October 17, 2000
Other Social Issues, Social Issues: School and Daycare
Question from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada:
My 11 year old son has had diabetes since he was six. He’s been doing his own shots for a year now and is pretty good at carbohydrate counting. I have always tried to work things out so that he participates in whatever he’s interested in — sleep-overs included. Now he is attending middle school, and overnight trips and multi-night trips are scheduled during the year. I realize that I’m quite nervous about this. I think I would be nervous even if my son hadn’t mistakenly taken the wrong insulin at night twice in the past. I’m more worried about him getting low than high. Should I insist on being a chaperone or do I need to learn to let go a little?
Answer:
Why don’t you sit down, at a mutually convenient time, with your son and let him know what your worries are. Ask him to help find a solution that you both feel comfortable with. For example, would he like you to chaperone? Perhaps that will make him feel safer (or it may make him feel like a baby). Would he rather call you at an agreed upon time (buy him a pre-paid calling card) to report numbers and problem-solve any dosage questions he may have? The more the two of you form a team where you are equally engaged in problem-solving, the better his health (and your anxiety) will be.
JWB
