Good morning
I have been told my physio to use a walking stick which I am fine with, however, it is affecting my eight year old daughter she is devastated and said to me while she was crying her eyes out that I’m too young to have one. I have explained that it means that it means I will be able to do more with them but she is so upset 
Any help would be very much appreciated
Becca x
Hi Becca
Excellent advice from Jen.
Speak to your daughter’s teacher, perhaps she will be able to help. It’s a long time since my two were children but they don’t seem to like anything that makes them look different from the rest do they?
Good luck
Sorry, the teacher could be male
Hi Becca
I’m so sorry for you both, it can be so hard helping children through these things. I suspect that this has very little to do with you using a walking stick and is just about her fear of “losing” her mum! In which case what ever we suggest about the stick will make no difference.
When I was confined to my bed for month, after a bad fall, my five year old granddaughter (to whom I’m very close) wouldn’t come near me for two weeks. She would peep round my door but wouldn’t come in or talk to me. I realised that she thought I had taken to my bed and was going to die, as my mother had done a year before. We had a long chat and she then got back to normal but she still needs regular reassurance.
I’m sure that you’ve had all the necessary conversations with her about MS but may be she’s worrying about something that she thinks you might think is silly or that she doesn’t want to up set you.
If it really is just the stick that is upsetting her perhaps an elbow crutch would bother her less. Lots of people, including users, feel that a crutch says injury or illness rather then old age. I find a crutch/es much more stable and convenient than a stick/s but it’s taken me 20yrs to realise the advantages!
Sending you both huggs xx
I’ve just spoken to her about how much it helps and will stop me being wobbly and she just said sorry. So I told her she had nothing to say sorry for and if she’d like I could talk to her teacher because they are already aware of the situation and she said she wants to.
She’s embarrassed (she accidentally just told me). I don’t want to embarrass my little girl
awww bless her, my daughter (she was 18 at the time) hated the fact i had to use a w/c she never came round to the idea,infact she wouldnt be seen with me in it,
but i knew it was all about image, shes 23 now and is ok with me using a scooter
our kids dont want to see us ill and disabled do they bless them,my little grandaughters just turned 2 and i am hoping because shes only ever known me this way that it wont be a problem for her.she loves to go on my stairlift at the moment lol.
give your daughter time to get used to the idea of you with a stick, i find humour the beast way to deal with things like this helps.
J x
I can remember When I was little, my mum acquired some ankle boots with fur round the tops. Thinking about it years later…my mum was quite a fashionable lady…she liked to look good.
My sisters and I took a dislike to these ankle boots and felt embarrassed seeing mum in them. No one else seem to be wearing them. We used to deliberately walk a good few yards behind her, when out at the shops
Being embarrassed by parents is normal part of growing up, just handle it sensitively and all will be well.
Good luck xx
i’m getting a bit emotional thinking of you and your daughter.
she will be fine but may take some time to get to this.
it is a life learning experience although a bit harsh!
talk to her about how many people are going through what you are going through.
tell her about how helpful the DDA has been.
how many places have improved access, disabled loos etc.
about how you are a warrior because you are fighting this disease every minute of every day.
hopefully she will be proud rather than embarrassed.
Carole xxx