It is common for you to feel stress in this situation. You and your child will benefit from being well prepared. Being prepared can help you gain confidence. This positive approach helps to pass on a feeling of security to your child.
Find out how to prepare your child for hospital [1]
Ask your child's nurse to describe the procedure. Ask as many questions as you need to so that you have a clear understanding of what is going to happen and why.
Read to your child in hospital. Check some techniques to help your child cope with their treatment.
Find out more about techniques to help your child with cancer treatment [2]
Select and practice a technique to use with your child.
Separation from you may significantly increase your child's feelings of fear and anxiety about their procedure.
If you are able to remain with your child during the treatment, this is the time to:
Find out how to help your child manage their treatment. But remember, it's not specifically for children with cancer.
Find out how to help your child manage their treatment [3]
Sometimes, parents/caregivers feel unable to remain in the room during a procedure and sometimes, for example in the operating theatre, it is not possible to be present. If that is the case:
Read more about coping with cancer treatment and hospital [4]
Your role during a procedure is to support your child, rather than to help the healthcare professional.
If at all possible, don't become involved in any physical restraint when health professionals are treating your child. An example of physical restraint is holding your child's arm still.
It can be difficult to know what to do and what to say to your child in a clinical environment like a treatment room. Here are some tips that distract focus from the treatment. Others have found that they increase confidence for parents/caregivers, increase a sense of security for children, and minimise feelings of anxiety for both.
You might also find the suggestions about helping your child having procedures and operations helpful. But remember, they're not specifically for children with cancer.
A child's behaviour is their main way of communicating feelings. It is normal for a child to express their anxieties about treatments with anger and frustration.
Tell your child you understand with soothing words and actions. For example, if your child is crying, there is no need to try to stop them or to suggest that it is unacceptable behaviour for a child of their age.
Being with your child immediately after the procedure can be very comforting for them.
If you can, be available to comfort your child immediately after the procedure whether or not you were present during the procedure.
Children will feel and cope better if they know you are not judging them on the basis of their behaviour in a stressful situation.
Tell your child that they did well during the procedure no matter how they behaved.
Reviewing the details of the procedure can clear up misunderstandings and provide information for use on future occasions.
Look back on the procedure and talk about it with your child to encourage them to express feelings.
A reward system, with praise and positive comments from you, lets your child know they successfully achieved the procedure.
You may like to use stars, stamps as achievement earners. Some children like to collect empty medicine cups as evidence of achievement. Remember that they can also collect the Child Cancer Foundation beads of courage for all treatments and procedures.
All the pages in the childhood cancer section of this website [6] have been written by health professionals who work in the field of paediatric oncology. They have been reviewed by the members of the National Child Cancer Network (NZ). Medical information is authorised by the clinical leader of the National Child Cancer Network.
This page last reviewed 10 June 2021.
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Links
[1] https://kidshealth.org.nz/preparing-your-child-hospital
[2] https://kidshealth.org.nz/techniques-help-your-child-cancer-treatment
[3] https://kidshealth.org.nz/helping-your-child-manage-their-treatment
[4] https://kidshealth.org.nz/tags/coping-cancer-treatment-hospital
[5] https://kidshealth.org.nz/painful-procedures-and-operations-how-can-parents-help
[6] https://kidshealth.org.nz/tags/childhood-cancer
[7] https://kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fkidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F448