At this stage, a child understands simple illnesses like a cold, but they don’t grasp diseases like cancer.
What does the child understand?
- At this stage, the child understands simple illnesses like a cold, but they don’t grasp diseases like cancer.
- The child may engage in some fantastical thinking, believing they have done something wrong that caused the cancer.
Child’s behavior and reactions:
- You’ll find the child acting younger than their age, like wetting themselves even if they had previously stopped.
- The child may have bursts of emotions, crying and screaming at short intervals and quite intensely.
- They may show extreme fear and anxiety about being away from their mom or dad.
- They tend to repeat the same question about cancer.
- They play and mimic the way doctors and patients interact.
How to handle the situation?
Help your child understand their treatment better. You can ask the doctor if the child can touch the tools used in their treatment, particularly if there’s something painful like a blood draw or injection. Prepare your child in advance so they aren’t taken by surprise. You might also distract them by giving them a toy to hold or reading them a book or story. You could use stories like “Cinderella” or “Superman.”
