It is not an easy thing to let go of our kids as they grow up and become more independent. Having a T1D diagnosis only makes that process more difficult, and there is much anxiety, frustration, and fear in relinquishing diabetes management to other people. What if something happens and I’m not there? Will the caregiver know what to do? These questions flood our thoughts and can be paralyzing. Today’s question is from a mom who is experiencing a spectrum of emotions as the family prepares for her young son’s first stay at diabetes camp. Join us to hear the conversation.  Show Highlights: Guest: Stella, whose son Nico (7) was diagnosed at eight monthsSince Nico is homeschooled, his T1D management is completely managed by family members within the household–and no one else at this point. As Stella prepares for Nico to go away to diabetes camp for the very first time, she is feeling anxious about turning over his care to others. Stella’s Question: “How does a T1D parent work through the feelings of anxiety and overwhelm when something new is presented as part of T1D management? Also, how do we prepare for my son’s first T1D camp with the fear that I feel in letting go of his management for those days?”JoAnne’s Answer: “Your ‘letting go’ muscle is not developed yet since he is within the family system all the time, so you are essentially starting from scratch here. All of us have anxiety about letting go of our kids, even with non-T1D kids; it is normal. With diabetes, we have to work more systematically because of the safety issues involved. Think of this process in terms of baby steps you can take to help lower your anxiety and regulate yourself within your window of tolerance. You could try to have a conversation with the camp director now about the camp’s philosophy and management plan. I think it would be good for you to do a controlled experiment of letting someone outside the family take care of him for  a time. This will give you practice, and it would be ideal if this could be one of the local junior counselors from camp. I love how you can recognize what you are feeling in your body and use that as a cue to not take those thoughts so seriously, knowing that things will likely be better than you think. Those are great tools to have in place. You could also take baby steps in leaving him in someone else’s care, like having them care for him while you are still in the house or possibly making a 30-minute Target run while they keep him at your house. One of your baby steps will be to practice not looking at his numbers when he’s with people you trust. I think it would be helpful to reach out to other parents who have sent their kids to that camp and learn about their experiences. A philosophy shift may be helpful in that course correction will happen if his numbers go too high or too low; nothing disastrous will happen if those numbers are managed as they get out of range. This is the reality of his stepping out into the world. You have to create a mantra and find a way to get to some kind of peace in accepting that ‘safe’ is different from ‘perfect’. You have to determine how you are going to react to the mistakes that are going to happen in his care. Part of diabetes management is about being flexible, and that goes for you and your son. In asking these questions, what you are doing is being attentive to the emotional side of diabetes, and that is important and very beneficial.”   Resources: Visit my website for available resources and upcoming courses/webinars: www.diabetessweettalk.com *Visit my website to get my Self-Care Kit to bring more ease and balance into your diabetes management routine!  *For help with the emotional and parenting...