<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>We have decided to just be as honest as possible, and make sure we just make it a part of our everyday conversation so it is not a shock to him.</end quote></div>
I agree very much with this. We all are going to worry at times how much to say or how to say it, just as will be the case in many other aspects of parenting, but the 'cf diagnosis' itself shouldn't be the big elephant in the room, if that makes sense... if they grow up hearing that is just what they have (and not, of course, what they <i>are</i>... it's just a part of them) they are less likely to be afraid of it.
But if they feel we are holding out on them of something big and huge that everyone knows about but them they are going to sense it & that will automatically make it more of a big deal- kids are very bright, very perceptive and generally know & hear much more than we think they do (whisper 'candy' or 'toy store' when you only think they are not paying you the slightest bit of attention to know this.) They will be able to handle it: from the time they are toddlers they hear of other people having any number of other conditions and they accept it as a matter of course for <i>them</i> provided we are presenting it in a natural, healthy way (it's just a part of who these people are- therefore it winds up being their perception of 'normal' for these people in their lives.)
Helen makes a great point too. When the kids ask questions we need to figure out if they need to know answers when it comes to cf or just how their bodies work in general! We have a great series of books suitable for the 'junior scientist types' ...maybe those on about the 2ndish grade reading levels though there are lots of interesting pictures that younger kids would enjoy the books read to them I think if they like that sort of thing- that talk about any number of bodily functions, from the senses to anatomy to how blood/circulatory system works (that one is in a funny vampirish setting... a great book for the kid constantly needing labs and picc lines and all that, maybe.) I need to dig them out; I will post the titles/authors if I can find them. It's been a few years since the boys read them.
