As children age and begin spending more time away from home, parents of hemophiliacs can find themselves worrying about their child’s self-confidence, his feelings towards his disease, or the way he talks about his disease to his friends. Children are already faced with enough pressure from their peers as they grow into their teens – add dealing with a blood disorder and you could have one stressed-out kid.
Take Caution
One of the biggest things to be aware of is that your child will be out on his own more, so he will have more freedom to make his own decisions. Under the influences of friends, a teenager may be more tempted to engage in dangerous activities, and without you there watching, the persuasion from other kids could outweigh logical reasoning.
Teens can get into a situation where it is hard to say “no.” They may not have told their friends about their condition, they may try to downplay it, or maybe they have grown tired of feeling restricted – no matter the rationalization, it could be a recipe for disaster.
Talk to Your Teenager
Luckily there are ways to address this potential for harm. The most valuable way you can protect your child is to talk to him or her. Engage in open conversations, share your concerns with your child, and do not be afraid to ask questions.
An article posted on the Living with Hemophilia website provides a list of tips on ways to stay connected with your child about his healthcare:
• Talk to him about the difficulties he may face in saying no to his friends, but also provide advice on how to participate in approved sports and activities.
• Role play scenarios together so he will have practice in responding to his friends in difficult situations.
• Remind him of the signs of bleeds and what to do if one occurs in order to ensure he understands the importance of reading his body and knowing how to detect any early signals.
• Boost his hemophilia IQ so he will be able to react to situations in a manner consistent with his diagnosis.
Make your child feel empowered and knowledgeable about his bleeding disorder. Ensure him that his friends are not dictators, he is actually the one in control of his actions, and that regardless of peer pressures he knows what is best for his body.
Sources:
TeensHealth from Nemours: http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/blood/hemophilia.html#
Thereforyou.com: http://www.thereforyou.com/caregivers/about/managing/making-treatment-work/overcoming-barriers.html
Living with Hemophilia: http://www.livingwithhemophilia.com/on-the-go/articles/guide-his-social-life.jsp
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