Something for doctors and parents: listen to the kids. We do know if there’s something wrong, and we do know what’s normal for ourselves and what’s different. So what’s a normal backache for me compared to the kidney infection was totally different, and I had to convince people of that.
So you just have to listen to your own body and trust that you know what’s going on.
Jenna, age 16
Have an honest relationship with your kid
I think for parents, having an honest relationship with your kid. My parents never did this but I feel like some parents might put their kids into situations where they’re uncomfortable, in a sense that maybe a kid is embarrassed to go to a sleepover camp but the parents send them there anyway. I think you need to talk to your kids and find out what they feel comfortable with. And if they are comfortable going to a sleepover camp and they think that they can handle it, then let them go to the sleepover camp. Don’t think, “Oh, they have to use the bathroom a little more than most people, they can’t go to the camp.” I just think parents need to build a relationship with their kids where there’s a good communication system and kids feel comfortable saying, “No, I don’t think I’m ready for this.” Or it can work the other way too, and they’ll be like, “I know I can handle going on a camping trip, I know I can handle doing this camp.” Camp is the biggest thing for me because I was never allowed to go to camp!
Elizabeth, age 16
Advice for parents
Don’t treat it like a big thing, like it’s big ordeal, like it’s going to change your life forever. Even though it will change their life, don’t treat it like a big deal. Treat it like it’s a normal thing, like anything they do every day, like brushing their teeth. Like it’s a normal routine for them! It’s not really changing their day that much.
Ethan, age 13