Parenting with Fibro... - Fibromyalgia Message Board

bleigh · 04-15-2008, 03:18 PM

Ok. So, maybe we can discuss the issues that specifically come up with raising kids while suffering with fibro. I stay home and raise two little ones, take care of my house (most of it anyway), and plan to homeschool the girls. Sometimes I get very frustrated, short tempered, and just down right unpleasant for my children. I've had days that I cried just tying their shoelaces because my back hurt so bad. I'm trying to come up with ideas that will simplify my life and make things easier and happier for all of us. I want the girls to have happy memories of being home with me.

Anybody here interested in this topic? Anybody have any tips they've done to make life easier and more enjoyable when dealing with little ones?

Hope4All · 04-16-2008, 04:21 AM

Hi

Im right there with you! I do homeschool my children........I started 4 years ago..... My oldest went to school until 8th grade, the others were in 4th and 1st!

I find that homeschooling isn't that hard as long as you do it when you feel well. If you feel bad one day, give them some work OR wait til the weekend! The great thing about homeschooling is you can do it in the evening/weekends and when the schools are off you can be teaching yours!

This is my oldest last year..........and Im pregnant! Talk about having your hands full! I do think though when my baby is ready for school I will enroll him/her in public school. I'll be older and with the fibro my brain will not function as well.......lol! Homeschooling was VERY positive in our home. And many more people are doing it in my area. You will do just fine.

Hope

bleigh · 04-16-2008, 05:09 PM

Wow, so glad to hear that you've homeschooled your children. I do worry about my ability to be somewhat scheduled, but we're just going to have to figure that one out. My oldest will be kindergarten and my youngest pre-K. They are both such good "students" that I know they will be the easiest part of homeschool. ME, on the other hand, will be my biggest challenge. My DH is a great teacher as well and I know some weekends will be big days for learning. He's already doing geography with them....they know Canada, Australia, UK, Mexico, Japan, Russia, China, Alaska, Spain, and Ireland...of course the US too. I'm so proud of them I just had to share. I pray that together we can provide them the best education they deserve.

I look at some of my friends who homeschool and I know I can not ever be like them. They start first thing in the morning and have everything meticulously planned. I realize not everyone is so strict but it makes me worry sometimes that I'm not even close. I didn't even crawl out of bed until 1030 this morning. Again, didn't sleep well. My friends would rather be run over by a bus than be creeping out of bed at that time. OH, well. My kids are still smarty pants even with a mommy like me.

Thank you for sharing!!

CDS75 · 04-16-2008, 06:06 PM

Parenting with fibromyalgia, for me, is awful. I have very, very little energy. My poor kids have really paid the price for my illness. I very rarely have the energy to play with them or take them anywhere. If I do have energy it usually gets trumphed by pain.

My husband had to start working from home because I cannot take care of the kids by myself. I don't have the energy or stamina to cook, clean, or do laundry. There are piles and piles of clutter on all available surfaces in our house so my dd has to push things out of the way to do homework. We have 2 rooms in our house that we cannot even walk into. I haven't even gotten the Christmas stuff away and it is April.

It is such a good day for me if I am able to take the baby to the swing. I think parenting (or lack there of) has been/is the worst part of this awful disease.

Smithville mom · 04-20-2008, 07:21 PM

YES! Parenting with FM is so hard - I'm totally with you on the being tired and getting snippy with the kids... I have 2 boys 4 1/2 and 3 and I also am homeschooling. There and days that I just cry because I said something mean to one of them and feel horrible about it. There are nights that I don't sleep at all and than when breakfast time comes I'm so tired and frustrated I don't want to be around anyone! Forget wanting to get them cereal...

I do LOVE homeschooling them! It gives us time to be together - it gets frustrating once and a while, but that's when you say, "OK - lets take a 10 min. break".
Thankfully, I have learned to manage my fibro with vitamins - I take no prescription drugs - but I also don't "do" a lot of things that most 26yr. olds do... like ride bike, ski, bowl, eat beef, drink... etc...

I try to remember that I need to keep my relationship with my kids fun - I try my best, some times I fail, we all do.
I thank God when I have a good day and try to remember it could always be worse on a bad day... either way I have my family and they love me - ya know!