Correct Response: D. The American Academy of Family Physicians suggests that children of a seriously ill parent should receive affirmation for their feelings. Activities such as role playing and art can help children express their fears and can provide caregivers an opportunity to help children cope. How the parents and close caregivers respond to the children has a significantly greater impact than weekly psychotherapy (A). Increasing time spent with extended family (B) can actually have a negative impact on children in this situation; research published by the American Cancer Society states that children sent to be with relatives at the end of a parent's life felt excluded from the family and experienced later resentment. Books (C) can help children understand what to expect when a parent is seriously ill, but they would be more beneficial at a later stage in the parent's illness than as a first step in helping children cope.
