What Should A Child With A Sick Father Know? – Being Parents

Preserving health is everyone’s job, but sometimes illnesses arise without our anticipation. Today terrible diseases have developed, so many families have been shattered by this unexpected situation. But how do children react to the illness of one of their parents? What should we tell the child in these cases? One of the main concerns of parents is to be able to remain able to care for their child forever. But when a disease does arise, it occurs unceremoniously. The fact that a parent is sick represents a serious break in the family dynamic and we never know how children can react to this situation. Butin these cases hardly anyone knows what to do because you must have been through something like this to know how to act. However, specialists can offer you solutions to deal with these circumstances and you can also learn from the experiences of other families.

Faced with the father’s illness, what should the child know?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15066804@N00/65922092 Parents are always concerned about the well-being of their children ; as childhood passes, we devote ourselves entirely to protecting them and giving them the best. But we almost never show the same interest for us – very, health can thus be broken. Likewise, we know that health problems don’t always prevent or forgive anyone. That is why it is advisable to train children with solid moral foundations and also to guide them with basic survival tools in special cases. But what to do when we are already faced with this problem? How to deal with the illness of the father or mother with the child? To get closer to the correct answer, we can start by following these tips:

• The first thing we need to do is talk to them sincerely because they will notice the changes and it is unfair for us to tell them that everything is fine. Tell them their father is sick and use real words ; that is, you should call the disease by name and ask it to ask you any questions that come to mind.
• To continue this task, we need to know what is the child’s level of knowledge on the subject. Ask him what he has heard, what he understands and what he knows about the disease.
• Eliminate any misunderstanding. It is better if the child has many clear details. While we don’t want to overwhelm them too much with this situation, we have to be concerned that they are aware of everything they are seeing.
• One of the basic aspects is to explain to them the causes and consequences of the disease. In this difficult time, children often come to blame themselves for the illness of their loved ones. They may think they have infected them or will avoid approaching them to infect them.

• If unfortunately this was a disease with extreme symptoms and physical changes very noticeable, it is important for children to be aware of the situation, as it is not advisable to shock them. For example, seeing their father suddenly very skinny or with a particular sign can be traumatic if they had not seen him in this state before.

• It is advisable to respect children’s feelings at all times. Children have different emotions, which they do not yet fully master. This is why it is normal for them to react with fear, annoyance and even indifference, but we must be tolerant and positive about their attitude.

• Taking solidarity action can promote faster acceptance. We can write a “you will get well soon” card or prepare a fruit basket that he can take to his sick father; the important thing is that the child shows his solidarity and feels that he is contributing in one way or another.
• Either way, you will have to give them hope that his father will recover or not hide from them candidly about the possibility that the situation may get worse. In this specific case, it would be very helpful not to instill false beliefs in her, as an unexpected result could affect the child’s confidence.

Above all, it is advisable to take advantage of all the spaces so that the children value the family ; it is important to stay together and take care of each other. Family members can help them develop or maintain healthy habits so they understand that good health also depends on each of us.