I've been reading some threads tonight and they have me thinking. I have had some vague conversations with my son about how to deal with me on certain days. We have some sort of "safe phrases" that let him know when I'm not having a good day and I need to be alone. This came after a few episodes of me yelling at him for minor issues while manic. He knows that I have bad days when I can't get out of bed. He has seen books laying around my house about bipolar disorder. He asked if I was reading one of them as a part of my job. Anyway, I wonder how much I should say to him. How much have you told your children? If you have told them about your mental illness, did you tell them your diagnosis or did you just talk about your symptoms? At what age were they when you told them?