Have you heard of the app, Find my Friends?
It’s basically a tracking app. You can allow your friends/contacts in your phone to be able to see your location for a certain period of time or indefinitely.
After my diagnosis, my mom had me share my location with her. I did NOT take that well. I fought it and defied it for as long as I could. I already felt like I had lost so much of my independence getting diagnosed just a couple of months after being able to drive and not feeling like I have my own space was a lot. I felt like I never just had my time to myself but eyes were always on me and I needed time and space to hide.
Once I got to college, I didn’t care as much. I had my own space, my own people, my own places to hide. I actually started using it with my friends. It was smart for going out or traveling so if I knew my friend was going somewhere I could be sure to make sure she was making it okay. Or if I hadn’t heard from my friend in a while and knew they had gone out, I could figure out where she was.
I’m so glad that I use it now and my friends do too. I’m glad for all the reasons that I stated above, but I’m also glad because if I were in a weird place or if my friends didn’t hear from and could find where I was, I trust them that they would bring snacks and my supplies just in case something had happened with my diabetes.
It’s turned from my worst nightmare to one of my greatest blessings. I know that I have people watching my back and making sure that I’m okay.
So parents, I do think there is a middle ground. I do think there has to be compromise in each direction. Because yes, it is smart to have this app for your child with type 1 diabetes, but it’s also important for your child to be independent with their diabetes. They should still grow like every other child and their diabetes shouldn’t confine them. So have a conversation, have the app, but also respect their space to learn too.
HP