When Medical Professionals Lie to Children About Pain

A mother’s experience with leg surgery as a child left her questioning doctors’ motives. She now tells her own children the truth about medical procedures, warning parents and healthcare providers to do the same.

Allison Sweet Grant underwent leg surgery as a child, despite being assured by doctors that it wouldn’t cause much pain. However, she experienced significant discomfort. This experience shattered her faith in doctors and made her wonder if adults can be trusted. Now, she shares her story with others, encouraging parents and healthcare providers to tell the truth about medical procedures to children.

Grant believes that omitting information from children is not a harmless act. Instead, it erodes trust between parents and children, creating an emotional wound that may never fully heal. She argues that telling the truth, even if it’s uncomfortable, can be better than lying about pain levels. Grant’s experience has informed her approach to parenting and has inspired her debut novel, I Am the Cage, which explores her childhood as a patient.

Grant’s essay highlights the importance of honesty in medical conversations between parents and children. By sharing her story, she aims to promote open communication and help others navigate these challenging situations.

Source: https://www.newser.com/story/364403/parents-your-white-lie-about-pain-may-backfire.html