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In a message dated 8/7/98 11:33:08 AM Central Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: << If anyone has feedback, suggestions, cautions, etc. in working with children in this situation, I'd be glad to hear from you. This isn't in any of the parenting books that I've read! >> Rick, I have had a similar experience. One day in 1985 after my first retirement (from the USAF) my youngest son unexpectedly asked me if PD was a "suffering disease". I didn't know the correct way to answer that, but, after thinking about it and reaching no other answer, I told him yes, I thought it was. That seemed to satisfy him. While he was not an athlete (a situation which I chalk up to my not playing ball, wrestling with him, etc., when he was young). He and I discussed many things (such as the history of communism and the Viet Nam thing) over the years. He did very well in school and this year did not come home from college, choosing instead to stay in the college town and work two jobs. However his then teenage brother went through a rebellious stage and only last week he (now 30 years old) admitted that he was mad at me for having this stupid disease and acting strange. I had violated the contract between us that dated back to when I adopted him at age two. When I could no longer take him out to the ranch to shoot, could not go camping and hunting with him, he looked for such activities in his peers. He played football, so I had his coach as a partial surrogate and that helped. However, the getting up in the middle of the night and going out for ice cream, and other neat stuff was over. He flunked out of college as a result of majoring in women and minoring in fraternities. However, he now has two boys of his own and he calls every week to tell me about his job and family. He also never misses a chance now to thank me for his raising and that he loves his mother and me. I am satisfied. He is a very good friend. What to do? I don't know. I guess all that one can do is hang in there, be a dad in as much as that's possible and tell them the truth when they ask. Regards, WHH 54/18