Overindulging a sick child

Mickey Guisewite, Parent WIth A Purpose, shares advice for parents on the benefits of limiting the overindulgence for your sick child, despite the desire to do so
How To Avoid Overindulging Your Sick Child - Pediatric Cancer Advice
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Overindulging a sick child

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When I first found out that my son had cancer, like any parent, I would have done anything to make him feel better. A car, a boat, a motorcycle; anything to make that child feel better because there was nothing else I could do. Of course, I knew that that wasn't really right. It's hard not to treat a child specially because he is special. He is going through something that most of us never have to face. On the other hand, I think it's really important to keep cancer in perspective for the child. It makes it easier for him or her. What I try to do was limit our gift-giving to times where I knew he was really going through a difficult treatment, like a bone marrow aspiration or a spinal tap. Those are really tough things to get through. I knew that if he had a present waiting on the other side, he would often wasn't even thinking about the tough thing that he was going through. What he was thinking about was the cool toy that he would get when he was done. I think that really helped keep the cancer in perspective and I think he came out of it an unspoiled child.

Mickey Guisewite, Parent WIth A Purpose, shares advice for parents on the benefits of limiting the overindulgence for your sick child, despite the desire to do so

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Mickey Guisewite

Parent with a Purpose

Mickey Guisewite is a former advertising executive and syndicated newspaper columnist who started The Bottomless Toy Chest after her son successfully completed cancer treatment. The Bottomless Toy Chest is a nonprofit organization devoted to delivering toys, crafts and hands-on activities to hospitalized pediatric cancer patients. Mickey lives at home with her husband, son, daughter, two dogs, two cats and two turtles. When she’s not delivering toys to sick kids, she’s at home trying to find a tiny space on the couch among her two-legged and four-legged family members. 

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Transcription: 
When I first found out that my son had cancer, like any parent, I would have done anything to make him feel better. A car, a boat, a motorcycle; anything to make that child feel better because there was nothing else I could do. Of course, I knew that that wasn't really right. It's hard not to treat a child specially because he is special. He is going through something that most of us never have to face. On the other hand, I think it's really important to keep cancer in perspective for the child. It makes it easier for him or her. What I try to do was limit our gift-giving to times where I knew he was really going through a difficult treatment, like a bone marrow aspiration or a spinal tap. Those are really tough things to get through. I knew that if he had a present waiting on the other side, he would often wasn't even thinking about the tough thing that he was going through. What he was thinking about was the cool toy that he would get when he was done. I think that really helped keep the cancer in perspective and I think he came out of it an unspoiled child.