Receiving a cancer diagnosis is definitely hard, but what's even harder for a parent is telling about your condition to your kids. Nevertheless, as a parent, you know that you need to tell your kids about your cancer at some point.
Hence, breast cancer survivor Ann Marie Otis from CureDiva.com shared her tips with Parenting. Here is her advice for the parents suffering from cancer who have kids ages 4-12:
a year ago today my mom was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. she told cancer f-you, & beat that crap. love you mommy❤️ pic.twitter.com/M0d6vYoqux
— meglovin' (@megan_mollett) Marso 10, 2016
Tell your children about your cancer and just let them yell.
Otis said it's okay to bend some house rules and allow your kids to express themselves in their own way like let them use their own naughty words to express their feelings. She said letting your children react in his way will allow him to release all of his anger that was building up inside him.
Pick a good spot to share your cancer with your kids.
"They need familiar surroundings when you tell them you have cancer, so they can relate and find comfort," Otis said. Hence, you need to think of a comforting environment if you're planning to tell your kids about your cancer. Moreover, think of a perfect place where both of you won't be disturbed while having the conversation.
Friends, tomorrow my mom continues with her cancer treatment by having a complex surgery k… https://t.co/UbrC0fJXgl pic.twitter.com/4pbvpszehb — Robert Jason Coyle (@RJasonCoyle) Marso 4, 2016
Prepare your kids for your cancer battle.
Otis said your kids might have a hard time watching you with your battle, especially with your raw scar and stitches. That's why parents need to talk to their kids about what they're going through because the more you talk about it, "the more it takes the scary out of the situation for your kids," she explained.
"Keep it simple, to their language, and let them lead it," Otis suggested. "Then it comes natural." For instance, you can ask your child if he can draw an image of you.
When he is done, you can ask if you can add something to his drawing, if he agreed, you can draw a scar on the image. Then, you can explain in a few days you will have the same scar after going through a surgery, so your child won't be worry or scared for your health if he will see raw stitches to your body.
