Do you remember the old TGIF sitcoms from the 90’s? Family Matters, Full House, Step By Step. Many of them had the annoying friend or neighbor who just walked into the house and added to or was the cause of the episodes hijinks. Family Matters had Steve Urkle, Full House had Kimmy Gibbler, Step By Step had that one guy. The dad always hated that person, but in time they learned how to at least tolerate and work with the ‘Annoying One’.
In my home, CFS is the ‘Annoying One’ who just walks in and disrupts life, messing up plans. How many times has CFS wandered in, taken my wife, and left me to visit family in another state with Elle myself, or be the only Dad (and guy) at a birthday party, or a single dad with a toddler bent on giving herself a traumatic brain injury on the pew at church.
There were days on end where my wife was taken away by CFS, left in bed, and I returned from a full day of work and an hour drive each way, only to be the only adult contact my daughter had all day and still had to cook dinner and put the child to bed. Those days left me with an hour or two for anything personal including showering and anything else I wanted to do.
It still is a challenge, but we are getting by and we hope to share some tactics to help others who have their own Urkles barging in.
Supporting A CFS Spouse 