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What Youths Want to Know: The 6 C’s and the 3 W’s
The 6 C’s
When someone close to us gets seriously ill, there are some big worries and questions that come up. Those are known as the 6 C’s. They're important because they help us understand and deal with the situation better. Here they are:
A lot of us think about this stuff but keep our thoughts and fears to ourselves. Guess what? We can tackle these worries in any order, whenever we feel that it might be right to bring up, even if friends or people we care about haven’t mentioned them.
Having someone we love receive palliative care or hospice care is a journey. It's always a good move to check in with ourselves and the people we care about the 6 C’s during this time because it’ll help navigate through this illness journey together.
The 3 W’s - How Can I Connect With My Friends?
When someone you know has a serious illness, it can be a stressful and confusing time with lots of changes and uncertainty. We all handle it differently and have our own way of making sense of everything. The 3 W’s can be helpful to create chances to talk with our friends and those we care about, sharing feelings and thoughts. It gives us a chance to listen, validate, and feel connected.
The 3 W’s stand for: WONDERS, WORRIES, AND WISHES.
Remember to check in with your family and friends about their Wonder, Worries and Wishes. Avoid judgement or trying to minimize tough topics or concerns. Telling your friend not to worry doesn’t usually make the worry go away. It might even make your friend feel like they shouldn’t talk about it. You don’t need to have all the answers. It is ok to wonder about things together, to wish for things that may or may not be possible, and to worry about difficult things.
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Sometimes as friends, we try to ease stress and worry by saying things like “you have to be strong so don’t cry” and “everything is fine”. We can feel when things are not fine. Take these opportunities to be inclusive. Including your friends can help them gain control, build trust, develop coping skills, and increase resiliency.
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