How to Help Kids Talk to Their Friends About Their Parent's Cancer
Kids affected by a parent's cancer have friends and classmates with ‘healthy’ parents. Those friends are an important source of support and companionship. No matter how hard they try, those friends might not ‘get’ what it feels like for kids whose parents have cancer.
How can you help your kids tap into their friends and share their own needs when their parent has cancer? Here are three ways you can help your kids:
Help them create THEIR narrative. What are they comfortable sharing? How do they want to tell their story?
Identify what isn't helpful. What bothers them? What topics do they prefer not to talk about?
Practice communicating what they need together. Consider writing things down, sharing with you, or talking to relatives and siblings about their needs first.
Here are some examples of what this can look like:
"My mom has cancer. It's helpful if we just focus on playing. I will tell you if I want to talk about it."
"My dad died last year from cancer. It's okay to talk about your dad. I also like to talk about mine. It helps me keep his memory alive."
Want to learn more about how talking about cancer can support your kids through a parent's cancer diagnosis?
Check out our schedule for upcoming webinars by to support parents navigating cancer led by our expert team. You can also order your free Pickles Family Cancer Support Kit, and enroll your kids in our peer-to-peer programs for kids affected by their parent’s cancer.
