Validating the experience of your newly diagnosed T1D

Sweet Talk for Parents of Kids with Type One Diabetes

In today’s episode, I talk with Tiffany, a mother whose 9-year-old daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes only a few months ago. Tiffany opened with her primary concern: the limitations her daughter might face in the future. Even though she couldn’t picture exactly what those limitations would be she fears diabetes will hold her daughter back.

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!