Be honest with children about cancer, experts advise after Princess of Wales diagnosis
The TelegraphParents who have cancer must be “honest” with their children about the disease, Oxford University experts have said after the Princess of Wales revealed her diagnosis. Leading psychiatrists said parents “often underestimate” their children’s ability to discern that something is wrong when approaching conversations about serious illness. But experts say that “effective communication” is key to limiting the anxiety of uncertainty among children of all ages and advise having conversations “as soon as possible” after diagnosis. Professor Louise Dalton, from the University of Oxford’s department of psychiatry, said it was understandable that parents “want to protect children from difficult or emotionally painful situations and often underestimate how much even very young children notice and understand about what is happening within the family”.
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