How can parents ease or avoid potential emotional issues? Some tips from psychologists and members:
- Understand the illness, its treatments, possible side effects, and potential complications. Learn how JM might affect your family’s lives. Talk to other families who have been dealing with JM.
- Fit your child’s treatment plan into your daily activities to the extent you can. Make taking medicines, doing exercises and applying sunscreen a part of your family’s normal daily routine.
- Encourage active contribution from every family member. Reassign tasks if needed, but keep all of your children involved for routines to remain as normal as possible.
- Watch for changes in your child’s symptoms and for signs of depression, but try to avoid creating extra worry in your children.
- Understand and help your child deal with personal challenges. Depending on your child’s own personality, he or she may have trouble asking for help.
- Help your child maintain relationships with siblings and friends-sometimes it takes a little encouragement. Invite friends over for a movie night, or have your children fix a healthy meal together.
- Relate with your child on an emotional level. Let them know it’s okay to feel their emotions but not to get stuck in negative thoughts and feelings.