Parents: Watch out for stress in yourself and your children.

Families facing chronic illness are constantly at risk for stress, and unacknowledged stress interferes with communications.  Whether they hear you talking when you don’t think they are around, or simply see the tension in your face and your behavior, children know when something is not right with their parents.  They may take a guess at the reason for a parent’s stress and blame themselves.  Make sure your own needs are being met.  Take care of your own physical well-being.  And find a safe place to talk about how you are feeling, even the ‘bad stuff.’  Find a supportive friend or objective family member outside of your household who can give you an opportunity to release the pressure without judging you, or talk to a counselor.  And remember that children also need to talk!