How to talk to children about the serious illness of a loved one

It’s an inescapable truth: sometimes hard, bad things happen in life — including that sometimes parents, or other important people in a child’s life, get very sick. It’s natural to want to shield a child from news like this, but that’s not a good idea. Children pick up on more than people realize — and can sometimes imagine things to be even worse than they are. Also, it’s important to help children gain the understanding and skills they need to weather a loved one’s illness, as well as to weather the inevitable difficult times in their future. Talking to a child about serious illness: the first steps Every child and every situation are different. But here are some suggestions as you think about what to say — and how to say it. Think about your child’s developmental stage. This is really important. Younger children aren’t going to be able to understand or handle very much, whereas an adolescent can understand much more and will want and need to know much more. Younger children can be very concrete, and might worry not only that they can catch the illness, but also that it’s their fault. Older children can understand more nuance and complexity and will have very different worries. If you aren’t sure exactly where your child is in the developmental spectrum, talk to your pediatrician. Talk first with your parenting partner. The two of you should be on the same page about what you are going to say and how you are going to say it. It’s also important t...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Adolescent health Children's Health Parenting Relationships Source Type: blogs