A chance to step into your child’s shoes. When your child was diagnosed with diabetes your first priority was probably to learn everything you could about diabetes and how to manage it. Whether your child is a youngster or a teenager, you’ve done your best to help with injections, meals and snacks, and the many other elements of a diabetes management program. But through all this, you may be overlooking the importance of your child’s social and emotional development. Children want to be normal, and diabetes makes them "different." Many well-meaning parents inadvertently focus too much on their child’s diabetes, and not enough on other aspects of their child’s life. This unique book, written by a young woman who was diagnosed with diabetes at age 11, gives you the opportunity to understand and relate to your child’s feelings. Drawing on the author’s own experiences and those of the many children and young adults she’s counseled, this sensitive guide explains:

• How children feel when they’re diagnosed
• Why diabetes is a bigger adjustment for you than for your child
• How to encourage a healthy approach to diabetes
• The importance of diabetes education
• How to make your child’s life as normal as possible
• Dealing with outside forces (school, day care, relatives, etc.)
• Eliminating the power struggle for independence in adolescence