Serious illness

After your taitamaiti / child finishes their serious illness or cancer treatment, you might be wondering what happens next. Well-meaning loved ones might say, "Now you can get back to normal!" But how do you get back to life as it was before serious illness took hold? Read on.

Serious illness

Taking care of a seriously ill taitamaiti / child is one of the most difficult things mātua / parents and caregivers will ever do. You may well be juggling your child's care with needing to look after other tamariki, the household, work, and your own wellbeing.

Serious illness

It’s a sad reality that bullying happens – and it can even happen if your taitamaiti / child or mātātahi / young person is affected by serious illness or grief in the whānau. ‍ If you or your child is experiencing bullying at kura / school, here are some things you can try.

Grief

Tamariki / children can normally sense when something’s going on around them, especially if it’s something really serious, like the death of a mātua / parent or caregiver. It’s really important to be as open and honest with tamariki and mātātahi / young people as possible.

Grief

Preparing tamariki / children or mātātahi / young people for the expected death of a loved one while trying to cope with your own emotions can be one of the toughest things you’ll ever have to do. Each whānau's situation is different, but we've compiled some tips that might help.

Grief

The grief felt by mātua / parents and caregivers who outlive their tamariki / children has been likened to a hole in the heart that never heals. It’s a deep heartache that lasts a lifetime. Read on for some ideas that may help you cope with grief after your child's death.

Grief

As mātua / parents and caregivers, it’s natural to want to protect tamariki / children from life’s toughest experiences. This includes funerals, tangi and other death rituals. But attending a funeral or tangi can actually be really helpful for your child’s grief going forward.

Grief

When we’re grieving, it’s natural to want the support of our loved ones – but what if, because of distance or other reasons, you can’t be together?

Grief

Grief impacts every part of our lives, including our physical and mental health. ‍Grief is a normal and natural reaction to the death of someone close to us, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Learn more about how to care for your mental health when you’re grieving.