There are some exceptions but it truly does seem that when it comes to diabetes management of our children…….where are the dads?
I read a post recently that a mom was anxious and excited as she was planning a trip and had a year to train her husband……..Seriously?
Is that the truth?
Moms, do you wish that your husbands did more in the management of diabetes in your household or is everything in a perfect balance? Or is everything in some balance?
Or there is no balance whatsoever?
Diabetes does not go away when mom is not around and that includes divorce. I was speaking to a dad last week who has a child with diabetes and is now divorced. He informed me that he really leaves up to his son when it comes to caring for diabetes when he stays with him every other weekend. His son is 10.
I thought that if there was a problem he would have no problem calling the boy’s mother, right? Wrong. He stated that he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of thinking he needed help.
So it is probably okay to let the 10-year-old handle it himself??????…..WOW! (My guess; mom already took care of it by supplying her son with a cell phone—-but that still is not good enough)
Second conversation that prompted me to write this article today. Talking to another man who told me that “I work” and it’s up to his wife to handle “the diabetes”. When I asked how long ago they discussed that plan, he informed me that it is just the way it is and no conversation took place. Honestly, I would love to hear mom’s take on that decision.
Everybody has to work out how this dynamic is handled. I am in NO MEANS judging what works and what does not work but there must me an open line of communication. Nothing should be assumed, that is when the trouble starts.
Diabetes is hard enough on any family and if there are two parents, there has to be some discussion on who is doing what. Like I stated, even if divorced. There is no reason that a ten-year-old young man must be left to his own resources.
So if there is tension over this point whether married or divorced; print his column out and leave it somewhere where your spouse can see it and write the words “can we discuss?”
across the top.
Diabetes is tough and no one should be felt that they must ‘go it alone’. And if parents do not have ‘it together’ and think their child with diabetes does not notice; you are seriously mistaken.
The strength in dealing with diabetes is to have as solid a foundation as possible, do not try to build on one with cracks created by lack of communication……..the building will, eventual and unfortunately, fall.
I am a diabetes dad.
Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.