Talking to children

Hearing that your child has been diagnosed with blood cancer, or having to tell your child you have been diagnosed, can be one of the hardest things a parent faces.

It is important to try to normalise the process for children by remaining calm and encouraging while numerous tests and investigations are done. LBC has a series of books written from a child’s perspective, including Ben’s Stem Cell Transplant, Jess’ Stem Cell Donation, Joe has Leukaemia and Tom Has Lymphoma, as well as My Guide to Blood Cancer for teenagers.

If you are the one diagnosed, LBC recommends telling your child as soon as possible, before they start to pick up on the kind of changes that might cause them to worry. Give small chunks of key information and avoid over-explaining. The younger a child is, the more ‘‘bite-size’’ the chunks of information need to be. Establish what they think they know, and correct any misunderstandings.

For more information, go to leukaemia.org.nz.