Parenting a Child with Cancer

A Departmental Honors Project by Margaret Armstrong

Taking Care of Your Child How having cancer will affect your child Childhood Even young children have vivid recollections of their disease and treatments many years later Children may not initially understand the medical terminology, so they will interpret how they are supposed to feel by how they perceive others emotions Adolescence Increased understanding of cancer and the threats it poses Developmentally already a time of heightened sensitivity to perceived differences in appearance and capabilities Adolescents rate social support from family consistently higher than support from friends or school staff Possible academic limitations have impact on self-esteem Male adolescents report lower levels of anxiety and hopelessness than females Heightened risk of infertility during this time period Increased chance of relapse for this age group Phases of Cancer The illness course is not always linear, it is a rollercoaster filled with peaks and ebbs as progress is made and lost. Diagnostic Phase Most stressful period encountered Predominant emotional responses of shock, anger, denial, grief and desperation Initiation of Treatment

Sense of relief but with guarded optimism Theres a shift of attention and resources towards coping with demands of aggressive treatment which causes temporary distraction from cancers long-term implications

Illness Stabilization Family functions and routines have opportunity to normalize Hope of cure despite uncertainty of recurrence Remission Anxiety for parents and patient from memories of treatment experience Fear of recurrence

Challenges and Changes to Parenting Limitations on family and social functioning Decreased attention to personal needs Financial strain and stress due to medical bills Role reversal between spouses based on knowledge of medical care Siblings Reactions may include:

Feelings of neglect, anger, fear, sadness Jealousy over the attention and shift of family focus to the childpatient. Alienation Difficulty communicating needs and concerns because some information may not be disclosed Experience stress from assuming increased responsibility with daily routines while having frequent separations from parents Siblings may have a hurried emotional development, which they may look back upon as having grown up too soon. Taking Care of Your Family Cancer threatens to separate the patient from family members, both emotionally and physically Secure family relationships protect the family from the destructive threats on the psychological adjustment of family members and on the family life course Readjustment and finding a new normal are crucial for necessary family adjustment and future functioning Taking Care of Yourself as a Parent The uncertainty and loss of control over life and death matters concerning their child are complicated by feelings of responsibility, guilt and magical thinking. It is common for parents to pay decreased attention to their personal needs Communication and mutual support from both parents is essential

Clawson, J. A., (1996). A child with chronic illness and the process of family adaptation. Journal of Pediatric Nursing. 11(1):52-61. Helseth, S., & Ulfseat, N. (2005). Parenting experiences during cancer. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 52(1):38-46. Holden, G. W. (2010). Parenting: A dynamic perspective. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers. Meireis, K. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://kentmeireisphotography.com /blog/archives/1185 Mercer, M., & Richie, J. A., (1997). Tag team parenting of children with cancer. Journal of Pediatric Nursing. 12(6): 331-341. Pyke-Grimm, K. A., Stewart, J. L., Kelly, K. P., & Degner, L. F. (2006). Parents of children with cancer: Factors influencing their treatment decision making roles. Journal of Pediatric Nursing. 21(5):350-361. Suinn, R. M., & VandenBos, G. R. (1999).Cancer patients and their families: readings on disease course, coping, and psychological interventions. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Wells, D. K., James, K., Stewart, J. L., et al. (2002). The care of my child with cancer: A new instrument to measure caregiving demand in parents of children with cancer. Journal of Pediatric Nursing. 17(3):201-210.

Resources Baider, L., Cooper, C. L., & Nour, A. (1996). Cancer and the family. Chichester: Wiley.