How Does IC or any Chronic Illiness Affect Our Children?

            Good Evening my beloved readers, I pray that your pain is manageable tonight. Another new month is upon us and as I was coming out of church this morning, to my amazement snow was falling from the sky. I will be honest I do not like the cold weather one bit, but it was so pretty to watch the snowflakes fall from the sky. Tonight’s topic is” how chronic illiness of a Parent affects the precious children in our lives.”

    When you are a parent or Grandparent or even a Godparent as I am or aunt or Uncle; when the child in your life is sick, it breaks your heart to see them not feeling well. You do all you can to make you are your little one is taken care of and loved on and your there for them through their sickness. Even though its not you, when they are sick, you feel the pain, you feel the hurt because you love that child more than life itself. Well in a very similar way, when   we are sick with our chronic illness like interstitial cystitis or fibromyalgia or endometriosis or lupus or any other chronic disease, yes all of them. It affects our children in a very real way.

     When chronic illness hits someone in a family, it affects all involved. Not just the one who has been diagnosed? How can we let our children know, none of this is their fault, or ours it is something we can’t control. It is important to let those precious little ones know in terms they can understand, so they are less afraid, the more we openly discuss with our children, the more communication is expressed and more understanding is shared.

  I know from personal experience with my godchildren mia and hunter. Mia is 5 and hunter is 9, there have been times, we have had them over our place for the weekend, and  my IC flares and or my fibro and I get very tired, run down and the pain hits me like a ton of bricks. I’ve had to explain to them in simple terms, that I can’t always run around and play. but that doesn’t change how Immensely I love them both. I then explain simply why I go the bathroom so much, and why auntie is in so much pain. I don’t want them to be afraid. I encourage them to ask questions if they have them, and if we encourage our children to ask questions, then we need to be ready and willing to answer in age appropriate terms, so they aren’t afraid, the more they can understand, the less fears they will hold onto.

   Your children love you, and there are many ways to show your child, that you love them, even when were having a tough day/night! Let them help any way they can, they will feel as though they made a difference and it also teaches them compassion in a very real and tangible way !Dont let IC be a barrier between your children and you, in love explain, and remember your doing a awesome job. like I mentioned earlier; illness affects a family as a while, but in different forms, ask your child, does mommy being sick make you sad, talk them through their emotions, it will help them come to terms, and they can share what they feel. if need be its ok to cry together, depending on the age of the child, but don’t always feel like you have to hide your tears, we are human, and our children, have deep feelings too, its not easy, but together talking emotions out  brings you together with your child into a deeper and more beautiful bond.