any ideas

only49

hello i know this may be a difficult one for some people out there but i thought i ask anyway, as they do say two heads are better than one.

has anyone out there ever explained or tried to explain to a child about there arthritis and why they find it difficult to do some things with them.

just thought i ask

mellman01

No can't say I have but it's a cracking question to ask on here.

gickygawky

Hi there,

I was Headmistress at a kindergarten until last July and had quite a bit of explaining to do. With them being so young I had to keep it very simple so basically said sometimes some parts of my body don't work quite as well as they should and that's why I do things a bit differently. I kept it very light and let them ask me questions.
When Lazy Town was the biggest thing in kids tv I had alot of interest in the wrist supports I was wearing. Apparently the hero of the show also wore blue wrist bands of sorts so my street cred immediately went up a notch or two. Some of them even made there own wrist supports out of loo rolls at home and brought them in to show me!
When I had doses of Iritis thanks to my AS and was photophobic I wore sunglasses every day inside and out. And so did my kids!!
They were very adaptable and accepting of what was going on and asked loads of different things.
Sometimes they would know I was not well and ask if I was sick. When I said yes they would ask where so I just pointed and showed them and said at the moment I had to be careful and asked them to be extra gentle. They often stroked my hand or arm and would tell me to take care, just like a grown up would, bless them!
In fact, looking back, talking to the children about it was far easier than dealing with their parents....

A x

only49

gickygawky wrote:

Hi there,

I was Headmistress at a kindergarten until last July and had quite a bit of explaining to do. With them being so young I had to keep it very simple so basically said sometimes some parts of my body don't work quite as well as they should and that's why I do things a bit differently. I kept it very light and let them ask me questions.
When Lazy Town was the biggest thing in kids tv I had alot of interest in the wrist supports I was wearing. Apparently the hero of the show also wore blue wrist bands of sorts so my street cred immediately went up a notch or two. Some of them even made there own wrist supports out of loo rolls at home and brought them in to show me!
When I had doses of Iritis thanks to my AS and was photophobic I wore sunglasses every day inside and out. And so did my kids!!
They were very adaptable and accepting of what was going on and asked loads of different things.
Sometimes they would know I was not well and ask if I was sick. When I said yes they would ask where so I just pointed and showed them and said at the moment I had to be careful and asked them to be extra gentle. They often stroked my hand or arm and would tell me to take care, just like a grown up would, bless them!
In fact, looking back, talking to the children about it was far easier than dealing with their parents....

A x

love the story just goes to show they cope with some things better than we think they do, its us that dont maybe i will see it for myself when my son goes into hosptal to get a tooth out in the morning, he seems quite ok about whats going to happen at the moment anyway better than me i think but i be there with him so he be fine.

tkachev

My children seem to understand certain movements are more difficult for me.My crutches have been a massive topic of conversation at daughters school.I dont like to lie to children so I told them I had some bone taken away to make me better!

I do think am I embarrassing my children hobbling about on crutches but so far have had no negative feedback.
Elizabeth.

lindalegs

My sons have only ever known me with arthritis and anytime they've asked me anything I answer honestly and simply and when I haven't been able to do things I've always said it's because I hurt with the arthritis. They've always been willing to help me because they know I find some things hard, although as they got older I had to ask rathe than them volunteer. :roll:

Children are very accepting.

Luv Legs

lindalegs

tkachev wrote:

I do think am I embarrassing my children hobbling about on crutches but so far have had no negative feedback.
Elizabeth.

Hi Elizabeth,

I used to worry that I'd be embarrassing my sons but I honestly think they don't notice you hobbling on your crutches.... to them you're just 'Mum' and it's part of you being you.

My sons both say they've never been embarrassed about my arthritis .......my big mouth, well that's another story

Luv Legs XX

dorcas

Hi Elizabeth,
I was 44 when I first met arther so my kids weren't so little and could understand.

My grandchildren...have always just accepted that I have 'sore' hands or feet or whatever and that I can't do the things their other Nana does with them. Instead we read a lot, play lots of board games & have mini monster hunts (for bugs) in the garden. we've also made their own little garden together.

With the older ones I've had them stay over and so far we've had a 'Harry Potter 'weekend, a 'Star Wars' weekend and a 'Friends' weekend; we chill out, eat lots of all the wrong foods and watch the episodes back to back!

kids..have no problem with arther and accept what you say and just get on with it!

Iris x

only49

hi I just had that chat with my son and with all kids sometimes they don't stop and think, but when he asks me to do something I cant I just say that I cant because of my knees and my arthritis and even he can say that word ( arthritis) he always helps me if I already got up once for something and I don't want to again and again i ask him for help and he only too pleased i guess i have to keep reminding him as now when he hugs me i nearly fall over as he taller than me.

i feel like the incredible shrinking woman even though i know i not,
if he walks to fast for me i make a game of it and say I'm the tortoise and he's the hare and i cant keep up.

only49

dorcas wrote:

Hi Elizabeth,
I was 44 when I first met arther so my kids weren't so little and could understand.

My grandchildren...have always just accepted that I have 'sore' hands or feet or whatever and that I can't do the things their other Nana does with them. Instead we read a lot, play lots of board games & have mini monster hunts (for bugs) in the garden. we've also made their own little garden together.

With the older ones I've had them stay over and so far we've had a 'Harry Potter 'weekend, a 'Star Wars' weekend and a 'Friends' weekend; we chill out, eat lots of all the wrong foods and watch the episodes back to back!

kids..have no problem with arther and accept what you say and just get on with it!

Iris x

may be we could take a leaf out of there book or maybe as adult we have more to worry about ans they are safe a protected so there happy