Breast Cancer and the Young Children in Our Lives

After a breast cancer diagnosis, a mother may become overwhelmed with the day-to-day needs of her decision-making and treatment and care along with trying to take care of her other responsibilities to the point where other family members seem to disappear into the background. Most often, this is not a conscious choice that anyone makes. But, when parents do consider what the children should know or be told, they don’t understand what and how much should be shared with their children, especially the very young ones.

“And as a result, the best possible outcome will not only be addressed for the patient but also for the young children who are also affected by a breast cancer diagnosis.”Barbara Jacoby

So, it becomes easier to just ignore the issue and go about daily routines as though nothing has changed.But this is not necessarily the best choice. Children have inquisitive minds and should be considered in the process if at all possible.

Key questions that a child may have:

• Is It My Fault?” Explains that children are not at fault for their parent’s illness
• What Is Cancer?” Provides an overview of the disease
• Can You Catch Cancer?” Teaches children they can’t catch cancer from others
• How Do You Treat Breast Cancer?” Details the treatments for breast cancer, including the side effects of chemotherapy
  4 unique, colorful games

For most of us who are already adults, our parents never would have considered even talking to us if our mothers were diagnosed with breast cancer. But, we knew that something was wrong and we would be scared to death that something bad was happening and maybe our mothers were going to die from whatever was occurring. So we remained quiet and lived in fear on a daily basis. How fortunate we are to be able to have tools available now to help us to help our little ones.

There is never a right or wrong way to handle such a situation because every child is different. However, with a little planning and preparation the best chance for a successful outcome for the child can be achieved. And you might just be surprised at how resilient a child may be when he/she is included in the discussions. Feeling like they count and knowing that someone is there to help them can make all of the difference.

You may want to address this issue with your medical team as it is most likely you are not the first one who needs help in deciding what to do in this situation. With some help and answers you may find a peace of mind about this issue. And as a result, the best possible outcome will not only be addressed for the patient but also for the young children who are also affected by a breast cancer diagnosis.