Impact on kids
Hi everyone, I'm currently in week 5 of radiotherapy. My 8 year old daughter is struggling with my diagnosis and is showing signs of anxiety, lashing out a lot. She admitted she is worried about me an...
Forum Discussion
Hi @Sooz. My experience is that kids only take in what they can understand. And sometimes they get hold of the wrong end of the stick. So repetition is the key.
Conversation while walking or driving can be useful. No eye contact can encourage kids to ask what they may hesitate to if you're eyeballing them!
I also found that I disappeared into my own head a lot of the time during treatment. As a result I presumed the kids knew and understood what was going on. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn't. So checking in with everyone individually at various times is valuable.
They do all respond individually, and so meeting their needs can be complex. Work through your options until you find one that works. Some kids might benefit from reading information; there are a lot of bpoks out there. Others might like to talk, maybe not to you! Others may only talk to you.
My four are highly resistant to talking to counsellors. Two tried. One didn't like it and gave it up, the other has grudgingly persisted. She's 10. I tell her it's good to keep your options open to have someone outside the family to talk to.
All the best, K xox
Conversation while walking or driving can be useful. No eye contact can encourage kids to ask what they may hesitate to if you're eyeballing them!
I also found that I disappeared into my own head a lot of the time during treatment. As a result I presumed the kids knew and understood what was going on. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn't. So checking in with everyone individually at various times is valuable.
They do all respond individually, and so meeting their needs can be complex. Work through your options until you find one that works. Some kids might benefit from reading information; there are a lot of bpoks out there. Others might like to talk, maybe not to you! Others may only talk to you.
My four are highly resistant to talking to counsellors. Two tried. One didn't like it and gave it up, the other has grudgingly persisted. She's 10. I tell her it's good to keep your options open to have someone outside the family to talk to.
All the best, K xox