Talking to your child Behaving normally does not mean pretending that nothing serious is happening. Perhaps one of the hardest parts of caring for a child with cancer is knowing how to talk to him about it. Answering questions honestly is best, and although some children do not ask questions, this does not mean that they do not want the answers. They will be frightened and uncertain of many things. For younger children, separation from their parents is a major fear and they need reassurance that this will not happen.
Older children are more frightened of pain .
It can be helpful to reassure them that effective pain control is almost always possible. Doctors and nurses will be happy to explain how this can be managed and to reassure your child. Everyone will be worried and therefore under considerable stress. Parents often find it hard to express their grief and fears to each other with the result that they bottle up their feelings, become tense and quarrel more than usual. If you can, try and talk to each other as openly as possible.