Could you tell me how you explained to your child you have MS

[pocoapoco]

Could you explain how you have told your child you have MS? How do you tell 3-8 years olds? 9-17 years? Let us know.

[Scooter24]

MS society has books for free on just this subject and they explain it to them, the younger children can be told that you are sick but not like a cold that goes away and that you may be tired and not able to do things at times and given an eplanation for you other outward sx. The older children should just be told directly what it is and what it can do. at 15 and up they are old enough to understand at least mine were. Youngest was 16, they understand it and have done thier own research and ask me questions some times. They are aware of my problems and help out when they can and I ask. I personally think the more they know the better and I try to stay as strong as possible to provide a good example for them.

There are going to be many times the world will throw them a curve and they need to understand how to deal with it when it happens. It seems to me that too many kids are coddled to much and way over protected from the real world and that is why so many have problems when they get out on thier own. Just my opinion.

[MomtoMiracle]

Explaining it to children

Hi Poco,

The National MS Society has a newsletter that you can get online called Keep S'myelin. My dtr. is 8 and I'm getting ready to introduce her to it again. I did it awhile ago and it was good for her in small doses. The MS Society also has a video (free) to help discuss it w/ kids.

We talk about it w/ my 8 y.o. Explain what we can in language that she gets. She gets a lot more than we think she does - she overhears things, notices things. I wanted her to hear it from me, though, and not from someone that was discussing it and she overheard it. I was diagnosed 2 years ago and we told her then - little chunks at a time. It may seem a lot for a little one to handle (it is!!), but she had to have a reason for Mommy's symptoms/wheelchair.

We don't make it a big "thing" to talk about, but try to limit how much she hears about it too.

Hope that helps - it's a difficult situation. It just is.

[pjsSissy70]

I was dx when my oldest was 3 and next in line was 1 and a year later I had another child. So my kids basically dont ever remember me not being sick. I got lucky, my first 20 yrs I didnt have bad relapses. That all changed in October of 2011. They are all grown now, and really seeing what MS can do. There is alot of info out there on how to tell kids. All are free too from the ms society.