The end of April.
It is about this time that those who are away return home from school.
Perhaps their first time away. Perhaps just another year away from home. No matter how many times this rite of passage has occurred, one things is abundantly clear, the child you said good-bye to in September, is not the same child who is coming home to begin summer vacation.
They have come into their own in so many ways. The child you had to drag out of bed on the weekend has been rising early each day in the morning for their first class. They have taken care of their own laundry, meals, social life, study habits, and even when to retire to bed —all without you for the last 10 months. Now, they are coming home. And it is starting to sing in that the other thing they had to take care of without you, is their diabetes management.
As they accomplished that, there was no voice in their ear telling them they needed to work harder at not going low and watching their carbohydrate intake vs. the insulin they needed. There was no voice to say, don’t do that, do this, or why did you do XYZ? None. It did not exist.
So do not think for one solitary second that it is all of a sudden going to reappear once they come home. Things will not just go back to the way they were, nor should they. And both of you need to be ready for this transition.
For the student:
They may have grown much more independent with diabetes management than parents realize.
Their routines may have shifted (late nights, irregular eating, different insulin patterns).
Coming home can feel comforting and like losing autonomy if parents slip back into “management mode.”
For parents:
It can be tempting to start monitoring everything again.
You may notice burnout they hid at school.
It can be a chance to quietly check in: supplies, prescriptions, appointments, tech updates (CGM/pump), emotional load
Look for common discussion asking how you might help with:
· Endo visit while home
Refill/update prescriptions
Review sick-day and hypo supplies
Reassess pump settings after semester schedule changes
Talk about alcohol, travel, internships, dating—real college-life stuff
Open dialogues is a great first step. Ask them what they need. Don’t tell them what they should do. They may not be an adult just yet, but they surely are not the child that left in September. Enjoy this time. Resect this time. Open communication is a GREAT start to the summer. Enjoy.
…..And congratulations another year of growth; for both of you.
I’m a diabetes dad.
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