Telling a 7 yr old about cancer?

Question

My 7 year old asked me what cancer is. How do I explain it to her?

Answer 1

This is a sickness that some people get. If she doesn't ask anymore, don't tell her any more.
If she asks about a particular person with Cancer...........tell her the person IS sick with this.

Answer 2

I had to explain cancer to my boys of ages 9 and 7. I was diagnosed with cervical cancer sometime ago and had to deal with that and the stresses of single parenting at the same time. Most cancer centers have information books for young children to read and help them understand better what is going on.

Answer 3

I would tell her something about cancer being things that start growing inside your body that can hurt it (tumor), or things go wrong in your bones that make your blood bad (leukemia). Maybe get a couple of books from the library, they have children's books available (can't think of any specific right this second) that use appropriate language, and go into just enough detail to be informative and not scary.

I wish I could think of a title, but ask the librarian, they should be able to help. My brother was diagnosed with leukemia when I was seven, and I remember reading books about it that were very helpful.

Answer 4

Just give a brief explanation about the main causes and implications.

Be sensitive on details as at 7, a child should focus on self development and be happy instead of being worried by the truth about cancer.

Answer 5

My little cousin asked me the same question when my hair started going bald from chemo, he knew that I had cancer but had no idea what it was. One day he ran up to me and asked, "Cousin John...what cancer?"

I kind of just sat in my chair frozen, I have never been asked by a 5 year old on what cancer really is. Everyone in the family knew I was diagnosed but most adults knew what it was, guess my little cousin Joey have always wanted to ask but he finally got the courage to.

I had him sit on my lap and turn towards me, looking into his eyes I told him that it’s when you start to get a bad cell in your body and it makes you really, really sick. Here’s basically most of the conversation I could remember.

“You see, it’s these bad guys in my body.”
“Bad?”
“That’s right, they make me really sick and sometimes my head hurts and I throw up cause I don’t feel good.”
“I want you better…I don’t like bad monsters.”
“I don’t either but I go to the doctors and they are going to make the monsters go away.”
“Really?”
“Yup, and when all the monsters are gone, I won’t be sick again and I will get my hair back and everything.”
“Then no more?”
“No more.”

Then his face just all of the sudden got brighter and he smiled and gave me a hug, and before jumping off my lap he said, “I like bald.” (Meaning that he like it that I have bald hair) I just smiled and watch him ran outside to play.

I guess what I’m trying to say is to say it in a terms that the kids would understand, don’t go into all those high medical definitions (I mean come on, most adults don’t even know what they mean…how can a 5/7 year old?) Usually with little kids if you say it’s something bad or a monster or something they should be able to understand. Again, just tell them in a way that they can understand you. (So it all depends on how your daughter learn as a child and how well she response to your words.)

Good luck

Answer 6

You have to be honest with her. I had grandchildren that were about that age when my wife was diagnosed with cancer. Our grand daughter was very close to her and went to treatments and therapy appointments with her grandma. We had to explain at the end that grandma was not going to get better and that she was going to die. I can't say that it was easy for us, her parents, or her. It did help prepare her for what was coming though.

Explain it in a way that the child can understand, but avoid the fear as much as possible. Fact is that most people live full lives with or after cancer.

Good luck.

Answer 7

If she's asking she must have heard someone talking about it. Just tell you what you know. Don't scare her. I would want to know why she's asking. Where did she hear about it. I have 4 granddaughters and the oldest is 7 and she's never asked about this.

Answer 8

I was around that age when my gramps developed prostate cancer and died 3 months later.

He explain it as: your grandpa is very, very sick. You can't get it from touching him, and because the doctors are going to give him medicine, he may even lose his hair! If we help give him courage, he will have more strength to fight his illness!

I was there everyday for him. :-/

Answer 9

It is a serious illness that is caused by "bad" cells in your body multiplying too quickly.

Answer 10

Its an incurable disease that some people get and some are able to recover from it for short periods of time. It attacks the body's organs and cells and causes them to break down.