Table 3.
Content Topics identified by parents and health care providers
| Content Theme | Illustrative quotes from parents | Illustrative quotes from providers |
|---|---|---|
| Parenting an adolescent with T1DM | “We definitely face the struggles of trying to allow her the ability to have…just typical adolescent age freedom.” “The hormonal thing with adolescent girls…that’s my hardest. Hormones wreak havoc on blood sugars.” |
“It’s a real time of tumultuous change and it’s a little chaotic”. “It’s one of the craziest times of managing diabetes…changes that happen physiologically with puberty…and emotionally…and developmentally adolescents are trying to separate themselves.” |
| Developing a positive partnership between parents and adolescents |
“I feel like it’s…giving him the independence but still having some control.” “We try to talk together, plan together, of what’s going to help him reach his goals. I think that has helped.” |
“Diabetes really requires a team…it requires a present parent whose willing to fully participate in the adolescent’s life.” “Parents need help in learning “to be there in a way that is not intrusive, conflictual, and nagging to the kid…(more like), ‘we’re in this together’.” |
| Communicating positively with adolescents |
“I hate that I have to argue with her about diabetes.” “We need to know what to say without losing control and making the situation even worse.” |
“I’ve had parents tell me that they choose not to talk about diabetes because it’s too stressful for the family.” “Parents need to know how to talk to their kids without putting them on the defensive.” |
| Transferring responsibility to your adolescent |
“I get frustrated with him when he’s not being responsible, but then I get mad at myself for getting mad at him, because I realize he has a lot more on his plate than any kid I know.” “I have to prepare him for college and that scares me to death.” |
“Some of the biggest challenges for the parents are ‘am I OK to step back?’ They want to give them that freedom and yet they’re very scared about letting them develop into that independence.” “Independence is the big issue.” |
| Understanding the emotions parents experience |
“I feel guilty.”
“It can be a depressing thing.” “I can’t really tell her how worried I am.” “It’s always on the back of our minds…it’s difficult.” |
“There’s a lot of fear that their kid is going to die.”
“It’s a time of a lot of conflict and ambivalence about letting go and keeping it safe and then getting worn out with trying to keep the faith.” |
| Taking care of yourself |
“I don’t have any resources…I don’t have anybody that understands what I experience, what I go through, nobody.” “I think the most helpful resource is just the experience of other people who dealt with diabetes for a while.” |
“There’s a lot of guilt with parents – ‘am I too strict? Too nagging? Too babyish?’” “Parents need permission that they can relax too.” |