HELP! My mother (who lives with us) says I shouldn't tell my six year old that I am having surgery. That I should just tell him that I am spending the night at the hospital.... Your thoughts????

I think it will be VERY difficult for a 6 year old to comprehend what you are about to do. I told my 9 yr old daughter about what I'm preparing to do and she took me very literally. I explained that in order to lose weight (so I can be healthy) that the doctor was going to make my stomach banana shaped. Little did I know that she pictured me coming home from the hospital with a banana shaped silhouette. It's kinda funny but my point is she's 9! What would a 6 year old mind imagine?! I would keep it as simple as possible, as if you were going away for a weekend get away.
Good luck!

I have been very open and honest with my lil girl..and she is 3 1/2...she has gone to most my appts with me and I tell her very simply that I am going to the skinny doctor and going to lose my big ol belly...being a single mom right now...i felt there is no need to hide it..but i am not going overboard either...we have a very open and honest relationship and she deserves to know ...now I dont think she has a complete understanding of what is going on ..but she has an Idea...dont underestimate kids..they understand more then we think...try and recal when you were little ...you knew what was going on...this surgery affects the whole family...therefor IMO the family should know...but that is just my POV on things...my lil girl has been a great support as well..she tells me all the time she loves me and is excited that I am going to lose my belly so she has more lap to sit on...lol...another reason i told her is so she wont want me to pick her up so much and crawl all over me in bed..or on the couch.....

It was funny tho..we were at a neighbors house and the N asked my daughter if she knew what mommy was getting done...and my girl says "mommy is getting gastric sleeve surgery"...just like an adult...too damn funny...so kids be knowing...good luck

I have a 4 and 8 yr old and I just told them mommy was had to see the Dr. about her tummy! Primarily so they would know to steer to clear and they did well. My oldest (boy) was content with just staying clear my girl well she's a girl...let me see, oh is that your boo -boo? So if for no other reason so he/she knows to be careful!

I told my 8 year old daughter that I am getting a small procedure to help me be more healthy. I spared her the details due to her imagination and she never asked me to go into more depth. She now likes to look at my incisions on my tummy and the other day she was looking at me intensely (I am about 3 weeks post op) and said "Mom, you do look way better and more healthy."

My children are 6, 8, 9. Alissa will be 7 on 8/4/13. They have assisted me in diet and exercise the last couple of years. I explained to them that this is why we try to eat healthy and exercise. Because I am unable to fix myself, I have to have a procedure done to fix me. Both of my daughters have had operations, the oldest on her heart and the youngest on her ears and throat. This gives my children a different view point on the whole operation/procedure thing. My youngest wanted to know exactly what was going to happen, so we looked up a gastric sleeve on youtube. They have a digital version if you are not okay with showing the actual surgery. I went a bit deeper with my children because my children like to jump and climb on me. I needed to let them know WHY they were not going to be able to do that anymore.

Thanks for your input everyone! This has been very helpful. even though my mother and sister live with us, my son and I are very close, and I want our relationship to be open and for him to be comfortable talking to me about anything. That said, I will probably tell him that I will be spending the night at the doctor because the doctor is going to help mommy lose some weight. He has already said that he "loves me plump, but would love me even more if I were skinny." LOL

Thank you for the tips!