Our family just bid adieu to the 2016-17 school year and said a big hello to Summer ’17. I’m pretty excited for this summer. After living in our “starter house” for 15 years, we just closed on a house! So the majority of our summer days will be spent packing, loading, and moving boxes and then unloading and unpacking those boxes in our new house.

Luke will be busy taking cello lessons & doing summer orchestra at the school. He wanted to take it kind of easy this summer, which I’m grateful for… that means he’ll be available to help pack, move & unpack! (I don’t think he realizes what his summer looks like, yet…)

The weather has been beautiful, so far. Sunny skies, warm temperatures and cool breezes. However, the temps will be skyrocketing soon, I’m sure! Here are some tips to help maintain a good blood sugar while enjoying all things summer.

Stay hydrated.

Blood sugar can quickly rise when you don’t keep those fluids going through your body! Luke always has water readily available to him, especially if he’s outside & active in the heat. We love our Tervises (Tervi? Tervisi?) for keeping water cold while we’re outside. I also try to keep a 24-pack of bottled water in my trunk. Yes, it’s warm (or hot), but it’s better than being dehydrated.

Be prepared for low blood sugar, even in your own backyard.

Luke loves to skateboard or scooter around the block. Every time he leaves the house to skateboard/scooter, I ask him- “Do you have sugar?” and “Do you have your phone?” Because he’s pretty good at feeling when he’s about to go low, I trust that sugar and his phone are all he needs to play close to home. If he’s going low, he knows to stop and eat his candy. Once he feels better, he can come home to make sure his sugar has gone up. If his sugar isn’t coming up, he has his phone so he can call for help.

Double your supplies for trips far from home.

When we go on day trips or vacation, we pack double the amount of supplies we need. It’s better to have too much insulin, too many pump sites, too much candy, etc. then to have to figure out how you’re going to get more if/when you run out. To see what our “diabetes bag” looks like on vacation, click here.

It’s a-okay to let your T1 have fun.

I remember almost two years ago when Luke was first diagnosed. I was so nervous to let him do anything. I was the epitome of a helicopter mom. But I let him be a kid. The first few times he went to youth group, there I was in the parking lot, phone in hand for when he calls to tell me he needs me to come and rescue him from low blood sugar. (That never happened, by the way.) Summer orchestra? Sure, I let him go. But don’t say I didn’t let out a huge sigh of relief when I saw him walk out to the car an hour and a half later- and with a big ol’ smile, too! And I will admit I stayed for swimming lessons- but I did all those summers before diagnosis, too.

It was a lot easier to let go of that control last summer. One year later, I was more confident in Luke’s self-management. He joined a swim club and swam daily for a couple of hours… and I was at home! He went to camp… without me! He stayed at Grandma and Grandpa’s house… and we didn’t! It’s amazing what our T1s can do if we let them.

Disclaimer: I do understand that not every parent or T1 is ready for this kind of independence. Luke is a very mature 13 (and a half) year old who wants to be self-sufficient. My point is that every single T1 will get there and learn to be self-sufficient at some point!

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL summer, full of swimming, BBQs, and family time!