Caring for a seriously ill child
Caring for a seriously ill child
Caring for a seriously ill child can be one of life's most distressing experiences. If your child has a terminal illness, emotions can be overwhelming and even carrying out everyday tasks may seem daunting. Moreover, the idea that your child has only a limited number of days or months left to live may mean that you will want to spend all your time with them, at the cost of your relationships with your partner or your other children. However, with high levels of professional care, and help from the right support groups, caring for a terminally ill child can be made a more manageable process and you may be able to cope better.
To begin with, it's important to be as honest as possible with your child about their illness. This may require a huge amount of patience and the ability to explain your child's sickness to them repeatedly and in detail. If you have brought your child up within a religious tradition, it may be helpful to refer to spiritual guidance to help them - and yourself - deal with the emotional effects of the illness. However, it's important to remember that it's ok to admit you don't have all the answers. Admitting you're not sure why something happens is preferable to simply lying to your child to assuage their feelings.
The emotional reactions of a seriously ill child will vary between different patients - an older child, for example, may have a better idea of the possible consequences of an illness, while a younger child may require more explanation. As a result, you should use your instincts when discussing the consequences of illness with your child. It may be possible, for instance, to talk about death with a 12 year old but more challenging to broach the subject with a 6 year old. If you're really unsure how to tackle the subject, your doctor may be able to help or point you in the direction of an appropriate support group.
Indeed, professional help can hugely aid the practical and emotional experience of caring for a seriously ill child. A well-equipped, high quality hospital for children will not only aim to provide the best treatment possible but also offer emotional support for patients and their families. Parents and relatives may also find the communal atmosphere of a hospital comforting, and it may provide an ideal place to get support and advice from other families who are going through the same experience.
In the end, it's important for people caring for terminally ill children to acknowledge that they need some emotional support too. Attending a support group run by the hospital during their illness and a bereavement group after your child has passed away could provide essential reassurance and ease the isolation that such a deeply upsetting experience can cause parents to feel. Child Labour still a curse! You Don't Have to Give Up Kids to Have a Successful Career Gossip Girl Season 4 Episode 18 :: The Kids Stay in the Picture Preparing your Child Academically for College Safe In The Sun: Keeping Children Safe As Summer Approaches Who Will Stand Up For The Children? Three sorts Of adult toys Fifthteen Guidelines to Avoid Being a Victim of Fraud Must Have Books For Your Children Young Children And Divorce -Some Wholesome Consequences of Separation Concerning Your Kids Young Children And Divorce -A number of Beneficial Effects of Separation Concerning Your Youngsters How to Help Children Become Active Readers Intuitive Child Raising