Helping Teenagers with Diabetes: Communication is Key
Even though some young adults aren’t ready for the pressures adulthood and diabetes management can pose, they can get through it with the help of their parents, doctors and friends. If a child is diagnosed with diabetes at an early age, parents can teach their children how to master the basics of diabetes management, such as learning to eat right, exercising, and taking insulin injections regularly. Once a parent has supplied the basic tools needed to manage diabetes, it is time to encourage your teen to become more self-sufficient. This should be a step by step process, whereby the parents let their teen have more control over a period of time. Parents should let their child know that they fully trust them to handle the responsibilities associated with diabetes management, and mention that they will always be there as a resource for advice or help, should their teen ever need it. The key ingredient to accomplishing self-management lies in communication. Frequent and clear communication about who is responsible for which aspects of diabetes management is an important element in this process. Yielding a greater amount of responsibilities to teens that have shown gradual improvement and accountability for their diabetes will help them develop a sense of self-confidence for successfully maintaining effective treatment. A great place to start could be with charts. Make a list of daily tasks such as monitoring injections, nutrition, exercise and frequently and consistently checking blood sugar levels, so that the individual can begin to recognize their patterns. This way, you can see all the variables playing a role in their diabetes management, and your teen can learn to handle them independently. Additionally, it’s a good way for your teen to start analyzing what activities, emotions and or nutrition type had a positive effect on their diabetes, and ultimately fall in to healthy activities that provide positive results. Effective teen-parent communication is frequent, open, and respectful. Additionally, it leads to mutually acceptable solutions to problems or disagreements. With the support of family and medical professionals, teens can cope with diabetes in constructive ways that prepare them for long and satisfying lives. Parents should understand that their teen is most likely experiencing a great amount of stress with all the challenges growing up with diabetes can pose. Being an approachable parent capable of clear communication is very important. Let your adolescent know that they can come to you with questions, concerns, or ideas, and that you will be receptive to their needs. Disclaimer: Article submitters are solely responsible for the content of their articles. ArtiLib can't be held liable for the contents of the articles. Report Abuse | Browse By Category |
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