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Talking to children about Lewy body dementia can be a challenging and sensitive topic. It’s important to approach the conversation with care and empathy, as children may have a hard time understanding the complexities of the disease. Witnessing the physical and behavior changes from Lewy can be frightening for a child. Here are some ways to to help your child: Set the example. Children learn what they live. Your actions and relationship with Lewy will leave a lasting impression on your child. The physical and behavioral changes from LBD can be both frustrating and frightening. When Lewy comes around things will get hard. Always try to act with kindness and compassion. Changes may be subtle at first, but children are very perceptive. Start a dialogue about thechanges that are happening and what can be expected early on. Talk About Lewy. Encourage them to ask questions. Keep the answers honest, but general and age appropriate. Symptoms are not static. When you recognize that it is a “good day” encourage interaction and bonding activities. Have the child read to their loved one, imaginary play or look through family photo albums. Help your child identify ways they are comfortable helping a loved one. For some children it will be easier to paint a picture or make craft to show their love. Other children are much more hands on and want to help and interact with the loved one. Each child handles change differently, but compassion is displayed in many forms. Give them permission to love from a distance when they need to. Look for the blessings. It sounds so cliché, but even the darkest times we can find a blessing. Teach your child to look for the rainbow after the storm. Lewy will bring challenges, hardships and tears. It can also bring some beautiful things into your life. The tough times bring special people into our lives or bring us closer to each other. There were little blessings along our journey through Lewy. They would have been easy to miss if I was so consumed by the storm that I couldn’t see the rainbows. Laugh. Look for the humor. There is no doubt Lewy is nothing to laugh about, but I do believe you have to find the humor in hard things too. My dad did some silly things. Sometimes I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and other times I got a big belly laugh.Those laughs are thememories I hold onto today. Get help. If you are a primary caregiver to someone with LBD and trying to raise a child,welcome to the sandwich generation–those struggling to balance caring for children and aging parent at the same time. That’s a big order to fill. Stuck between the demands of renting and caring for a parent can be mentally and physically exhausting. Look for resources: support groups and respite care to avoid caregiver burnout.