Teenagers: They can understand pretty much everything about your illness and treatments and may want lots of details. Teenagers may react with anger or they may distance themselves. Then again, generally that’s how they react to everything. If they don’t want to discuss their feelings with you, suggest that they speak with another family member or a friend. If your kids are likely to do their own research about cancer on the Internet, ask them to show you what they find, as there’s a lot of misinformation and crazy stuff out there that does not apply to your particular case.
There are several books that help kids cope with a parent’s cancer, and you may want to bring some home for your kids to read, or for you to read aloud to your younger kids. Here are some books that may help you, but browse your local bookstore or Amazon.com as well:
When A Parent Has Cancer: A Guide to Caring for Your Children by Wendy Harpham, $26, Harper Collins. Writtten by a doctor and mother of three who had non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
The Paper Chain by Claire Blake, Eliza Blanchard, Kathy Parkinson, $8.95, Health Press, a picture book for school-age children about a family where the mother gets breast cancer.
Above all, focus on keeping the paths of communication open with your children, regardless of their ages. Your own health is a main priority, but your kids still need you.
The First 48 Hours | Questions for Your Doctor | Breaking the News to Your Children | Telling Your Friends and Co-Workers | Ten Common Myths
