Armchair Psychologist

The last week my 9 year old daughter was acting oddly. The slightest thing would set off a yelling, crying fit. One second she was laughing, the next crying. I pulled her aside to have a private talk. I explained that sometimes when people are upset about one thing, they will overreact about something else. It is less scary to get mad about something that doesn't really matter than to face what is really the matter.

So I asked the question, "Why do you think you're upset?" I suspected that I knew the answer. A few days before Christmas, her cousin (my niece) was diagnosed with leukemia. My niece finally went home from the hospital, only to return a few hours later when she developed a fever.

Over the last few weeks, my niece has been in our prayers and a topic of conversation. We've explained to the kids her condition and the potential outcomes. Many times before this crisis, we've talked about life, the universe and our place in it. Illness and dying are topics of conversation we haven't shied away from. I mean, we will all die one day. Hardships are part of life. It seems strange to pretend it doesn't happen.

My 11 year old daughter is handling this crisis rather circumspectly. My 5 year old perceives no crisis at all. Dying is like winning a trip to Disney Land. (Heaven is this wonderful, happy place. You get to meet God and see Grandpa and Grandma.) It took a few leading questions for my 9 year old to be able to talk about her specific fears. After our talk, my 9 year old daughter was back to being her old self. This morning, after my husband got up, my 9 year old daughter climbed into bed with me to cuddle. She was smiling and the clouds from the previous day were gone.

I'm glad that we homeschool. We have the time to talk about important things. We can teach our children sound principles to guide them through life's challenges.