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Home > About childhood cancer > For parents >If their treatment plan and health allows children can return home from hospital after their initial treatment. Many will have to return for further courses of chemotherapy but for a time, family life returns to ‘normal’.
Difficult times
Parents tell us that this can be a difficult time for the whole family. Everyone needs to adjust to being back together, but life at home is different to before. As well as the old activities there are hospital visits and test results to consider too.
Even though your child may have wanted to be home, they may find things unsettling. Some children may have become ‘hospitalised’, having problems sleeping and eating without the security of the hospital ward routine.
They will be used to having you with them and may become ‘clingy’ and demanding if you have to do things away from them.
Returning to 'normal'
It may be helpful to remind them about the rules of the house to help them settle in. Children can feel more secure when they know ‘what’s what’ which can help them adjust to family life again.
Restarting any suitable activities that they previously enjoyed may also help them settle back to life at home. Returning to school and seeing their friends can also help, if this is possible.
Above all they need time to settle back into home life, and plenty of reassurance that they are safe at home with their family.
Plan ahead
Parents also report that this can be a time when they themselves feel very stressed. This can be because of the change of routine, but also because of the increased demands from other members of the family. There’s also work to consider. Balancing everything can cause pressure so if possible, take some time out for yourselves to help you to readjust and plan how to handle this next stage.
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