From the article: How to Tell Your Children That You Have Cancer
Sharing your cancer diagnosis with adult friends and family is difficult, but even more heart wrenching is discussing your diagnosis with your child. Are you a parent with cancer? How did you tell your child? Share your tips for talking to your child about a cancer diagnosis and read other reader's responses for ideas. Share Your Tips
Telling our Child you Have Cancer
- When my cousin Nanci Hersh was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 43, she did not know how to tell her 3 and 5 year old boys. So, as a teacher of young children, I wrote the words for her and sent them to her via email. Six years later those words are helping children all over the world, as Nanci and I wrote and published a book, Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings - When someone you love has cancer.... a hopeful, helpful book for kids. While the voice is that of a little boy trying to understand his mom's newly diagnosed cancer (breast cancer is not mentioned since we wanted it to be about any kind of cancer), children dealing with the cancer of anyone they love truly "get it." Nanci herself became the artist of our book. Here images are magnificently real and tender. To learn more about the book, please visit our website at www.butterflykissesbook.com.
- —Ellenmcv
MOM do you have Cancer?
- My daughter was 25 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.She kind of reacted similar to the time, when she was 7 and I had to tell her daddy is not going to live with us any more.It was more of a shock, but something we both had dealt with before, with other relatives.I could not tell her I had my BRCA tests done and she was at risk for cancer in her lifetime.Since she is now 28 she has had as many tests as she can at this age but there is always that fear!
- —Guest Mokie
Talked with School Counselor
- I didn't think I could tell my daughter on my own. I needed help to find the right words. I didnt't want to scare her, so I asked the school guidance counselor for help. We all sat down together and talked to my daughter about my illness. It was nice because she was comfortable at school and knew the counselor already, and I had professional advice, but also a support person that my daughter could go to.
- —Guest Kevin
