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How do i explain to my wee boy who's 8 about whats eventually going to happen to his Dad when things get really bad.

Callzy75
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Struggling to keep it together when I think about the impact the situation will have on my wee boy, he's only 8 and a sensitive little boy , how does my wife and I go about explaining things that are definitely eventually going to happen

  • Hi Callzy, 

    Talking about dying can be extremely difficult, especially with young children, but I hope this information we have about supporting children when someone is dying and leaving behind important memories will help you and your wife when the time comes.

    I'm sure some of our members will offer their thoughts and advice to you soon as well, but as I mentioned in my reply on your other post, do feel free to give our cancer nurses a call if you'd like to discuss any of this further as they really will do all that they can to help.

    Kind regards,

    Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

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    My partner got his stage 4 diagnosis 2 years ago when one of our kids was 8 and the other 5. What I've found is that comprehension isn't immediate. Not for us, but especially not for them. There's what the disease is and what the disease will do and the fact we don't know when. We've skirted the details as we don't know how it will play out but over the last couple of years our kids have come to us with questions when they're ready. I think the TV dramatisations of conveying this kind of information doesn't prepare you for the fact that a lot of people, not just kids, take a few tellings for it to sink in.

    I'm sorry you're in this position x

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    My wife’s mother was terminally ill and my wife said that she left a small box for her, with letters for milestones, telling her what had happened, and ways to stay happy. If this works for you, try it!

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