<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>CFHockeyMom</b></i>
Well, I think you do have to be reasonable. I did tell Sean he couldn't be a firefighter or join the military. I certainly didn't tell him that to hurt him but that's part of the reality of CF. I don't think it's terrible it's just the way it is.</end quote></div>
Exactly, that's the point I was making. Some things you have to be practical about. The reality is that CF is limiting. To ignore that is to risk your own health.
Too often these days parents would rather be their kids' friend or buddy, and do their best not to say something that might "hurt their kids' feelings." This is a dangerous precedent. Kids need parents who will PARENT them and make the right decisions for them on things the kids cannot yet understand about life. CF parents might take this to the -nth degree and not want to put any boundaries on their kids at all. Without healthy boundaries and reasonable restrictions, kids with CF (and truly, any kids) may be more prone to risk taking behavior (promiscuity, drugs, smoking, skipping class, etc.)
In my home, CF was used as a stepping stone to teach me how to be a more responsible adult. I was able to use the principles my parents taught me to develop strong character and a reasonable expectation of my limitations and capabilities. Though I wish I could have learned that lesson w/o CF, I'm seeing how it was an advantage to me. If I didn't have good parents who were willing to step in and say "no, I care about you too much to let you do x,y,z because I don't think it's a wise decision" then I wouldn't be here today