View Single Post
  #4  
Old Mon Jul 28, 2008, 12:20 AM
Neil Cuadra Neil Cuadra is offline
Owner
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 2,553
How and when to explain a serious disease to children is a very personal decision. In my opinion, parents should outline the basics without sugarcoating it and answer questions as they come up, rather than keeping the information under wraps or providing too much detail. Children are very perceptive and will know something is wrong in the family without your saying anything. If you don't explain what is happening, they can easily assume the situation is worse than it is or even think that it is their fault. If we as parents express our concerns in a confident way, our children will be less worried than if we're being apprehensive and secretive. Children aren't mind readers and they don't see things the way adults do, but they follow our leads.

What we tell our kids about an illness has to be age appropriate, of course, and their reactions will often surprise us. Children, even teens, know they depend on us but their first concerns are often about how they will manage if their parent is sick, e.g. "If you're in the hospital, how will I get to school?" If we answer their initial questions, they'll come up with other questions at their own pace, and that avoids overwhelming them with details or telling them something at the last minute without giving them time to absorb it.
Reply With Quote