My Daughter Said Something Really Neat Today!

[gf4life]

Today my 7yo daughter and I were talking about her new friend. Her friend has Cerebral Palsy and she uses a walker to help her get around. They are in a stretching class together at our local dance studio and my daughter says that her friend enjoys the class, but she falls down a lot. I explained to her that her friend has a disease that causes her muscles not to work too well. (That is about as detailed as I wanted to get into it with her without doing more research to explain it better...)

So she asked me, "Will she get better or will she always be like that". I told her that she will always have the disease, but there are doctors and scientists looking for ways to cure it. Then I said, it is sort of how you will never be able to eat gluten, unless they come up with a way of your body being able to tolerate it. So here is the kicker! She says to me, "I wouldn't want to eat gluten even if I could. The gluten free food tastes so much better!" And I swear she was serious!

She doesn't mind being different. We went to a party today for the summer reading club at our local library. My daughter was happy when they brought out the snacks. They had ice creams bars and cookies. She got to have 2 ice cream bars since she couldn't eat the cookies. It wasn't as if she were suffering or anything! And at vacation bible school last week all the kids were jealous of my kids because mine got a full sized homemade gluten-free cupcake and the rest of the kids got a store bought mini cupcake.

[nettiebeads]

Sounds like you're doing a fine job, mom!!!

[Lisa]

ditto, what a wonderful joy you must be doing.

[2kids4me]

and another "good job" to you.

You may want to rephrase the definition when she is older perhaps. Cerebral palsy is not a disease but it is brain damage to the motor area of the brain. People with Cerebral palsy often have normal intelligence but speech is altered (in severe damage, they are non verbal). The muscles are fine - they just dont get the right messages for co-ordinated movement.

It most often occurs at birth (hypoxia, umbilical cord being entrapped by the baby's shoulder, or wrapped around baby's neck). It can also occurs if the baby requires surgery in the neonatal period and 02 is compromised during the procerdure - heart surgery, closing a defect from spina bifida etc.. The motor area is the first one damaged when oxygen supply is compromised (this was how the neuro guy explained to my friend)

With young children, the way my friend explains it to kids (her son has CP) is:

His brain cant send alot of messages to his muscles so they kinda do whatever they want. But his eyes work great and so does his sense of humour and he loves to visit with other kids and hear about you (he is non verbal).

[Lisa]

ditto, what a wonderful joy you must be doing.

I meant "job", but "joy" can work as well.

[tiffjake]

Today my 7yo daughter and I were talking about her new friend. Her friend has Cerebral Palsy and she uses a walker to help her get around. They are in a stretching class together at our local dance studio and my daughter says that her friend enjoys the class, but she falls down a lot. I explained to her that her friend has a disease that causes her muscles not to work too well. (That is about as detailed as I wanted to get into it with her without doing more research to explain it better...)

So she asked me, "Will she get better or will she always be like that". I told her that she will always have the disease, but there are doctors and scientists looking for ways to cure it. Then I said, it is sort of how you will never be able to eat gluten, unless they come up with a way of your body being able to tolerate it. So here is the kicker! She says to me, "I wouldn't want to eat gluten even if I could. The gluten free food tastes so much better!" And I swear she was serious!

She doesn't mind being different. We went to a party today for the summer reading club at our local library. My daughter was happy when they brought out the snacks. They had ice creams bars and cookies. She got to have 2 ice cream bars since she couldn't eat the cookies. It wasn't as if she were suffering or anything! And at vacation bible school last week all the kids were jealous of my kids because mine got a full sized homemade gluten-free cupcake and the rest of the kids got a store bought mini cupcake.

That is so cool! I think kids are so open to things, and adults put limits on them that they don't see or feel so they get confused. But I don't have kids, LOL, so this is just my opinion based on babysitting and my friends' kids. Looks like you aren't teaching your daughter that gluten-free food is bad, and that is cool!

[taz sharratt]

Today my 7yo daughter and I were talking about her new friend. Her friend has Cerebral Palsy and she uses a walker to help her get around. They are in a stretching class together at our local dance studio and my daughter says that her friend enjoys the class, but she falls down a lot. I explained to her that her friend has a disease that causes her muscles not to work too well. (That is about as detailed as I wanted to get into it with her without doing more research to explain it better...)

So she asked me, "Will she get better or will she always be like that". I told her that she will always have the disease, but there are doctors and scientists looking for ways to cure it. Then I said, it is sort of how you will never be able to eat gluten, unless they come up with a way of your body being able to tolerate it. So here is the kicker! She says to me, "I wouldn't want to eat gluten even if I could. The gluten free food tastes so much better!" And I swear she was serious!

She doesn't mind being different. We went to a party today for the summer reading club at our local library. My daughter was happy when they brought out the snacks. They had ice creams bars and cookies. She got to have 2 ice cream bars since she couldn't eat the cookies. It wasn't as if she were suffering or anything! And at vacation bible school last week all the kids were jealous of my kids because mine got a full sized homemade gluten-free cupcake and the rest of the kids got a store bought mini cupcake.

you should be really proud of your daughter sounds like she has a good head on her shoulders.

[plantime]

This is why I always told my kids things. I was told not to tell them when things were bad or someone was sick, it would put too much stress on the kids. I think that it eased their stress, simply because they knew what was going on. Your child showed just how much a child can comprehend and relate to things that are not good, and therefore be accepting. You should be proud of your daughter! Thank you for sharing it with us!

[gf4life]

Thanks everyone. I am really proud of her. She is very wise for her age!

You may want to rephrase the definition when she is older perhaps. Cerebral palsy is not a disease but it is brain damage to the motor area of the brain. People with Cerebral palsy often have normal intelligence but speech is altered (in severe damage, they are non verbal). The muscles are fine - they just dont get the right messages for co-ordinated movement.

It most often occurs at birth (hypoxia, umbilical cord being entrapped by the baby's shoulder, or wrapped around baby's neck). It can also occurs if the baby requires surgery in the neonatal period and 02 is compromised during the procerdure - heart surgery, closing a defect from spina bifida etc.. The motor area is the first one damaged when oxygen supply is compromised (this was how the neuro guy explained to my friend)

I do plan to explain this more as she gets older. Thank you for the explanation. The amazing thing about this little girl with CP is that she lived for the first year of her life in an orphanage in Kazackstan, and she pretty much just stayed in her crib all day with no stimulation or interaction with others. Her adoptive parents were told that she would never walk or talk (in any language), but she is doing both! She can walk unassisted for short distances, but mostly uses a walker, and she can speak english as well as any other 6 year old. Her parents are amazing, too. They are in the process of adopting another child, possibly from the same area.