Juvenile Diabetes and Teenagers

Teenagers are young adults and are ready to take on new responsibilities. If your
teenager has had juvenile diabetes for some time, this is the time to pass the reins of
management over to them. It may seem a bit intimidating to you to let your child take
control of their diabetes but it is the best thing you can do for them. They are
approaching a time in their life when they are going to be going out on their own. For
both your sake and theirs, a comfort level needs to be reached in reading blood sugars,
giving injections and planning appropriate meals.

If your child was a teenager when he or she was first diagnosed, involve them in the
process from the beginning. Their input and the ability to make some decisions will help
them feel in control of a situation they would rather not be in.

The biggest point to stress and make sure your teenager understands is how important it
is to keep proper control of their diabetes. Juvenile diabetes is a serious disease and it has
serious complications if blood sugar levels are not kept under control.

Discuss with your child different scenarios that are sure to arise and try and come up with
solutions or ways to manage them. Drinking can have a negative affect on blood glucose
levels and it is important that a young adult realize the dangers. When they reach legal
age, they need to know how drinking can affect them and ways to incorporate that into
their life if they so choose.

As a parenting, letting go is a hard thing to do but it is necessary to create independent
adults. Trust your child to make the right decisions for their diabetes and be there to
guide them when necessary.