Read through the techniques with your child and talk with them about the activities that appeal.
Talk about how to use the activities you choose.
Ask your nurse for any help you need to prepare for your chosen activity - for example, you may want a TV, laptop or tablet in the treatment room or games or books your child chooses.
Find out how to support your child before, during and after cancer treatment [1]
Distraction provides an alternative focus to minimise fear and anxiety. You can use any of these to help distract your child:
Allow your child to be involved in some or all of the following.
Speak to your nurse whose making arrangements for the treatment and tell them that your child would like to help with the preparations.
You can check out some information about helping your child manage their treatment. But remember, it's not specifically for children with cancer.
Find out more about helping your child manage their treatment [2]
This technique can be a very helpful approach with some children. It usually needs the help of a hospital play specialist, senior nurse or child psychologist.
The technique allows your child to face whatever they fear in a graded, step by step way. Your child decides the pace so that they associate the feared object with a comfortable emotional state.
Speak to your nurse and say that you and your child are interested and would like to know more.
Your nurse will make all the arrangements necessary.
Read about the importance of play for your child in hospital [3]
The aim is to guide your child to imagine themselves in another place, or doing a chosen activity. Your child is guided by the voice telling the story to see themselves in a place of their choice. Your child has decided on and discussed the place beforehand. It may help to write down a story. Examples are a favourite holiday place, your child's own bedroom, and activities in the playground.
You or a staff member can be the storyteller - or you can play a prerecorded voice during treatment.
Teenagers can use this technique particularly well, and may prefer to have soothing music playing while they take themselves to a 'special place' in their imagination.
Read more about coping with cancer treatment and hospital [4]
All the pages in the childhood cancer section of this website [5] 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.
Email us [6] your feedback
Links
[1] https://kidshealth.org.nz/supporting-your-child-during-and-after-cancer-treatment
[2] https://kidshealth.org.nz/helping-your-child-manage-their-treatment
[3] https://kidshealth.org.nz/importance-play-your-child-hospital
[4] https://kidshealth.org.nz/tags/coping-cancer-treatment-hospital
[5] https://kidshealth.org.nz/tags/childhood-cancer
[6] https://kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fkidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F496%3Flanguage%3Dton