I would like to share both the good and bad things about being a dad with type 1 diabetes. First off, I am 48 years old and have been a T1D for 47 of those years. So essentially, I have been diabetic my entire life.
The good part is that it is much easier to teach my two boys good living habits when having to live that way myself. Our entire family eats healthy food, exercises and gets the rest we all need most of the time. It is much easier to instill these values in my children when I am not a hypocrite. I believe that this will also come in handy when the smoking/drinking/drugs conversations are needed.
The bad is that my children have had to see me have severe hypoglycemic reactions. This worries them greatly when it has occurred. Luckily, it has not happened very often and even this affords a learning opportunity for them.