Well it is a bit different with age I guess, my son was 15 and my daughter was 12 when I first became ill. I was totally honest with them throughout the process. They accepted the reality of it better than my now ex wife did.

My son is now 23 and my daughter 21, they understand that there are limits to what I can do or even attempt to do. They also understand that it is not a static illness, there will be progression and the situation is fluid.

I have always tried to teach my kids not to depend on anyone else to create their happiness. Develop and explore your own interests, happiness comes from within.

LOL, I am certainly not afraid to talk about it, it`s better than having people think that I am drunk all the time! and I save money by not having to buy beer!