Little one,
I knew of a little boy who was around 5 years, who lived right down my street. He was happy, playful
and loved to talk. That changed one day. I asked him what happened, and he said “Mama has
cancer, and I don’t know what to do!” “I don’t want her to die” He could not stop crying
while telling me this.
Some of you, who are reading this, would be feeling the same way. You just got the news
that your parent has cancer. For some of you, it’s not new, but you are trying to deal with it in
your own way. For a lot of you, this would be the first time hearing the word ‘cancer.’ Your
parents never talked about cancer, and you don’t know anyone in your family who had it, but
you knew it was bad. This article will help you in understanding things about cancer a little
better.
You would have heard a lot of big scary words like ‘chemotherapy’, ‘radiation’, and
‘relapse’. That’s a lot for your little self to take in. At the same time, everyone would be
telling you to be a big girl, be a big boy and help your mom and dad as much as you can.
A lot of thoughts would be running through your head like
“Why did mom have to get cancer?”
“I don’t want dad to die”
You would have seen your parent having hair fall, being very tried, always sleeping and
going to the hospital a lot of times for their treatment. It makes you angry and sad seeing
them this way. You can’t spend a lot of time with them; some things at home have changed
and you are not able to understand why.
Little one, I understand why you are angry and sad. I understand why you feel your mom or
dad getting cancer is not fair. Sometimes bad things like cancer happen and there is no
explanation for that, but you can change the way you think about your parent’s cancer.
Here are some ways you can do that:
1. Be positive: How you look at things is very important. Yes, your parent has cancer
and it is something heart wrenching, but look at this way, rather than constantly
thinking about it, see how you can help your parent and be there for them. When
things get too hard, take a deep breath and know that you don’t have to always have it
together. Find happy moments during your day and think about those. Make your day
enjoyable and fun for yourself.
2. Talk: If you find it hard to make sense of your parent’s diagnosis, talk to someone
about it. If your parents aren’t available, reach out to other loved ones. Do not keep
things inside of you. Try to talk it out with someone as much as you can.
3. Stay Active: Take time for yourself. Do things which make you happy. Take walks,
bike rides, attend games with your friends or even go to a park.
Little one, you may notice your parents spending less time than usual with you due to their
illness. Go to them and tell them your fears and worries. You are in no way burdening them.
They still very much love you and want nothing to change between you and them. Let them
know how much you love them and most importantly do not beat yourself over your parent’s
illness.
You are loved and cherished!
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