My explanation for 6-60 year olds.
The bridge theory. The SF Bay bridge is closed and the closest way to get to Oakland from SF now is the San Mateo bridge. Down the peninsula, across the SM bridge and back up to Oakland.

It takes longer,takes more energy and more tired when I get there...but..I get there.

the other analogy is the cellphone. sometimes you are in a good cell and reception is great. sometimes the call drops Same with MS sometimes the connection is good.other times not so good

hope this helps

Thank you. These are great ideas! I do not want to tell my grandson that "grandma is broken" or that "grandma's body is attacking itself" . . . these are too scary. Now that you have shared these, I can probably think of many other analogies that would work in different situations.

I'm glad DD is asking the questions, and has her answers. It's even hard for an adult to understand MS and the impact it can have on one's life, unless they live with the disease. Even then, I don't know how another with MS can be, even though I can form a general idea.

Please be sure she understands too that everyone's so very, very unique, and not all you see will be in a wheelchair. My first 'exposure' to folks with MS, well into my 20's, was solely seeing those in wheelchairs, so I always imagined MS to be the 'chair disease', until I met my coworker who suffers cognitive and vision disturbances, but walks without aid.

When I was diagnosed, had I not known the cognitive/vision patient, I'd have thought my future would be in a chair. Heck, it could still be, but the % chance is slimmer when you consider the number of those diagnosed and not in chairs.

So stress that MS is like everyone's snow flakes, and we're all different.

Or, there's the lamp explanation.

If you plug in a lamp or a toaster, or a radio, but the coating around the electric wire on the appliance wears out, the appliance won't work right.

There's nothing wrong with the appliance. There's nothing wrong with the electrical outlet. But, there's a problem with the connection between the two.

That's like our brains. The problem is with the connection -- not with the muscles, as in muscular dystrophy, or not with the eyes, in vision stuff. Just with the connections between them and our brain. The messages are not getting from the brain to the legs, or the eyes, or the bladder, or whatever the problem is.

I've used this explanation with adults. You can simplify it some, for a 7 y.o.

But, I like the bridge explanation, too, that missj posted.

~ Faith

My little girl was five when I was diagnosed (and my son was seven). I told them that sometimes, especially when I am tired, my legs (arms, eyes or whatever it was at the time) couldn't hear my brain when it told them what to do so the message got mixed up - like when they play Chinese Whispers at a birthday party.

I explained it in much more detail later, but that seemed to work in the early years.

Lyn

My kids never asked, they grew up with Jim having ms. They just knew Daddy wasn't able to do some things like run. Good question. Many times little ones are deathly afraid of Jim due to his power chair. But after they realize they can get cool rides they love him. lol

;sorry I can't be as helpful, but came across this, maybe in one way or another you could use it, prob not anyways ;

That's a good one Cinders.

Thank you for sharing.