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| Preface | |
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| Acknowledgments | |
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| How Young Children Understand Illness | |
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| Infancy and Toddler Years | |
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| Preschool Children (Ages Three to Six) | |
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| Elementary School Years (Ages Seven to Twelve) | |
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| How Older Children Understand Illness | |
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| Adolescence | |
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| Late Adolescence and Early Adulthood | |
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| New Diagnosis: Organizing Your Support System | |
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| Gather Medical Information | |
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| Use Familiar Caregivers and Routines | |
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| Ask Your Child's Friends' Parents to Help | |
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| Designate a "Minister of Information" | |
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| Designate a "Captain of Kindness" | |
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| Delegate Mundane Tasks | |
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| Help Your Helpers with Schedules, Lists, and Labels | |
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| Ask Older Children What They Need Help With | |
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| Take One Day at a Time | |
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| Maintaining a Child's Daily Schedule and Family Routine | |
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| Reestablishing Normalcy | |
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| Your Child's Daily Schedule | |
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| Your Family Routine | |
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| When Your Child Wants to Be Everywhere but Home | |
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| Parents Living in Different Households | |
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| Sharing Your Home | |
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| Different Children, Different Families, Different Needs | |
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| Communicating with Your Child About the Illness | |
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| Everyone Deserves to Know What Is Going On | |
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| Talking About a New Diagnosis or a Change in Your Medical Condition | |
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| Welcome and Explore Your Child's Questions | |
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| Communication in Multicultural Households | |
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| How to Help Other Adults Talk with Your Child About the Illness | |
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| If Your Child Asks, "Are You Going to Die?" | |
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| Religious and Spiritual Beliefs | |
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| What Does My Child Really Want to Know? | |
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| If Your Progress Is Uncertain | |
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| If It Is Likely That You Will Die Within the Next Few Weeks | |
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| Guiding Principles | |
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| Different Childhood Coping Styles | |
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| Easy and Difficult Temperaments | |
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| Knowing Temperamental Style Helps Parents Anticipate and Plan | |
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| You Are Already the Expert on Your Child | |
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| Let Your Child Know You Notice Things That Are Hard for Him or Her | |
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| Four Types of Children Who Worry Parents Most | |
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| The Bottom Line | |
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| How Your Symptoms Affect Your Children | |
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| Fatigue | |
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| Pain | |
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| Concentration Problems and Memory Loss | |
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| Difficulty Expressing Yourself | |
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| Changes in Appearance | |
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| Lowered Immunity | |
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| Difficulty Controlling Anger | |
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| Dealing with Other Symptoms | |
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| Helping the School Support Your Child | |
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| Pick a Point Person | |
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| Keep the Focus on the Child | |
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| Check in with Your Child About School Events | |
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| Adjust Expectations for Schoolwork When Necessary | |
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| Find Out About Your Child's Curriculum | |
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| Hospital Visits | |
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| Prepare in Advance | |
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| During the Visit | |
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| After the Visit | |
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| Times When Visits Are Best Avoided | |
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| When a Child Doesn't Want to Visit | |
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| Alternatives to a Visit in Person | |
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| Visits at the End of Life | |
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| Financial and Legal Considerations | |
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| Don't Put Off Financial and Legal Planning | |
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| Your Expenses: What Are You Spending Now? | |
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| Your Income: What's Coming In? | |
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| Financial Planning for the Future | |
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| Legal Considerations | |
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| Special Considerations for Single or Nonbiological Parents | |
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| Why Planning Is So Important | |
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| The Bottom Line | |
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| Genetic Testing for Medical Illness: Your Child's Perspective | |
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| When to Consider Genetic Testing for Your Children | |
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| Principles to Consider | |
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| How to Talk with Your Child About Testing | |
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| If Your Child Is Not Biologically Related to You | |
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| If the Result Is Positive | |
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| If Results Are Different for Siblings | |
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| Final Reminder | |
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| When to Seek Professional Mental Health Services for Your Child | |
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| How Much Has Your Child's Behavior Changed Since the Illness? | |
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| Is Your Child Able to Continue to Function in Daily Life? | |
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| How to Find a Mental Health Specialist for Your Child | |
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| Leaving a Legacy | |
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| Guiding Principles | |
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| Letting Your Child Choose Something Personal | |
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| Existing Family Traditions | |
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| Your Child's Name as a Legacy | |
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| Legacy Funds | |
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| Other Ideas for Your Legacy Gift | |
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| Closing Thoughts | |
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| Making Decisions About End-of-Life Care | |
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| How to Decide Where a Parent Will Be at the End of Life | |
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| If a Parent Will Be Cared for in a Residential or Inpatient Hospice | |
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| If a Parent Will Be Cared for at Home | |
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| Discuss How Children Want to Hear About a Parent's Death | |
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| Funerals and Memorial Services | |
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| Family Conflict Makes Planning Harder | |
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| Making Your Child's Needs the Priority | |
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| How Young Is Too Young? | |
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| Planning the Funeral Is a Family Process | |
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| Memorial Services | |
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| Closing Words | |
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| Epilogue: Your Child's Bright Future | |
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| Resources | |
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| Index | |