Helping Children When a Family Member or Someone They Know Has Cancer

When children learn that a family member or someone they know has cancer,  it can be upsetting and confusing for them. Here we will try to help you understand what children might be thinking and feeling, how to talk to them, and share some ideas on how you may be able to help them through this time.

When a family member or someone they know has cancer, children might go through periods of uncertainty. When they lose a loved one to cancer, children of all ages go through grief, sadness, and despair, even though the process might look different from that in adults. Learn how to help children cope with changes in their lives and how to cope with the death of a loved one.