• Children need to be helped to understand. From a very young age they realise that something is wrong with Mummy, with Daddy, with Granny. Encourage them to ask questions. Answer as honestly as you can. Don't lie or make promises that you can't guarantee, but at the same time, try not to frighten them.
• If you face a mastectomy, your children need to be prepared for the changes that will be evident in your body. They need to know that the operation will take place with your knowledge and consent; that you have chosen to have this operation to help you beat the cancer. Otherwise they could develop a terror of doctors or hospitals.
• If the child is young, tell the teachers or care-givers, so they can be aware of what is happening in their young charges' lives.
• Tell the children about success stories. If you know of people who have had cancer and who are now well, try to introduce your children to them. Even small kids have heard about people that have cancer. They know that people die from cancer. They need to be told that people also survive cancer.
