Empowering your child
Whether your child is a toddler or a teen, chronic illness will require that she depends on you more than she did before, and she may feel a sense of loss of autonomy. It is difficult to find control in many aspects of her life with a chronic illness. Giving your child choices will help empower her and renew her sense of control and mastery.
For the toddler, choices may include what to wear, what to eat and when to take a bath. The school age child can make more sophisticated choices such as who will accompany them to the clinic, which homework assignment will be done first, and what technique will be utilized for pain control during procedures.
Adolescents (and older school age children) should be encouraged to make choices about their health care, leading to becoming part of the team making health care decisions. Your hospital may have a copy of rights for pediatric patients and parents. Request a copy, and see if there are other ways your child and you may become empowered in the health care setting.
Skills List
- Learn about your child’s illness and treatment
- Commmunicate openly with your children
- Help your child learn to cope with life changes
- Help your other children, spouse and extended family cope
- Prepare your child for procedures and hospitalization
- Maintain as much normalcy as possible
- Set limits, and provide discipline
- Continue normal expectations for your child
- Communicate with your child’s school
- Help your child explain the illness to others
- Accept help graciously
- Empower your child
- Help your child find a buddy with the same illness
- Handle (unsolicited) advice
- Take care of yourself
For more information, please contact:
Kathy Davis, MSEd, PhD
kdavis2@kumc.edu
(913) 588-6305