When Additional Help Is Needed

Child Behavior Changes

You are the best judge about whether your child’s behavior has changed significantly from before you got sick. Some children have temperaments that make them a bit more prickly, active, or worried, and the family has found ways to smooth things out so that the child’s temperament doesn’t get in the way of everyday activities. However, in the context of a parent being ill, sometimes those usual parenting techniques don’t work.

The anxious or fearful child

For example, a child who has always been anxious and worried may be especially prone to difficulties adjusting to the illness. Many anxious children have always been a bit shy, or need lots of reassurance about different things. They may be children who had trouble separating from parents for preschool or daycare, or who always need to know the plan in advance. They may have other fears or preoccupations and need more support to try something new.

If your worried child is asking lots of extra questions about your illness or needs extra attention, but she is reassured by the usual things that soothe her, then she will likely be able to adjust to the illness in her usual style. If these fears persist and your child is not able to take part in usual activities like school, playing with friends, and spending time with family, or if your child develops habits like handwashing, checking switches, needing to touch things a certain way, or arranging belongings “just so,” you should consult with a professional.