Just a little something which hopefully will bring a smile.
My 6 year old granddaughter was with me in the kitchen when the alarm on my watch went off reminding me to take my tablets - as usual Pheobe said ‘Pills Grandma’. She went quiet for a little while and then asked ‘Are you poorly Grandma and that is why you have to take pills?’ I didn’t want to worry her and so I said ‘No Grandma is not poorly she just has a funny thing called Parkinsons and that is why she takes pills’. She thought for moment and then went running into the garden finding my husband and her Daddy and very seriously she told them ‘Grandma has to take pills because she has got Parking Sensors’.
So now it is known that Grandma doesn’t have Parkinsons but Parking Sensors!!
Just to let you know that there is a small book for children called my Grandma has parkinsons. My PD Advisor gave me it and my 5year old Grandaughter loved hearing the story.
I think your Grandaughter would like the story too.
Six months ago my 4 year old grandson told me off for running upstairs telling me “it’s dangerous, I’ve told you before! Walk up slowly holding the hand rail like grandad does”! No prizes for guessing which of us has just been diagnosed with PD but occurs to me small children are often more observant than many general neurologists seem to be.
Your story reminded me of one of my wifes students who is seven years old, My teaches English on Sat & Sun morning at our house, and the children who learn with her all live in our village. One day, one of the parents was chatting to my wife at the local supermarket and my wife mentioned that I had PD. In the evening the students mother was relaying the conversation to her husband. On the Saturday the little girl came for her English lesson and she said “teacher when wil grandad die?” She had obviously heard her parents saying there is no cure, and put two and two together and come up with five. But, it shows that no matter what they are doing their little ears are constantly hearing everything that’s said and often getting it wrong
