Parenting Advice: How to Cope with Your Child’s Diabetes

By Mara Miller

According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 1.25 million children have diabetes. It can be a scary situation when you first find out a loved one is affected by this disease, but even scarier when one of them is your child. And, no matter if they have Type 1 or Type 2, it can be hard on you as a parent to not feel like it’s your fault or to feel guilty because there is a way you could have prevented it.  We have some parenting advice and parenting tips on how to cope with your child’s diabetes because it isn’t your fault and you shouldn’t feel guilty or alone with your family’s struggle to cope with it.

Parenting Advice: How to Cope with Your Child’s Diabetes

1. Get help when you need it: Rely not only on your support network with your partner and extended family but your child’s healthcare professional too.

Related Link: Parenting Advice: 5 Steps to More Effective Parenting

2. Make parenting decisions together: It’s important to make decisions with your child’s parent together as a team rather apart. And more than anything, be consistent.

Related Link: Parenting Advice: 7 Ways to Help Your Partner Cope with Postpartum

3. Share your feelings: Don’t bottle up your feelings about your child’s diabetes. Connect with other parents in a support group or seek help from a family therapist.

What are some other ways to cope with your child’s diabetes? Let us know in the comments below!