needs extra support. I definitely recommend this as a way for our kids to advocate for themselves. If a student is up all night because of diabetes lows, they should not be expected to take a test the next day. I think registering with the disabilities office does two things: it helps our kids learn to advocate for themselves, and it addresses the reality that test conditions might need to be changed because of diabetes complications.”
  • Terri’s Second Question: “What are the pros and cons of having a roommate for the freshman year?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer:  “I think this comes down to opinion. My son’s doctor made it clear in no uncertain terms that my son should have a roommate to have the support and safety of another person, but my son advocated for himself at his university because he didn’t want to awaken another person with his alarms. He ended up never having a roommate, and he survived just fine. It is totally a matter of preference for your daughter and the school. If she has a roommate, they will learn to navigate through the nighttime alarms.” 
  • Terri’s Third Question: “As Ava goes off to college, what is an appropriate amount of diabetic tiger-mom hovering?”
  • JoAnne’s Answer: “Lead with the conversation about what works for her and considering what she wants as far as communication. You have to lean toward her needs and preferences, while letting her know what your wishes are. Ordering their diabetic supplies is probably the last place that most parents stay involved with their T1D kids, and being on a regular ordering cycle will help.This is the kind of learning curve for them to make sure they don’t run out of supplies.”
  • Terri and JoAnne wrap up by discussing additional issues like school insurance, perks offered to students through the disabilities office, and what her daughter should be doing now to prepare during her senior year for college. 
  
  

  Guest #2: Aava, a 23-year-old graduate student who was diagnosed at age 16, just months before leaving for college. Aava shares her experiences about the following:

  • How Aava and her parents planned ahead for the expected communication between them, even including her roommates in “the diabetes talk”
  • What it was like for Aava to have her parents so deep into her life at college, and how she realized that they had her health, safety, and best interests at heart
  • Why Aava felt very comfortable in letting her roommates know about her diabetes and how to best help her
  • How Aava asked for accommodations at college, especially regarding technology access during exams (due to her Dexcom), extended time for exams, and access to food and snacks during class when needed
  • How Aava navigated drinking at college, made sure she had...]]>Parents of T1D kids have so many unique experiences that most people don’t understand. By finding community and support, we learn that we are not alone, and we have hope through difficult times. One of those difficult times to navigate is the transition to college, and it strikes fear in the hearts of T1D parents.

    Today’s questions begin with college-related questions about accommodations, parent-involvement, responsibility, and the very normal worries and fears that every T1D parent has about the transition to college. My second guest, a T1D young adult, gives insights into her college experience to bring reassurance to anxious parents. Join us!

    Show Highlights:

    Guest #1: Terri, whose T1D daughter, Ava (17), will be going to college soon

    • Terri’s First Question: “Should my daughter register with the disabilities offices of the colleges to which she is applying? Is this something to consider before she makes a binding decision?”
    • JoAnne’s Answer: “I would assume that any college would have a disabilities office, and it is important to register as a student who needs extra support. I definitely recommend this as a way for our kids to advocate for themselves. If a student is up all night because of diabetes lows, they should not be expected to take a test the next day. I think registering with the disabilities office does two things: it helps our kids learn to advocate for themselves, and it addresses the reality that test conditions might need to be changed because of diabetes complications.”
    • Terri’s Second Question: “What are the pros and cons of having a roommate for the freshman year?”
    • JoAnne’s Answer:  “I think this comes down to opinion. My son’s doctor made it clear in no uncertain terms that my son should have a roommate to have the support and safety of another person, but my son advocated for himself at his university because he didn’t want to awaken another person with his alarms. He ended up never having a roommate, and he survived just fine. It is totally a matter of preference for your daughter and the school. If she has a roommate, they will learn to navigate through the nighttime alarms.” 
    • Terri’s Third Question: “As Ava goes off to college, what is an appropriate amount of diabetic tiger-mom hovering?”
    • JoAnne’s Answer: “Lead with the conversation about what works for her and considering what she wants as far as communication. You have to lean toward her needs and preferences, while letting her know what your wishes are. Ordering their diabetic supplies is probably the last place that most parents stay involved with their T1D kids, and being on a regular ordering cycle will help.This is the kind of learning curve for them to make sure they don’t run out of supplies.”
    • Terri and JoAnne wrap up by discussing additional issues like school insurance, perks offered to students through the disabilities office, and what her daughter should be doing now to prepare during her senior year for college. 
    
    

    Guest #2: Aava, a 23-year-old graduate student who was diagnosed at age 16, just months before leaving for college. Aava shares her experiences about the following:

    • How Aava and her parents planned ahead for the expected communication between them, even including her roommates in “the diabetes talk”
    • What it was like for Aava to have her parents so deep into her life at college, and how she realized that they had her health, safety, and best interests at heart
    • Why Aava felt very comfortable in letting her roommates know about her diabetes and how to best help her
    • How Aava asked for accommodations at college, especially regarding technology access during exams (due to her Dexcom), extended time for exams, and access to food and snacks during class when needed
    • How Aava navigated drinking at college, made sure she had emergency supplies with her to be within safe limits, and dealt with peer pressure about drinking
    • What Aava’s scariest moment was in college because of diabetes
    • What Aava’s most triumphant moment was in college around diabetes
    • Aava’s advice to parents and other T1D kids heading off to college
    
    

    Resources:

    Visit 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.  

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Get Help After Diagnosis!

    Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

    ]]>097b8d41-174e-4835-bc2e-0ab29450c334Tue, 04 Oct 2022 03:00:00 -050032:59falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT05: Age Appropriate Responsibilities, Scaffolding Tasks, and Creating IndependenceWelcome to another episode of the podcast! Parents of T1D kids have so many unique experiences that most people don’t understand. By finding community and support, we learn that we are not alone, and we have hope through the difficult times. Today’s questions revolve around helping our T1D kids learn the skills they need to be independent. We will talk about age-appropriate responsibilities and how to scaffold tasks to help them prepare for being out on their own someday. Join us to learn more!

    Show Highlights:

    Guest #1: Lupita is the mother of Nash (9–almost 10), who was diagnosed four years ago.

    • Nash is monitored 24/7 with Dexcom, which means Lupita is on watch 24/7.
    • Nash has seen several different doctors and is being asked to be more independent than Lupita thinks is suitable for his young age.
    • Lupita feels bad that Nash is nowhere near ready to do what the doctors expect him to do in his care; she feels like she is failing as a parent.
    • Lupita’s Question: “Is there an age when a child should be independent in their diabetes management? How do I approach this with his doctors without sounding rude?”
    • JoAnne’s Answer: “I would agree with you that he is very young to take on all responsibilities for his diabetes management. I’ve noticed that kids who are diagnosed younger are used to mom taking care of everything for longer, and kids who are diagnosed later, like at age 9, want to do more themselves.There is a transition period in which it’s important for you to scaffold his independence around his diabetes management. You will have to learn to tolerate his missteps as he transitions to doing things himself, which typically happens in the mid-teen years. Listen to your instincts about what he needs, and I think it’s fine for you to wait a little longer to make the transition. Your message to Nash needs to be that you are here to help and care for him now and that you will help him become an adult by learning to function on his own. Clear the air with the doctors and ask for their help in getting him to his own management when the time is right instead of beating you up about it. Ask them for help in taking the first baby steps.”  
    
    

    Guest #2: Nikola, the mother of Olivia (17)

    • Olivia has a continuous glucose monitor and a pump and is doing wel–overalll.
    • Nikola’s question: “How do I get her to be more responsible with her supplies and pick up her trash/needles from all over the house?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “You may have to remind her to pick her things up and dispose of them, but be gentle. It’s like any other household task with dishes, etc., and it’s not diabetes-specific behavior. In terms of her losing her things, I don’t have a magical solution. It is something that she will struggle to figure out, and she will have to do better when she is on her own. There is only so much that we, as parents, can do to help them and scaffold for them. Different kids have different executive functioning skills, and it’s just something she will have to figure out.”
    
    

    Resources:

    Visit 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 Welcome to another episode of the podcast! Parents of T1D kids have so many unique experiences that most people don’t understand. By finding community and support, we learn that we are not alone, and we have hope through the difficult times. Today’s questions revolve around helping our T1D kids learn the skills they need to be independent. We will talk about age-appropriate responsibilities and how to scaffold tasks to help them prepare for being out on their own someday. Join us to learn more!

    Show Highlights:

    Guest #1: Lupita is the mother of Nash (9–almost 10), who was diagnosed four years ago.

    • Nash is monitored 24/7 with Dexcom, which means Lupita is on watch 24/7.
    • Nash has seen several different doctors and is being asked to be more independent than Lupita thinks is suitable for his young age.
    • Lupita feels bad that Nash is nowhere near ready to do what the doctors expect him to do in his care; she feels like she is failing as a parent.
    • Lupita’s Question: “Is there an age when a child should be independent in their diabetes management? How do I approach this with his doctors without sounding rude?”
    • JoAnne’s Answer: “I would agree with you that he is very young to take on all responsibilities for his diabetes management. I’ve noticed that kids who are diagnosed younger are used to mom taking care of everything for longer, and kids who are diagnosed later, like at age 9, want to do more themselves.There is a transition period in which it’s important for you to scaffold his independence around his diabetes management. You will have to learn to tolerate his missteps as he transitions to doing things himself, which typically happens in the mid-teen years. Listen to your instincts about what he needs, and I think it’s fine for you to wait a little longer to make the transition. Your message to Nash needs to be that you are here to help and care for him now and that you will help him become an adult by learning to function on his own. Clear the air with the doctors and ask for their help in getting him to his own management when the time is right instead of beating you up about it. Ask them for help in taking the first baby steps.”  
    
    

    Guest #2: Nikola, the mother of Olivia (17)

    • Olivia has a continuous glucose monitor and a pump and is doing wel–overalll.
    • Nikola’s question: “How do I get her to be more responsible with her supplies and pick up her trash/needles from all over the house?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “You may have to remind her to pick her things up and dispose of them, but be gentle. It’s like any other household task with dishes, etc., and it’s not diabetes-specific behavior. In terms of her losing her things, I don’t have a magical solution. It is something that she will struggle to figure out, and she will have to do better when she is on her own. There is only so much that we, as parents, can do to help them and scaffold for them. Different kids have different executive functioning skills, and it’s just something she will have to figure out.”
    
    

    Resources:

    Visit 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.  

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Get Help After Diagnosis!

    Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

    ]]>8c1c5652-d02b-4ae0-8260-2de17d27beb3Tue, 27 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -050024:47falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT04: Creating Independent T1D Kids Without Setting Off Your AnxietyWelcome to another episode of the podcast! Parents of T1D kids have so many unique experiences that most people don’t understand. By finding community and support, we learn that we are not alone, and we have hope through the difficult times. 

    Today’s questions come from a common struggle of T1D parents around helping the child gain more independence, how parents can combat the anxiety that comes with that increased independence, and how to transition a child to adult responsibility when other health issues and fears are in play. Join us! 

    Show Highlights:

    Guest #1: Rebecca, a mom of three whose oldest son (8) was diagnosed at age 2

    • Why they are considering summer camp–planning ahead for next summer– for their son because he has never really spent overnights away from his parents
    • How they are experimenting with overnights at his grandparents’ house
    • Rebecca’s question: “Do you have any advice about how I can overcome my anxiety around releasing control of my son as he spends time away from home? How can we feel more comfortable as we gain more independence and our son becomes more independent?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “I love that you are focused on taking baby steps to take a bigger step. That’s what it’s all about. Your anxiety is incredibly normal, especially since your son was diagnosed at two years old, and you have had to manage everything in his life. Parents whose child is diagnosed in the middle school years have a completely different mindset. You are in your stretch zone, trying to figure out where you can stretch and what it feels like to stretch. Follow your gut and listen to your ‘mommy sense’ in making sure he is with people you know will keep him safe.”
    
    

    Guest #2: Lisa, the mother of a daughter (18), who was diagnosed at age 13

    • How her daughter’s other health conditions complicate the situation
    • Why the primary struggle for Lisa is the “enabling her vs. making her independent” dilemma
    • Lisa’s question: “How do I help her become more independent as an 18-year-old both with diabetes and in other areas? How do I help her practice the right self-care so that she doesn’t do irreparable damage to herself?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “This is a tricky picture, and there is no simple answer. It sounds like she has become phobic about being up and about in the world, and she has become very dependent on you because of all the bad things that can happen to her out in the world. The phobia needs to be treated with exposure model therapy as we would with any fear. As her parent, you need to identify the exposure therapy she needs so that she can be out in the world more. Ask her the question in different ways about what she wants her life to be, and then help move her to get there. Part of the process is letting her be exposed to the uncomfortable things that she fears and letting her know that she can survive them. Regarding diabetes, give her validation for the things she IS doing right and notice the things that are hard for her. Ask her to partner with you in being careful about dinner and nighttime dosing so that you aren’t up three times in the night. Letting go is SO much harder than doing. Diabetes will come and sit on the fault lines in a family, so it makes everything harder. Remember that baby steps are important.” 
    
    

    Resources:

    Visit 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]]>Welcome to another episode of the podcast! Parents of T1D kids have so many unique experiences that most people don’t understand. By finding community and support, we learn that we are not alone, and we have hope through the difficult times. 

    Today’s questions come from a common struggle of T1D parents around helping the child gain more independence, how parents can combat the anxiety that comes with that increased independence, and how to transition a child to adult responsibility when other health issues and fears are in play. Join us! 

    Show Highlights:

    Guest #1: Rebecca, a mom of three whose oldest son (8) was diagnosed at age 2

    • Why they are considering summer camp–planning ahead for next summer– for their son because he has never really spent overnights away from his parents
    • How they are experimenting with overnights at his grandparents’ house
    • Rebecca’s question: “Do you have any advice about how I can overcome my anxiety around releasing control of my son as he spends time away from home? How can we feel more comfortable as we gain more independence and our son becomes more independent?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “I love that you are focused on taking baby steps to take a bigger step. That’s what it’s all about. Your anxiety is incredibly normal, especially since your son was diagnosed at two years old, and you have had to manage everything in his life. Parents whose child is diagnosed in the middle school years have a completely different mindset. You are in your stretch zone, trying to figure out where you can stretch and what it feels like to stretch. Follow your gut and listen to your ‘mommy sense’ in making sure he is with people you know will keep him safe.”
    
    

    Guest #2: Lisa, the mother of a daughter (18), who was diagnosed at age 13

    • How her daughter’s other health conditions complicate the situation
    • Why the primary struggle for Lisa is the “enabling her vs. making her independent” dilemma
    • Lisa’s question: “How do I help her become more independent as an 18-year-old both with diabetes and in other areas? How do I help her practice the right self-care so that she doesn’t do irreparable damage to herself?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “This is a tricky picture, and there is no simple answer. It sounds like she has become phobic about being up and about in the world, and she has become very dependent on you because of all the bad things that can happen to her out in the world. The phobia needs to be treated with exposure model therapy as we would with any fear. As her parent, you need to identify the exposure therapy she needs so that she can be out in the world more. Ask her the question in different ways about what she wants her life to be, and then help move her to get there. Part of the process is letting her be exposed to the uncomfortable things that she fears and letting her know that she can survive them. Regarding diabetes, give her validation for the things she IS doing right and notice the things that are hard for her. Ask her to partner with you in being careful about dinner and nighttime dosing so that you aren’t up three times in the night. Letting go is SO much harder than doing. Diabetes will come and sit on the fault lines in a family, so it makes everything harder. Remember that baby steps are important.” 
    
    

    Resources:

    Visit 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.  

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Get Help After Diagnosis!

    Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

    ]]>98dee2ce-e270-40e8-be33-c3949d7f01cbTue, 20 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -050027:07falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT03: Making Relationships About More Than Diabetes & Navigating Burn OutWelcome to the podcast! Parents of T1D kids have so many unique experiences that most people don’t understand. By finding community and support, we learn that we are not alone, and we have hope through the difficult times. Today’s show tackles questions about helping teenagers become more independent, not letting “diabetes talk” take over the parent/child relationship, and how to combat diabetes burnout and depression. Join us to learn more!

    Show Highlights:

    Guest #1: Angela is the mother of Jake,15; he was diagnosed at age 12. 

    • Jake is trying to be more independent with his management, but it’s been a big struggle to have him remember to check his blood sugar and take his insulin appropriately.
    • How Angela feels like their relationship is focused solely on diabetes management, and she wants it to be different
    • Angela’s question: “How much do I let him do, and how do I balance our relationship beyond diabetes talk?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “I would vote for the relationship to be the primary focus right now. Jake is at the age where higher A1Cs are normal, and it’s very difficult to hit the A1C target. Being empathetic toward him about what he’s going through is important, as well as keeping your relationship strong with him. I’m not saying to let go of safety concerns, but talk to him and name what has happened in the relationship. Let him know that you would like to ‘talk at him’ less about diabetes. Find a way with him to hand over control to him and let him know that you trust him on this important issue, but let him know that he deserves support. Take it one step at a time, and praise him along the way for whatever he is doing right.”
    
    

    Guest #2: Anna is the mother of Charlie, age 5; he was diagnosed in November 2021.

    • Still in the “honeymoon phase” after diagnosis, Charlie takes ½ unit of long-acting insulin; he does not feel his highs and lows.
    • His parents rely 100% on technology to gauge his highs and lows, and his normal personality tends to be irritable and difficult.
    • Why Anna feels caregiver burnout and mourns the ease of their old life
    • Anna’s question: “How do I combat the depression of being his caregiver and pancreas 24/7? Do you have tips and strategies to get out of the ‘diabetes depression’ that we are dealing with?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “I think your experience is normal. Community is very powerful and grounding, and I’m a big proponent of family camp because it’s good for everyone in the family. Find ways to get community support into your daily life at home; diabetes is too much of a burden for one parent to carry alone. Charlie needs to learn that there is a big network of people who can help him and you. Do your best to normalize your experience; most of it is just the swing and sway of the first year with diabetes.” 
    
    

    Resources:

    Visit 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.  

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Get Help After Diagnosis!

    Get back to...]]>Welcome to the podcast! Parents of T1D kids have so many unique experiences that most people don’t understand. By finding community and support, we learn that we are not alone, and we have hope through the difficult times. Today’s show tackles questions about helping teenagers become more independent, not letting “diabetes talk” take over the parent/child relationship, and how to combat diabetes burnout and depression. Join us to learn more!

    Show Highlights:

    Guest #1: Angela is the mother of Jake,15; he was diagnosed at age 12. 

    • Jake is trying to be more independent with his management, but it’s been a big struggle to have him remember to check his blood sugar and take his insulin appropriately.
    • How Angela feels like their relationship is focused solely on diabetes management, and she wants it to be different
    • Angela’s question: “How much do I let him do, and how do I balance our relationship beyond diabetes talk?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “I would vote for the relationship to be the primary focus right now. Jake is at the age where higher A1Cs are normal, and it’s very difficult to hit the A1C target. Being empathetic toward him about what he’s going through is important, as well as keeping your relationship strong with him. I’m not saying to let go of safety concerns, but talk to him and name what has happened in the relationship. Let him know that you would like to ‘talk at him’ less about diabetes. Find a way with him to hand over control to him and let him know that you trust him on this important issue, but let him know that he deserves support. Take it one step at a time, and praise him along the way for whatever he is doing right.”
    
    

    Guest #2: Anna is the mother of Charlie, age 5; he was diagnosed in November 2021.

    • Still in the “honeymoon phase” after diagnosis, Charlie takes ½ unit of long-acting insulin; he does not feel his highs and lows.
    • His parents rely 100% on technology to gauge his highs and lows, and his normal personality tends to be irritable and difficult.
    • Why Anna feels caregiver burnout and mourns the ease of their old life
    • Anna’s question: “How do I combat the depression of being his caregiver and pancreas 24/7? Do you have tips and strategies to get out of the ‘diabetes depression’ that we are dealing with?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “I think your experience is normal. Community is very powerful and grounding, and I’m a big proponent of family camp because it’s good for everyone in the family. Find ways to get community support into your daily life at home; diabetes is too much of a burden for one parent to carry alone. Charlie needs to learn that there is a big network of people who can help him and you. Do your best to normalize your experience; most of it is just the swing and sway of the first year with diabetes.” 
    
    

    Resources:

    Visit 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.  

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Get Help After Diagnosis!

    Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

    ]]>5205e521-8323-4d39-858e-1bfb0e1212daThu, 08 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -050022:24falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT02: Navigating Fractured Friendships When "Parenting" DiabetesWelcome to Episode 2! I’m back with more questions and answers about how to “parent” diabetes. Living with T1D kids is a journey of unpredictability, but you are not alone. Unfortunately, not everyone is compassionate and understanding about parenting struggles with T1D, and today’s conversation is about how adult friendships can be packed with envy, comparisons, and reactivity. Join us for a closer look!

    Show Highlights:

    Today’s guest: Carla, the mother of a T1D daughter who is 4½ years old and was diagnosed just over two years ago

    • How a recent confrontational interaction with a close friend about her daughter’s diabetes left her feeling unseen, unheard, and frustrated–and that the friendship has ended
    • Carla’s question: “Is this something that I should be aware of in future friendships–that diabetes will come between my adult friends and me? Is this always going to be an issue? How should I think about this in the future?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “It’s not surprising that other adults don’t understand how difficult your journey is with diabetes. Unless someone lives this experience, they can’t know what it is like. In my experience, it IS rare to have friends who really see me, know me, and understand me. It would be terrible for you to expect all friendships to be like this, but you will certainly run into people who have a weird reactivity to your situation. The friendship issues are reactivity and repair, and the overall problem for this friend may not necessarily be diabetes-related. You have a clear picture now of what the limitations are in this friendship. With what you’ve shared about the relationship with this person, there are definitely some problems with envy and feeling ‘less than’ on her part. The good news is that there are people out there who are attentive and caring and don’t need to engage from a reactive place.”
    
    

    Resources:

    Visit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com 

    For help with the emotional and parenting challenges of facing T1D management, register for a live recording session 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.  

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Get Help After Diagnosis!

    Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

    ]]>Welcome to Episode 2! I’m back with more questions and answers about how to “parent” diabetes. Living with T1D kids is a journey of unpredictability, but you are not alone. Unfortunately, not everyone is compassionate and understanding about parenting struggles with T1D, and today’s conversation is about how adult friendships can be packed with envy, comparisons, and reactivity. Join us for a closer look!

    Show Highlights:

    Today’s guest: Carla, the mother of a T1D daughter who is 4½ years old and was diagnosed just over two years ago

    • How a recent confrontational interaction with a close friend about her daughter’s diabetes left her feeling unseen, unheard, and frustrated–and that the friendship has ended
    • Carla’s question: “Is this something that I should be aware of in future friendships–that diabetes will come between my adult friends and me? Is this always going to be an issue? How should I think about this in the future?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “It’s not surprising that other adults don’t understand how difficult your journey is with diabetes. Unless someone lives this experience, they can’t know what it is like. In my experience, it IS rare to have friends who really see me, know me, and understand me. It would be terrible for you to expect all friendships to be like this, but you will certainly run into people who have a weird reactivity to your situation. The friendship issues are reactivity and repair, and the overall problem for this friend may not necessarily be diabetes-related. You have a clear picture now of what the limitations are in this friendship. With what you’ve shared about the relationship with this person, there are definitely some problems with envy and feeling ‘less than’ on her part. The good news is that there are people out there who are attentive and caring and don’t need to engage from a reactive place.”
    
    

    Resources:

    Visit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com 

    For help with the emotional and parenting challenges of facing T1D management, register for a live recording session 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.  

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Get Help After Diagnosis!

    Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

    ]]>39b4a69a-9708-40b6-b70a-b8df1af718f8Wed, 07 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -050026:52falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT01: Maintaining a Healthy Relationship with Sugar and Mastering the Division of Labor for Your T1D ChildWelcome to the very first episode of the Sweet Talk podcast! I’m glad you are here to learn more about the struggles we face as parents of kids with type 1 diabetes, or T1D kids. The challenges are many, and the most uplifting thing is to simply know that you are not alone. Today’s episode surrounds questions about our perspective on sugar, the division of labor between spouses, and how we can help our kids become more responsible for their T1D management as they grow up. I hope you find our discussions helpful and hopeful. Join us now!

    Show Highlights:

    Guest #1: Stephanie, from California, is the mother of Sam, who was diagnosed in October 2021 at age 4.

    • Still in the “honeymoon phase” after his diagnosis, doing well, and learning about T1D management
    • Growing up in a family of doctors gave Stephanie strict guidelines around sugar and junk food, and the new relationship with sugar is difficult.
    • Stephanie’s question: “How do I see sugar differently and soften the edges of my perspective? Are there other creative options that are fast-acting carbs that would feel more ok to me besides candy?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “My upcoming webinar, Let Them Eat Cake? may be helpful for you. You have to recognize the reality that sometimes, Starburst candy is a medical necessity for your son. Give yourself permission to mourn your previous views about healthy foods and transition to new attitudes. Try to eliminate the categorization of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods, and normalize sugar to some degree in your house. Try to reframe food so that moderation is key and being a flexible eater is good. Help the child view his ‘low supplies’ as a form of medicine that his body needs and not as the sugar he is never allowed to have.”
    
    

    Guest #2: Julia is the mother of Julian, who was diagnosed at age 11 and is now 15.

    • Their household pattern has become a defined division where one parent handles details like ordering and organizing T1D supplies, and the other handles “body contact” details because their son likes it this way.
    • Julia’s question: “How do we get to the place where we are both familiar and competent with all aspects of his care? How do we eliminate the uncomfortable situations that have left me feeling embarrassed, humiliated, and frustrated because I can’t change his pump efficiently?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “Have a conversation with your son to name the feelings in those moments when you have to step in and help. Give him the choice as to how much he wants to take care of himself, and what he’s willing to let you practice and learn to do. From a safety perspective, both parents should know what to do for his care. Validate his feelings to stand down the emotional reactivity that he may have regarding a change in the norm.”
    
    

    Guest #3: Joe has a son who is 14 and was diagnosed in 2020.

    • In Joe’s family, he is the one who changes equipment; he has had to make detailed lists for his wife and their son if he goes out of town.
    • Joe’s question: “How do I help my son become more independent in his T1D management? With college just a few years away, how can he transition to being more responsible about getting snacks when he needs them and not relying so much on me?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “A very normal worry for T1D parents is how their child is going to manage everything on their own. Take a long view and keep the relationship with him as solid as possible. He will learn one step at a time and begin to take ownership. Take baby steps in teaching him and don’t panic. It might be helpful to put him in an environment, like camp, where he has to learn new skills. It’s good for them to be ‘in the soup’ where they see other kids like themselves managing the same issues.”
    
    

    Resources:

    Visit my website...]]>Welcome to the very first episode of the Sweet Talk podcast! I’m glad you are here to learn more about the struggles we face as parents of kids with type 1 diabetes, or T1D kids. The challenges are many, and the most uplifting thing is to simply know that you are not alone. Today’s episode surrounds questions about our perspective on sugar, the division of labor between spouses, and how we can help our kids become more responsible for their T1D management as they grow up. I hope you find our discussions helpful and hopeful. Join us now!

    Show Highlights:

    Guest #1: Stephanie, from California, is the mother of Sam, who was diagnosed in October 2021 at age 4.

    • Still in the “honeymoon phase” after his diagnosis, doing well, and learning about T1D management
    • Growing up in a family of doctors gave Stephanie strict guidelines around sugar and junk food, and the new relationship with sugar is difficult.
    • Stephanie’s question: “How do I see sugar differently and soften the edges of my perspective? Are there other creative options that are fast-acting carbs that would feel more ok to me besides candy?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “My upcoming webinar, Let Them Eat Cake? may be helpful for you. You have to recognize the reality that sometimes, Starburst candy is a medical necessity for your son. Give yourself permission to mourn your previous views about healthy foods and transition to new attitudes. Try to eliminate the categorization of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods, and normalize sugar to some degree in your house. Try to reframe food so that moderation is key and being a flexible eater is good. Help the child view his ‘low supplies’ as a form of medicine that his body needs and not as the sugar he is never allowed to have.”
    
    

    Guest #2: Julia is the mother of Julian, who was diagnosed at age 11 and is now 15.

    • Their household pattern has become a defined division where one parent handles details like ordering and organizing T1D supplies, and the other handles “body contact” details because their son likes it this way.
    • Julia’s question: “How do we get to the place where we are both familiar and competent with all aspects of his care? How do we eliminate the uncomfortable situations that have left me feeling embarrassed, humiliated, and frustrated because I can’t change his pump efficiently?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “Have a conversation with your son to name the feelings in those moments when you have to step in and help. Give him the choice as to how much he wants to take care of himself, and what he’s willing to let you practice and learn to do. From a safety perspective, both parents should know what to do for his care. Validate his feelings to stand down the emotional reactivity that he may have regarding a change in the norm.”
    
    

    Guest #3: Joe has a son who is 14 and was diagnosed in 2020.

    • In Joe’s family, he is the one who changes equipment; he has had to make detailed lists for his wife and their son if he goes out of town.
    • Joe’s question: “How do I help my son become more independent in his T1D management? With college just a few years away, how can he transition to being more responsible about getting snacks when he needs them and not relying so much on me?”
    • JoAnne’s answer: “A very normal worry for T1D parents is how their child is going to manage everything on their own. Take a long view and keep the relationship with him as solid as possible. He will learn one step at a time and begin to take ownership. Take baby steps in teaching him and don’t panic. It might be helpful to put him in an environment, like camp, where he has to learn new skills. It’s good for them to be ‘in the soup’ where they see other kids like themselves managing the same issues.”
    
    

    Resources:

    Visit my website for available resources: www.diabetessweettalk.com 

    Get the Let Them Eat Cake Webinar

    For help with the emotional and parenting challenges of facing T1D management, register for a live recording session by clicking the banner at the top of the homepage. Ask Your Question in a Recording Session

    For a more hopeful future for you and your T1D child, consider the After Diagnosis Coaching Course at www.diabetessweettalk.com/courses.  

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Get Help After Diagnosis!

    Get back to being the calm and sturdy parent you were before your child's diagnosis with the After Diagnosis Course to help ease your mind and return you to calm parenting. Go to https://diabetessweettalk.com/courses.

    ]]>16938781-2ecb-49cc-b5ef-cc1fa0006135Sat, 03 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -050022:24falsefullJoAnne Robb, T1D Mom and MFT