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Dealing with School Issues

A large number of children diagnosed are preschool or kindergarten age. If your child is old enough to attend school, there are several issues that you will want to consider.

Inform the school about your child's illness and treatment

Even though the days after your child's diagnosis are filled with emotional turmoil and chaos, be sure to inform the school and your child's teacher about your situation. Set up a meeting time in the near future to go over your child's treatment plan and what that will mean in terms of school work and activities. This initial meeting and dialogue will lay the foundation for later conversations and interactions-it will be important to be organized and offer what information you can.

Involve the teacher and classmates

Keep in mind that your child attends school not only to learn factual information from books, but also to enjoy the company and socialization of other children. By encouraging classmates to send notes and cards, it will help your child during stays at the hospital and for those recovery days at home.

What Should I Tell My Child's Classmates?

It helps if you let the other children in the class know that your child has an illness and is receiving treatment. This allows you or an informed teacher an opportunity to address any questions or worries of other classmates in an effective and sensitive manner.

You may want to let them know that the treatment may cause some unpleasant side effects but is often successful in treating the cancer. Classmates and teachers need to be prepared for possible physical changes. If not explained truthfully and honestly, peers may come to conclusions about their friend's status that are inaccurate. Teasing and rejection are far less frequent concerns when classmates understand what their friend is experiencing. They must also be reassured that cancer is not contagious in any way and that the child will hopefully return to normal once the treatment ends. In some cases, the child may wish to be involved in telling schoolmates, so you should ask the child what they prefer.