Once your child has finished their cancer treatment, no matter what it entailed, you understandably want to put all things cancer behind you. Everyone wants to live a life that doesn’t revolve around cancer. And while the day-to-day challenges of active treatment may be gone, everything shifts to a long-term view.

Even when cancer is gone, it will continue to impact your child and family. So, what do you do as you transition from active treatment to survivorship?

8 Things Parents Can Do AFTER Their Kid Kicks Cancer

1. Focus on Follow-Up Care

Schedule regular follow-up appointments with your child’s oncologist or healthcare team. These appointments are crucial for monitoring your child’s health, checking for any signs of cancer recurrence, and addressing any late effects of treatment. Thanks to advancements in pediatric cancer care, childhood survivors are living longer lives. But that quality of life often hinges on follow-up care and vigilance. 

2. Monitor Health and Well-Being

Keep a close eye on your child. Note any new symptoms or changes in their physical or emotional state and educate yourself on the late effects of cancer treatment. Communicate openly with your child about their feelings and encourage them to express concerns or questions. Sometimes, it can be hard to detect problems if your child doesn’t know how to tell you something is wrong. Help them understand what to look for, too.

3. Promote a Healthy Lifestyle

Encourage and support your child in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This includes eating a balanced diet, staying active (per their care team’s recommendations and guidelines), getting enough rest, and avoiding harmful habits later in life, like alcohol consumption or smoking. Setting an example is always helpful!

4. Provide Emotional Support

So much of cancer treatment focuses on the physical that we can forget about the emotional side of it all. This is a traumatic, complex situation that comes with a whole gamut of emotions – for patients and caregivers alike. Provide emotional support to your child by listening to their feelings, validating their experiences, and helping them cope with stress and anxiety. 

Counseling and support groups can benefit the survivor and their families, too. 

5. Plan a Return to School

Whether a child attends school or stays at home, getting back into an educational routine can be challenging. Teachers and peers may not understand your child’s “new normal.” In truth, learning problems and cognitive hurdles can be a part of late effects. Consult with educators or adjust your homeschool curriculum to account for increased fatigue and missed schooling. 

6. Connect with Support Services

Explore support services available for families of childhood cancer survivors. There are so many out there! There are options for kids and their caregivers, from survivorship programs to social services and financial assistance to community support groups. These resources can provide valuable information, guidance, and connections to other families who have walked this path. 

7. Stay Informed

Stay informed about the potential late effects of cancer treatment and signs of cancer coming back. Be proactive in monitoring and addressing any health concerns. You may feel scared. Your child may be scared. No one wants to think about going through all this again. But your attentive care makes a big difference. If you notice something is amiss, don’t wait to seek medical treatment! 

8. Celebrate Milestones

Cancer is hard. Kids need to be cheered on throughout the journey and after it. Celebrate and acknowledge milestones for survivorship. Whether completing treatment, reaching a specific health goal, or achieving academic success, recognizing these achievements can boost your child’s confidence and motivation. After all, overcoming cancer and its ripple effects is no small feat!

No one cancer journey is the same. Your experience will heavily depend on your child’s age, specific diagnosis, and prognosis. Late effects hinge on the treatment they receive. As a parent or caregiver, what matters is that you know what to look for and advocate for your child. Some kids may shy away from medical care due to the trauma of cancer. Help teach them not to fear doctors and hospitals. Set an example for a healthy life (which, by the way, includes taking care of yourself!). 

No matter what stage of your child’s cancer journey, everyone benefits from a team effort. Reach out, team up, and support one another as we kick cancer together!