Handle advice from others appropriately
Often many well-meaning friends and extended family members
offer you (the parents)
unsolicited advice about how you should handle your child's treatment
differently (e.g., they disagree with the physician's advice). Frequently this is done while
you are in the uncomfortable position of accepting their much-needed help.
The best way to handle this is to thank these people for
their concern and then explain that since you know
all the specifics of your child's medical status, you
will make the medical decisions based
on consultation with your child's health care providers.
Skill 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