How did you explain cpap to your kiddos?

Played nieces and nephews the movie Blue Velvet ( remember the Dennis Hopper scenes ?)

It was pretty obvious that something was wrong with me at the time I got my CPAP. I was extremely fatigued, the kids knew other parents weren't as tired as their Mommy. They were 12, 9 and 6 at the time. I told them that the doctor discovered I wasn't breathing right when I sleep, so he was getting me a machine that would help me breath right at night.

The day I brought it home they sat on my bed and helped me set it up, I answered any question they had, my daughter (9) even tried the mask on (laughed because it was "bigger than her head") My youngest named it my elephant costume.

They adjusted to it as a normal part of life pretty quickly, my eldest having the hardest time - for the first couple of months he acted as if he had just walked in on me naked if he came in and I had my mask on. But he was at a planning meeting for the spring camp out and his first concern was making sure there was power at the campsite if we needed it. The daughter took it upon herself to learn every thing there was to know about the care of my CPAP and anything about it. The youngest doesn't even seem to remember I time when I didn't have the CPAP. He has a bad dream, comes in and moves the hose out of his way, and curls up in my arms. About a month after I got my CPAP, I had just woke up and taken my mask off when he came in. He reached up and felt the mask wasn't there and said "Mommy is something wrong? Where's your mask?"

I just told them. My son gave me the nickname Darth Mom for about a week after I first started then the novelty wore off. He asked to try it all on the first day so I let him briefly. My son is age 12. Humor and lightheartedness works. He was thrilled that I would be healing and maybe have energy to live life again.

My boy saw it and laughed, saying he had no sympathy for me because I made him wear the headgear that the orthodontist jammed in his teeth all the time for almost 2 years, except to school. And then, he thought the extra air might help his stamina on his cross country team. So I said he could try it only if he did not remove it for one whole night. After the one night, he let me know he had "no intention of ever crawling into that thing again"

No kids, but the first night with CPAP my husband choked back a laugh and then said he didn't realize it would have a hose. After that first night he was happy because I don't snore anymore. Now, if I can just quit scaring the dogs!

Grems4ever wrote:Besides, who can resist the temptation to say, "________________, I am your father." The line works so much better when the breathing effects are there.

Took hubby less than 5 minutes....