Shortchanged?

Someone asked recently if my kids are being shortchanged because of my disability/chronic health issues.

My kids have a different childhood or experience in life than other children do, but that would be the case if I weren't chronically ill.  No two children ever have the same childhood, even within the same family.

In some ways, my kids get away with more, have less responsibility (I actually worry that they don't have *enough* responsibility at times since I have cleaning and household help doing things they could be because I don't want to overburden them) and more privileges.  They may be more independent, but in what I think is a healthy way.

We have a car since I can't manage buses, which we certainly wouldn't have if I were well.

Things are different for them growing up than for other kids, but their childhoods are how they are supposed to be. He put them (us!) in this situation. He tailormaid it for all of us. Each of them are in the family He put them in, at the time He put them and given the childhood He planned for them.  God doesn't shortchange any of us.

My father was sick and died when I was a teenager.

I certainly wouldn't wish that on my children, but it was the childhood that made me and my siblings who we are B"H.

My kids are B"H ke'h happy, well adjusted children/teenagers who understand chessed, doing their part, invisible illnesses, the need to plan ahead and not leave things for a last minute rush, but also that we aren't in charge. Plans sometimes have to change and we have to be flexible.

My kids are definitely more responsible than if I were running the ship without needing their help at all.  One of my teenager is at the store now getting them to replace her little sisters shoes, which we bought three weeks ago. The sole came off so she volunteered to go and get it taken care of.    My other teenager is in the kitchen shaping challahs.  They know they need to help at times, and they chose these jobs today.  I am happy, they are happy and the house is B"H running smoothly.

Are they shortchanged?  I certainly don't think so, and neither do they.  Yes, they are spending half an hour out of their afternoons helping out the family, but in exchange they are getting life skills, pride in the abilities to get things done, yummy challah, a happy sister and a proud mother.   The littles sitting and playing Monopoly together don't look too upset about their lives either.

But most importantly, more than any of the other things I wrote about, my children know they are loved.  How can anyone be shortchanged when they love and are loved so much?