Back to School
I think it is super important to let teachers, coaches, and instructors who work with your children know about a parent's cancer diagnosis. They see your child differently and can pick up on behavioral changes that you may not be able to see.
My husband did not want to tell people about his diagnosis, but I insisted that we inform our children’s teachers and coaches. We made a point to do this every year.
I am happy we did because so many things can trigger a child. I remember a little boy was having a bad day and said something like, “this is so bad. It is like having cancer” in front of my daughter. That upset her; thankfully, the teacher knew why and could help immediately. Cancer and death come up in different literature assessments children read. Studying cell development in science might be challenging for some kids. You want your child to have the best education, to do that, work with their teachers and coaches to be prepared.
Your child might be fine at home, but their behavior may change at school, or their ability to study might change. Hopefully, this doesn’t happen, but if your teachers know – they can be on your team to help.
To help you communicate with your school, listed below are examples of my emails. I read them now and would do some things different but I think it gives you a place to start with your own communication.