Home Featured Discussion Parenting with Arthritis Supportive Kids

In this discussion: 10/27/00 Feature Links Recommended Reading And our parents come thru with some advice. 10/26/00 We sure do have some Supportive Kids! 10/25/00 Advice from the Experts 10/24/00 Transcript of last night's chat has been posted on Arthritis Insight: Parenting with Arthritis Open Forum 10/23/00 Can you help out another parent? Advice Please! & You said...

Supportive Kids

Looks like we are raising some great kids! We asked: Are your children supportive and sympathetic regarding your arthritis? And you said:

"Yes, both of the my children are supportive and sympathetic even though they are only 4 and 2 years old. My two year old gives me a hand to try to pull my up out of a chair. I overheard my 4 year old telling his friend that "we need to make sure to help my mom out today." It doesn't get any better than that." -Sue

"Yes, my daughter has poly-articular jra so she knows how I feel and I also have a son who has jra and we suspect another son may have some form of arthritis also." -Teena

"Sometimes, most of the time my fatigue gets in the way of their lives." -Beth

"They are very supportive and sympathetic. My son, who is now ten, is determined that he will find a cure. If they ever get mad at the limitations, they never say stuff like I wish you weren't my mom, but they will say stuff like I wish there was no such thing as arthritis." -Maria

"They are, but I wonder if sometimes they aren't sick of hearing that I am "Too tied', although they never say so." -Barbara

"Mainly supportive, my son has juvenile ankylosing spondylitis (16)" -Stephanie

"Some of the time-they are teenagers and fairly self-centered at this point in their lives." -N.

"my children get frustrated and frightened, but in general, they're very supportive" -Cris

"Yes, my girls are very supportive and sympathetic to my arthritis, because both of them have a little touch of arthritis also and they are 17 & 12." -Pam

"My children are very supportive and sympathetic. I think it took a while for them to realize just how much this illness has taken over my life, and, in turn, their lives as well. My mom has repeatedly told them, "Your mother is not well." It's become an inside joke with us - when someone asks me how I am, I'll say, "I'm not well!!!"" -Lynn

"My children are very supportive. They learned compassion at an early age and that is a trait that has held fast into their adult years." -Diane2

"yes! And they know that sometime I have bad days.
I like to think that my RA has enriched their lives in a way - it's taught them to be sensitive to my symptoms on some days...and to help me with stuff around the house when I'm feeling lousy." -S.

Tina Underwood & Community Members
Page last updated on October 25, 2000