My name is Kim. My daughter Kaitlyn (the third of our five children) was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just a few years after my nephew James was diagnosed with the same disease. I’m excited to pair up with my sister-in-law, Jen, to share our story with you!
by Kim M., Real Moms Talk Type 1
It felt so nice to have a break from our routine and spend some valuable family time surrounded by nature. However… I wished that we had been a bit more prepared.
I’ve had enough experience as a parent of elementary school children to know what is most important in a school, especially when adding type 1 diabetes into the mix.
When I mention that Kaitlyn won’t be at school that day, they look at me like I’m crazy. How could a doctor visit take all day? Easily — when it’s a diabetes visit.
Somehow we’ve made it look so fun to have diabetes that Kaitlyn’s little sister seems to wish she had it.
With the help of our diabetes devices, we usually handle the birthday parties, movie nights, and outings just fine. But going to the beach with friends is a different story.
All my years as a parent, I believed that it was my job to push my kids to try hard things and to be adventurous and brave. Now I realize that there’s a fine line.
Have your kids ever used their type 1 diabetes as an excuse for not doing something that’s expected of them?
It’s important to have the desire and the tools for successful management of type 1 diabetes, but it’s even more important to have the habit.
Recently, one of my best friends taught me a great new way to prioritize and challenged me to try it for two weeks. Here’s how it went.
Elementary school has been our safe haven — a place where Kaitlyn is comfortable, where she knows everyone, and everyone knows her. I have more butterflies in my tummy about this change than I did when I went to middle school a million years ago.
