I think some people don’t give the children in their lives enough credit. They think children can’t handle big, hairy topics like cancer. Of course, kids don’t understand it like adults do (not that we really understand it either). But they are able to make some sense out of it.
For example, our son made sense out of it in a way that I only wish I had thought to. My husband wore a purple arm band (purple for Hodgkin’s) during treatment. He wore it on his left arm. His port was placed on his upper right chest. Our son, at the tender age of two, figured out the connection. He knew that he needed to sit on “Daddy’s purple arm side”. He knew that if he hugged Daddy or was picked up on that side then he wouldn’t accidentally bump the port and hurt Daddy.
Cute story, sure. But it makes my point. Children will make sense out of whatever is going on. We were lucky. Our son’s logic was basically sound. But if he had drawn his own conclusions in an inaccurate way, we could have had trouble. This is why I really believe that parents need to communicate with their children about these life situations It’s really the only way to control accuracy and influence attitude.
