There is a saying that many of us have heard soon after boarding a flight: “put your oxygen mask on first, before helping others,” a safety instruction when you’re on an airplane that acts as a metaphor for self-care. Simply put, it means taking care of your physical and emotional well-being before attempting to help others. Because if you don’t look after yourself first, it becomes much harder to look after anyone else.
For parents and caregivers of children and youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) it can feel difficult to put your mask on first. After a diagnosis of T1D, the focus will inevitably be on your child first and getting them through that acute phase of fear and uncertainty, before learning to navigate your new normal as a family with T1D.
But it’s essential to also take care of your health and well-being, even during the period immediately following diagnosis. T1D is a lifelong disease that requires 24/7 management without time off and with no breaks, and it can be relentless. Continually being in a state of high alert without self-care can lead to chronic stress and caregiver burnout.
Learning to recognize concerning effects on mental health and preventing them before they become serious is especially hard for parents of children with T1D, as they often feel their needs come secondary to those of their child’s.
“I felt overwhelmed by the complexity of managing the disease, along with a deep sadness for the carefree childhood I feared had been lost,” said Mina, a caregiver whose child was diagnosed at 10 years old.
Breakthrough T1D Canada heard from the community that there was a gap in caregiver support. Therefore, as part of its Mental Health Strategy, Breakthrough T1D Canada has launched a new Caregiver Guide to help address this underrepresented need.
Based on a guide produced by Breakthrough T1D Australia, and with input from Canadian mental health providers and people with lived experience of T1D, we are pleased to release the updated Canadian guide for our audience.
The Caregiver Guide is a thorough, chapter-based information guide that details the many different stages of caregiving, including:
- The immediate aftermath of diagnosis
- Transitional stages, (i.e. elementary school to middle school to high school)
- When your child asserts independence in their T1D management
- Impact on siblings
- Different types of stress
- Coping strategies
- When to seek professional support and help, and much more.
We hope that it will be a useful, compassionate resource to help parents and caregivers of children and youth living with T1D.
“The T1D community became an extraordinary source of support on our journey. Connecting with other families, social workers, and accessing the resources available through Breakthrough T1D made an enormous difference for our family. Today, my son is doing wonderfully—happy, healthy, and thriving while managing T1D—and we remain deeply grateful for the community that helped us get here,” says Mina.
The Caregiver Guide will be included in the Bag of Hope and Teen Care Kit in print and is also available online for download.
In fall 2026, to complement the Caregiver Guide, Breakthrough T1D is planning free, virtual, facilitated caregiver support sessions. These sessions will aim to provide parents and caregivers of children and teens living with T1D with a supportive, interactive space to reflect on their experiences, build practical coping skills, and connect with others facing similar challenges.
They will aim to translate key themes from the Caregiver Guide into practical, real-world reflection and discussion, encourage parents to seek help when needed, and to foster connections to mental health and peer supports.
The sessions will be in both English and French, with time for a question-and-answer period.
Putting your oxygen mask on first isn’t always easy, but it’s crucial that caregivers also prioritize their own health and well-being in order to best support a child with T1D. And Breakthrough T1D is here with resources to help support parents and other caregivers in their own personal journeys with T1D.
“In the hardest moments, what helped me most was realizing I didn’t have to do this alone… Asking for support is not a weakness, but a vital part of this journey,” says Miriam, whose child was diagnosed age 13.
To download a Caregiver Guide please click here: https://breakthrought1d.ca/community-support/caregiver-guide/
To keep informed of upcoming caregiver support sessions, please ensure you’re on our mailing list or follow our social media channels.
For more information on mental health supports for people living with T1D, please visit the Directory at directory.breakthroughT1D.ca or our mental health resources page.
