Talking With Children About a Loved One's Cancer

The purpose of this guide is to help patients and families find sources of information and support. This list is meant to provide links to authoritative, up-to-date information sources for patients, families, and caregivers.

The materials can be found at the Patient Education Resource Center (PERC) of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center in room B1-361.

Updated 12/2009

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Brochures

For children and teens

American Cancer Society. "It Helps To Have Friends: When Mom or Dad Has Cancer".

Cancer Family Care. "What About Me? A Booklet for Teenage Children of Cancer Patients".

KidsCope. going to a new website "Kemo Shark".

National Cancer Institute. going to a new website " When Your Parent has Cancer: A Guide for Teens" [PDF].

For parents

CancerCare. going to a new website

"Helping Children Understand Cancer: How to Talk to Your Children About Your Cancer Diagnosis" going to a new website

español [PDF].

Coloring Books

American Cancer Society. "Because . . . Someone I Love has cancer: Kids' Activity Book".

Articles

Gupta, Nelly Edmondson. "Taking Care of the Kids: When a Parent Has Cancer, Raising Children Poses Special Challenges....and Rewards". InTouch; Vol. 4, No. 2, March 2002, (p. 23).

Schnipper, Hester Hill. "Growing Pains: How to Cope When Your Teenage Daughter Cannot". MAMM; Vol. 3, No. 9, July/August 2001, (p. 22).

Yaffe, Risa Sacks. "Parenting through Cancer: There Should be an Open Exchange Between Children and a Parent with Cancer". Coping Magazine; Vol. 14, no. 2, March/April 2000, (p. 74).

Ness, Eric. "Straight Talk: Kids React Differently to a Parent's Diagnosis". Cure; Vol.7, No.1, Spring 2008 (p. 16).

Books

For adults

Collins, Leigh & Nathan Courtney. When a Parent is Seriously Ill: Practical Tips for Helping Parents and Children. Matairie, LA: Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans, 2003.

Harpham, Wendy Schlessel. When a Parent Has Cancer: A Guide to Caring For Your Children. . Rev. Ed. New York : Perennial Currents, 2004.

Heiney, Sue P. et. al. Cancer in the Family: Helping Children Cope with a Parent's Illness. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society, 2001.

Russell, Neil. Can I Still Kiss You? Answering Children's Questions About Cancer. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, 2001.

van Dernoot, Peter. Helping Your Children Cope with Your Cancer: A Guide for Parents and Families. New York: Hatherleigh Press, 2002.

For kids -- Ages 4-7

Ammary, Neyal J. In Mommy's Garden: A Book to Help Explain Cancer to Young Children. Lehighton, PA: Canyon Beach Visual Communications, 2004.

For very young children. Available in Spanish.

Buckley, Colleen.; Sponaugle, Kim. Grandma Kathy Has Cancer. Indianapolis, IN, Dog Ear Publishing, 2007.

Carney, Karen L. Barklay and Eve: What is Cancer Anyway? Explaining Cancer to Children of All Ages. Wethersfield, CT: Dragonfly Publishing Company, 1999.

Frahm, Amelia. Tickles Tabitha's Cancer - Tankerous Mommy. Hutchinson, MN: Nutcracker Publishing Company, 2001.

Told through the eyes of Tabitha, a young girl, this is the story of family in which the mother is being treated for cancer.

Numeroff, Laura. Kids Speak Out About Breast Cancer. Samsung Telecommunications America and Sprint PCS, 1999.

Short pieces written by kids participating in KIDS TALK, a support group for children whose mother has breast cancer. Beautifully illustrated. Suitable for ages 4-10 and for other types of cancer as well.

Schick, Eleanor. When Mama Wore a Hat. Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, 2007.

Watters, Debbie, et al. Where's Mom's Hair?: A Family Journey through Cancer. Toronto, Canada: Second Story Press, 2005.

For kids -- Ages 5-10

Ackermann, Abigail & Adrienne. Our Mom Has Cancer. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society, 2001.

Written and illustrated by two sisters ages 9 and 11, the girls describe their mother's illness from their perspective.

McVicker, Ellen.; Hersh, Nanci. Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings: When Someone You Love Has Cancer -- A Hopeful, Helpful Book for Kids. [S.l.: s.n.], 2006.

Speltz, Ann. The Year My Mother was Bald. Washington, DC: Magination Press, 2003.

A scrapbook of an 8 year old girl whose mother was treated for breast cancer. For ages 8-13.

Speltz, Ann. The Year My Mother was Bald. Washington, DC: Magination Press, 2003.

A scrapbook of an 8 year old girl whose mother was treated for breast cancer. For ages 8-13.

Silver, Alex. Our Mom is Getting Better and Our Dad is Getting Better. Atlanta, Ga.: American Cancer Society, 2007.

Pre-teens

Clifford, Christine and Lindstrom, Jack. Our Family Has Cancer, Too! Duluth, MN: Pfeifer-Hamilton Publishers, 1998.

The perspective of an eleven-year-old boy on his family’s coping with the mother’s illness.

Hannigan, Katherine. Ida B: and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster and (Possibly) Save the World. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2004.

Ida B's idyllic childhood is idyllic is shattered when her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. How this sensitive, creative girl comes to terms with the monumental changes in her life makes for a deeply moving story. For ages 9-12. (also published on CD)

Teenagers

Pennebaker, Ruth. Both Sides Now. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2000.

A book for young adults focuses on mother-daughter relationships and how their family reinvented itself at a time of crisis.

Audiovisual Resources

Cancervive. Kids Tell Kids what it's Like when their Mother or Father Has Cancer. Los Angeles, Calif.: Cancervive 1998.

Kids do all the talking in this 15-minute video and discuss their hopes, fears and the adult burden placed upon them when cancer strikes a parent. The film is faithful to the kid's point-of-view and encourages communication between family members.

Harpham, Wendy. Innovative Training Systems. We Can Cope. 2000.

A series of three tapes presents the coping strategies of children, teens and parents in families with cancer.

Web Resources

Dealing with a Cancer Diagnosis in the Family at the going to a new website

American Cancer Society site

Go to: http://www.cancer.org
Click on "Patients Family & Friends"
Scroll down and click on: "Children and Cancer"
Scroll down and select the appropriate document under "Dealing with a Cancer Diagnosis in the Family"

going to a new website Kids Konnected

going to a new website What do I tell the children? - A guide for a parent with cancer

Organizations

KIDSCOPE
3399 Peachtree Road, Suite 2020
Atlanta, GA 30326

going to a new website Kids Konnected
2701 Cabot Rd. Ste.102
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Hotline 800-899-2866

This document is not intended to take the place of the care and attention of our personal physician or other professional medical services. Our aim is to promote active participation in your care and treatment by providing information and education. Questions about individual health concerns or specific treatment options should be discussed with your physicians.

See Also:

Families Facing Cancer

When Mom has Cancer
Helping children cope with a parent's cancer diagnosis