WAYS TO HELP YOURSELF WHEN YOUR CHILD IS IN ILL HEALTH

To help a child cope with the situation, adults need to take care of themselves.

✅ Acknowledge your feelings and experiences. It is natural to feel angry or sad about the loss of your child's health. You will experience many emotions as you adapt to the changes. Do not ignore them. Do not hide them. Talk about them with others or alone with yourself. For example, you can do this by keeping a diary of your feelings. Everything will return to normal as soon as you and your child begin to adapt to the new environment and make progress. Important: do not compare yourself with others. Everyone has their own capabilities and peculiarities of overcoming problems.

✅ Take care of information hygiene. Take information about the child's injuries, illness, or changes in health status only from reliable sources. Give preference to messages from health workers. If possible, seek additional counseling. Only specialists can objectively answer your questions, tell you about the processes taking place in the child's body, and recommend further actions.

✅ Take care of yourself. Your reaction to what has already happened and acceptance of what is to come may determine the development of the situation. You need concentration and determination in your actions, and you need to take care of yourself. Do not put off your needs. Try not to let anxiety accumulate. If possible, seek help from professionals, comfort from other family members, and support from friends. This will give you inspiration and strength, increase your personal resources to overcome difficulties.

✅ Communicate with others. Communication will help to avoid isolation. It is important to be in contact with those who will listen and comfort you. Talking to families who are going through similar events can also be helpful.

✅ Set goals. Try to find something that will motivate you to start each day. You can focus on changing careers, finding a new hobby, or volunteering in your community. You can also set prioritized and even ambitious goals for your child and move forward with them into the future.

Adapted from UNICEF Ukraine.