Background: One-third of patients in psychiatric care were also parents who lived with their children. There is a connection between mental illness among parents and mental illness among children. Mental illness may affect the parental ability. Despite laws and regulation that exists to protect and support children who were living with a parent suffering from mental illness, these children are often forgotten. Children's needs are sometimes not recognized and met. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate children's experience of living with a parent who suffers from mental illness. Method: A qualitative literature study based on 13 qualitative studies was conducted. Results: The result of this study is divided in two themes of experiences. The results shows that children who were living with a parent who suffers from mental illness experiences a different everyday life and feelings of being different and alone. A life full of fear and worries, a shifting parenting role, lack of knowledge and feeling of being invisible constitute the first theme. The second theme shows children's experiences of being on the outside, alone with thoughts and living in uncertainty. Conclusion: The result shows that children who lived with a parent with mental illness are affected in one or another way. An interpretation of the result is that parents who suffers from mental illness deficits to vouch for the children and that children are forced to handle strenuous situations on their own.