• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • About
  • Shop
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

teach mama logo

teach mama

helps families connect & build bridges between home & school, by amy mascott

  • early literacy
    • alphabet
    • beginning sounds
    • phonics
    • phonological awareness
    • read-aloud learning
    • rhyming
    • sight words
  • reading
    • books
    • comprehension
      • activating schema
      • connecting
      • inferring
      • predicting
      • questioning
      • retelling / summarizing
      • visualizing
    • concepts of print
    • environmental print
    • fluency
    • non-fiction
    • spelling
    • word building
    • word consciousness
    • vocabulary
  • writing
    • creative writing
    • grammar
    • informative writing
    • tripod grip
  • math
    • computation
    • counting
    • numbers
  • science
    • animals
    • plants
    • science experiments for kids
  • Activities
    • birthdays
    • cooking
      • new for us foods
    • crafts
    • foundations
      • colors
      • critical thinking
      • fine arts
      • listening
      • pretend play
      • sorting
      • speaking
    • holidays
      • new year’s
      • valentine’s day
      • president’s day
      • st. patrick’s day
      • april fool’s day
      • easter
      • mother’s day
      • teacher appreciation
      • father’s day
      • july 4th
      • halloween
      • thanksgiving
      • christmas
    • family life
      • family fun
      • giving back
      • lunchbox love notes
      • school
    • indoor activities
    • outdoor activities
  • digital literacy
    • computer time
    • iPad for learning
  • early literacy
    • alphabet
    • beginning sounds
    • phonics
    • phonological awareness
    • read-aloud learning
    • rhyming
    • sight words
  • reading
    • books
    • comprehension
      • activating schema
      • connecting
      • inferring
      • predicting
      • questioning
      • retelling / summarizing
      • visualizing
    • concepts of print
    • environmental print
    • fluency
    • non-fiction
    • spelling
    • word building
    • word consciousness
    • vocabulary
  • writing
    • creative writing
    • grammar
    • informative writing
    • tripod grip
  • math
    • computation
    • counting
    • numbers
  • science
    • animals
    • plants
    • science experiments for kids
  • Activities
    • birthdays
    • cooking
      • new for us foods
    • crafts
    • foundations
      • colors
      • critical thinking
      • fine arts
      • listening
      • pretend play
      • sorting
      • speaking
    • holidays
      • new year’s
      • valentine’s day
      • president’s day
      • st. patrick’s day
      • april fool’s day
      • easter
      • mother’s day
      • teacher appreciation
      • father’s day
      • july 4th
      • halloween
      • thanksgiving
      • christmas
    • family life
      • family fun
      • giving back
      • lunchbox love notes
      • school
    • indoor activities
    • outdoor activities
  • digital literacy
    • computer time
    • iPad for learning
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

new for us friday: when talking to kids about cancer

home / Activities / foundations / listening / new for us friday: when talking to kids about cancer
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

This New For Us Friday I’m sharing a little something new to me and a little something new for all of the Yahoo! Mother Board Members: Yahoo! Shine and our October blog topic, Breast Cancer Awareness.

Shine is a place where women can find the latest information and advice from experts and the Yahoo! community on parenting, health, fashion, healthy living, and almost any other topic of interest to women. Shine has been around for a bit now, but what’s new is the way that the Yahoo Mother Board is working with Shine–we’ve got our own Yahoo! Mother Board page.

In honor and recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, several of us wrote about the topic, and our posts are shared on the site. Because I personally think the topic is just that important, my post (written originally on teach mama blog on shine) has been re-posted below:

Talking to Kids About Cancer–5 Things to Keep in Mind

  • How much does a 5 year-old–or a 15 year-old–need to know about a family member’s diagnosis?
  • Should you bare all of the facts or try to gloss over cancer information with children?
  • Is it better to wait or share information immediately?
  • Does it really matter if a child knows the truth about a diagnosis or not?
  • Exactly what words, phrases, or terms are best to use with children?

Although it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, breast cancer is a disease that deserves more than just one month of “special” pink, star-studded attention. Too many of my friends and family members have been affected by breast cancer–spirits ravished, bodies destroyed, families forever changed–that it’s high time to put some serious money into research, research into practice, and practice into finding treatments that will ultimately lead to a cure. Until then, many, many children will be touched by breast cancer–and cancer in every other form.

So how do we talk to kids about cancer? What are the best ways of approaching a subject that for years was brushed aside, not even spoken out loud, and still carries with it such uncertainty and fear that many adults don’t know how to handle it themselves? There’s certainly no ‘correct’ way, but I’ve done a lot of reading and research which brought me to five general guidelines.

Here are 5 things to keep in mind when talking to kids about cancer:

1. A child’s age will determine exactly how much information to share and how much they will understand. Little ones, 3-5 years old, are able to handle only a fraction of the information that a teenager can, so especially if there are mixed ages of children in a family, age must be a consideration when sharing news about a cancer diagnosis. That means that time needs to be set aside for each individual child to talk with an adult about a diagnosis so to attend to each child’s cognitive ability is taken into consideration.

2. Kids need to know the facts. No matter what age, children should be told four things: 1. the name of the cancer; 2. the part of the body that is affected; 3. how the cancer will be treated; 4. how their lives will be affected. They need to be kept up to date with age-appropriate information throughout the course of treatment.

3. The language we use carries a ton of weight. Only using the word ‘sick’ might make children think that they can catch cancer, that it is contagious. For this reason, it is important to use the words ‘disease’ and ‘cancer’ along with whatever other words your child can handle from the American Cancer Society’s list of words to describe cancer and its treatment.

4. Children need constant support and time for processing. Kids need to know that the cancer is not their fault and that they are in no way responsible for a loved one getting cancer. They need to know that they will be taken care of during this challenging time and always. Repeat these facts with clarity and with frequency. And understanding that the way kiddos process heavy information like this may manifest itself in acting out, isolation, or just unusual behavior, so adults need to be aware.

5. There’s a wealth of information out there–find it and use it. More detailed guides for parents are available, and many are incredibly well designed. Books, coloring pages, pamphlets, and websites can help cancer become a familiar topic in your family (with the understanding that everything need to be done in moderation). Local support groups, school counselors, and trained social service professionals are ready and willing to provide families with connections to the resources they need, so there’s no reason to walk this uncertain road alone.

I’ve read dozens of documents over the past few weeks trying to gather information for this post. Many thanks to the following sites for providing me with the majority of resources:

  • American Cancer Society: Helping children when a family member has cancer–dealing with diagnosis
  • Cancercare.org: Talking to your kids about your diagnosis
  • University of Michigan: Talking with kids about a loved one’s cancer
  • NYU Cancer Institute: Straight talk to kids–how to talk to kids about cancer
  • Caring4Cancer: Talking with children and grandchildren about cancer

And thank you to author Neyal Ammary-Risch for allowing me to use an image from her text, In Mommy’s Garden, a fantastic book on talking to children about cancer, for this post.

fyi: I found inspiration for this post from several of my close friends currently battling breast cancer. In particular, I thank my good friend Susan who is one of the most amazing, talented, intelligent women I know and who is currently undergoing treatment for inflammatory breast cancer. Thank you, Susan and many others, for being models of strength and beauty during your most difficult times.

You May Also Like...

  • help kids focus and relax with the buddha board
    help kids focus and relax with the buddha board
  • strategies for handling sad, tragic news--as a family
    strategies for handling sad, tragic news--as a family
  • how to prepare your child for kindergarten -- summertime prep
    how to prepare your child for kindergarten -- summertime prep

About amy mascott

teacher, mother, dreamer. lover of literacy, fun learning, good food, and three crazy-cool kids. finder of four-leaf clovers | dc metro ยท http://about.me/amymascott
tweet with me: @teachmama

Previous Post: « 20 fun ways to learn spelling words fun ways to learn spelling words
Next Post: super easy, super spooky halloween treats super easy halloween treats »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elle Belles Bows

    October 23, 2010 at 4:48 pm

    Great post! It is sad that so many of us need to have this talk in our families. Thanks for giving ideas to make it easier. I will definitely pass it along to friends! Kerri

    Reply
  2. Anonymous

    October 24, 2010 at 10:03 pm

    Thanks for this post. Unfortunately, Cancer is a part of our lives and a part of many conversations we are having with our 4 yo. I appreciate any good-hearted info!ca

    Reply
  3. toddlerplanet

    October 27, 2010 at 1:12 pm

    I thought this was awesome! I'm posting a link to this one and the one on Shine on Thursday.

    Reply
  4. Melissa Taylor

    October 28, 2010 at 4:58 pm

    I wrote an article inspired by my friend on how to support a mom friend with cancer – it's on Babble here: http://www.babble.com/mom/health-fitness/breast-cancer-awareness-support-mothers-with-cancer/
    More than anything, it's so important to take care of those kiddos! Then the mom can focus on herself and her recovery.

    Thanks for this post!

    Meliss

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sidebar

our books & freebies

setting the stage for rock-star readers
raise a reader
amy mascott profile blog
subscribe teachmama

join the coolest club around:

Find Us On Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Helpful Links

  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Follow Us On Instagram

View
Open
Itโ€™s absolutely true. 
100%
#Facts

<<Not sure exactly where this image originated. Will credit once I find out.>>

#MyBodyMyChoice #KeepYourLawsOffMyBody
View
Open
My favorite little spot to lay out the mat = โ˜€๏ธ๐ŸŒŠ๐Ÿงœ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ

Use an emoji to tell me yours. 

remember: it doesnโ€™t matter what you do as long as you move your body in some way each day. Total game changer. Promise. 

For me, walking the ๐Ÿ•โ€๐Ÿฆบ๐Ÿถ and ๐Ÿง˜๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธare daily non-negotiables for my physical AND mental health. 

I do the @melissawoodhealth videos each day, and her upbeat, casual attitude, variety of low-impact strengthening workouts, and reminders to just keep coming back are key. 

#KeepComingBack #WeGotThis #TalkAboutMentalHealth #MWH #MoveYourBody
View
Open
Tell me itโ€™s summertime without telling me itโ€™s summertime. โ˜€๏ธ๐Ÿšฒ

#SummerSwimTeam #SweetRides #neighborhoodkids #MarylandLife #ThisIsSummer #tanterratarpons
View
Open
Did you get it? 

Have to ask because there just *may* be a secret surprise giveaway for some of you lucky ๐Ÿฆ† ๐Ÿฆ†๐Ÿฆ†

Join now: https://take5.teachmama.com/

#TeachmamaTake5  #iykyk #Take5 #BestoftheWeb #familyfun #educatornews #linkinbio
View
Open
This book is SO different from any other I have read in the recent past, and itโ€™s something that is both refreshing and hopeful. 

My friend @techninjatodd wanted to put out a book that would be a source of hope, a reminder that we are not alone. A testament to the fact that every season of life matters. 

And so, In This Season: Words From the Heart was born, with help from the amazing @apron_education @allylee21 @writtentospeak @omar2764

โ„๏ธโ„๏ธโ„๏ธโ„๏ธ

Life is full of seasons.

Each of us has endured the cold of winter, the growth of spring, the light of summer, and the change of fall. Weโ€™ve climbed to the mountaintops and been deep in the valley.

In This Season: Words for the Heart takes the emotions we feel deep within and puts them into words. The pages of this book invite you to reflect and lean in as you continue through season after season.

๐ŸŒธ๐ŸŒธ๐ŸŒธ๐ŸŒธ

Check this book out, friends. It is worth your time, and it is the perfect book for busy educators to pick up, read a few pages over a quick cup of coffee before the day begins or as you kick up your feet at the end of the day. 

It feels like a quiet conversation with a close friend or dear colleague. Important topics are touched on which remind us that our feelings and thoughts and insecurities are often not as unusual as we may think. Rather, these ups and downs of life are a shared experience that couldโ€”and should!โ€”be shared more frequently and openly. The reminder that we are not alone could not come at a more pivotal time for all of us; in the past two years, we have been reminded that life is short but that seasons change. Letโ€™s make the most of what we have!

Thank you, Todd, LaNesha, Tanner, and Alice for starting this conversation. 

โ˜€๏ธโ˜€๏ธโ˜€๏ธโ˜€๏ธ

Grab it here: https://amzn.to/3O4jMqN

And do follow these great writers, educators, and thought leaders. 

๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ

#InThisSeason #linkinbio #newrelease #whatimreading #beachreads #teacherauthor #mustreadbooks
View
Open
What better time than NEXT WEEK to have the biggest and baddest sale of summer 
โ˜€๏ธ๐Ÿš๐ŸŒด๐ŸŒŠ?!

WOOO-hoooooo!

Stay tuned for more: 
zulily.gfpv.net/teachmama

#zulilyfinds #zulilypartner #zulilywowweek #teachmamadealsandsteals
View
Open
THANK YOU @reallygreatreading for the 2-part 6-hr workshop, Bringing the โ€˜Science of Readingโ€™ to Life in the Classroomโ€”

This program is amazing, life-changing, and exciting. I cannot wait to use these strategies and program with my students this summer!

Educators and familiesโ€”check out the resources on this site. Phenomenal. 

Makes me so happy. 

#TeachReading #RaiseAReader #ReallyGreatReading #OnlinePD
View
Open
We have a gun violence crisis in America that kills more than 110 people each day, and itโ€™s past time that the U.S. Senate does something about it.

Call your senators and demand they #DontLookAway from this crisis: 

Text BOLD to 644-33 and @everytown will connect you.

#UseYourVoice #NotOneMore
View
Open
Do you know what culturally responsive teaching looks like? 

Can you imagine what culturally responsive teaching should look like when it comes to our special learners? 

Join me on Monday, June 6 at 8pm ET on Facebook as I chat with educator and founder of @atypicalfamily , *Lisa Quinones* and Special Education Advocate and Lobbyist, *Lisa Lightner* of @lisa.lightner.ig A Day In Our Shoes.

We will be chatting about the impact of culture on students' learning and its implications on the special education classroom.

I cannot wait. It'll be short--but it'll be packed with info. Bring your questions and join us!

Find us here: https://www.facebook.com/teachmama

Thank you to @advancementcourses for bringing us together!

#linkinbio @teAChTeam #culturallyresponsiveteaching #specialeducationteacher

Copyright © 2022 · teach mama media, llc · All Rights Reserved