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Being diagnosed with a health condition likemultiple sclerosis(MS) is a lot to take in.
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Those are things your child will very likely notice, now and in the future.
MS can also be an unpredictable disease, and communicating that to kids is tricky.
Still, experts stress that this is an important discussion to have with your younger loved ones.
Dont wait too long to talk to them about it.
Children know when parents are worried, she says.
venture to communicate on their level.
So its important to meet them where theyre at.
For example, if you have younger children, she suggests using books to help talk about the diagnosis.
Dr. Banwell also recommends a book calledBenjamin: My Mum Is Special,which can be downloaded.
Tell them the truth about what MS is and isnt.
you could say, Ill tell you what Ive been told and what I know.
Well learn together, Dr. Banwell says.
Dont feel like you oughta tell them everything.
But with respect to future neurodegenerative potential, its not necessarily the first thing you oughta talk about.
And, again, dont feel like you should probably have all the answers.
Its okay to say you dont know the answer to something, Dr. Santos says.
Its better to say I dont know than to answer wrong.
Address what this might mean for them.
Its normal to wonder if youll develop a health condition that a family member has.
Meaning, there is over a 95% chance they wont be affected.
Share your feelings about your diagnosis (if you want to).
you’re free to say, Im scared, Im upset, Dr. Banwell says.
That can be overwhelming.
Not all kids have the emotional bandwidth to handle that, Dr. Banwell points out.
Talk about what you may need from them.
Kids rise to that challenge, Dr. Banwell says.
When you give [them] an opportunity to be helpful, they feel like theyre doing something.
Make it clear who you doand do notwant to know about your diagnosis.
Dr. Banwell stresses the importance of having a conversation about whose news this is to share.
If youre comfortable talking about yourMS diagnosiswith anyone, its fine to say that to your child.
Let them know youre there to talk about this whenever they want.
This wont be a one-time conversation, Dr. Santos says.
That, she says, is how you could reassure them during this time.
