ABSTRACT
Parenting a child with Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction (CFIDS) is a heart-wrenching situation for anyone. Watching child suffer through the days and nights can become a physical and emotional strain on the entire family. Even in an average home, the normal give-and-take between children can present challenges to parenting skills. When one, or more, of the children becomes ill with a chronic condition such as CFIDS, the challenges are intensified. People approach illness and crises differently. Some face difficulties head on, while others prefer to avoid thinking about the problems. Many times the mother becomes the child's protector, trying to shelter her Young Person with CFIDS from the harsh realities of illness. She may pamper her child, or at least her actions are seen as pampering by some. In reality, she may be the only one who believes that her child is physically ill. Doubts about a child's illness are more often expressed by one parent than the other.
