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An experienced youth counselor, Eloah Rocha has worked at Los Angeles Children's Hospital since 2004. There, Eloah Rocha develops and oversees activities for children whose siblings are receiving care there.
When a child is seriously ill, the changes in family dynamics can have a serious impact on the child's siblings. Many children with an ill brother or sister feel intense anxiety and fear about a variety of issues, including whether the sibling is likely to die and what impact the illness might have on family structure. Children, particularly younger ones, may also worry about whether they or other members of the family might catch the sibling's illness. It is common for children to keep their worries hidden, often for fear of adding to family stress, so it is crucial for parents to encourage sharing whenever possible.
In addition to fear, children might be feeling anger, resentment, or jealousy resulting from the attention that the sick sibling is receiving. It is also common for a child to resent a sibling who no longer has to go to school or help out around the house. These emotions often lead to high levels of guilt in the healthy sibling, who might at the same time be feeling badly for having fought with the sick sibling in the past. This complicated network of emotions frequently intertwines with sadness and nostalgia for the normal family life lost and for the former health of the sick brother or sister.
When a child is seriously ill, the changes in family dynamics can have a serious impact on the child's siblings. Many children with an ill brother or sister feel intense anxiety and fear about a variety of issues, including whether the sibling is likely to die and what impact the illness might have on family structure. Children, particularly younger ones, may also worry about whether they or other members of the family might catch the sibling's illness. It is common for children to keep their worries hidden, often for fear of adding to family stress, so it is crucial for parents to encourage sharing whenever possible.
In addition to fear, children might be feeling anger, resentment, or jealousy resulting from the attention that the sick sibling is receiving. It is also common for a child to resent a sibling who no longer has to go to school or help out around the house. These emotions often lead to high levels of guilt in the healthy sibling, who might at the same time be feeling badly for having fought with the sick sibling in the past. This complicated network of emotions frequently intertwines with sadness and nostalgia for the normal family life lost and for the former health of the sick brother or sister.
