2013 Mom's Choice Awards® Winner Hormones. Growth spurts. Mood swings. All combined with blood sugars.. The teen years with diabetes on board are a challenging time for parents and anyone who cares about a child with diabetes. Raising Teens with Diabetes: A Survival Guide for Parents, by well-known diabetes mom, author, and advocate Moira McCarthy, is a no-nonsense, honest approach at not just surviving but thriving in those years, from a mom who has been there.. Raising Teens with Diabetes is a must-have resource for anyone navigating the waters of parenting a child with diabetes.