For Parents

“You are not alone. Millions of people have psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis.”

“This disease will change throughout your life. Flares will come and go. When a flare occurs, let’s look at what we can do. We can always consider new treatments.”

“It’s not contagious. You can’t spread it or catch it. And it’s not your fault. It’s something you were born with, like your eye color.”

Listen, don’t interrupt or explain.

Listen to what your child is saying. Smile, nod, make eye contact. Don’t break in or mentally prepare a rebuttal. When your child is finished, talk about the facts. This shows that you understand, which encourages more communication. Ask friendly questions to get more information. Watch for non-verbal cues from your child – glancing away, dropped shoulders or head down.

Mistakes happen – let them go.

Turn your attention towards finding a realistic solution. As your child grows older, he or she may turn to friends for support instead of you. That’s normal. Just keep the lines of communication open.

You’re never too young to learn resilience.

Help your child work on positive reactions to negative situations. If that doesn’t work, teach your child to move on and brush off displays of ignorance.