
Care and Feeding | Slate's parenting show
My Co-Parent Is Dying. What Now?
Apr 10, 2025
Allison Price, a Slate Care and Feeding columnist, joins the conversation to discuss the poignant topic of parenting while grieving a terminally ill partner. She shares insights on how to talk to children about death, emphasizing the importance of open communication. The discussion highlights the emotional challenges families face in these situations and the necessity of community support. They also explore compassion in grief, offering practical ways for friends to help those experiencing loss, all while focusing on maintaining stability for children.
57:29
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Quick takeaways
- Tailoring age-appropriate conversations about illness to each child's emotional capacity fosters open dialogue and understanding during difficult times.
- Building a supportive network and allowing community help can significantly alleviate the emotional burdens of navigating a parent's terminal illness.
Deep dives
Navigating Grief with Children
Parents face unique challenges when discussing sensitive topics such as illness and death with children. One mother shares her experience of breaking the news to her children about their father's terminal cancer diagnosis, emphasizing the importance of age-appropriate discussions. She utilized books about cancer and sought advice from a children's grief counselor to create an open dialogue, highlighting how children respond differently based on their understanding and emotional capacity. The mother recognized the need to tailor her approach to each child's personality, providing them with the opportunity to engage with the situation at their own pace.
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