SuperSibs! Star Kit Support Materials

SuperSibs! Sibling STAR (Support, Training, Awareness and Recognition) Kit

When a child is diagnosed with cancer the entire family needs support and healing. The need for tools and information that will promote Total Family Healing inspired us to create the SuperSibs! Sibling STAR Kit. This is NOT intended to be a “program” which can feel overwhelming to operate. It is, instead, intended to be a menu of flexible options, outlines and materials that can be adapted to meet the needs of the children and families you serve –within the timeframe and resources you have available.

Whether it is a one-time conversation with a sibling, a bulleting board that is updated monthly, or a sibling support and awareness session that you provide to professionals or families -- we hope that the specific elements included will help you integrate sibling awareness and support into what you do for families every day and truly make a difference in the lives of the “shadow survivors” of pediatric cancer – the siblings.

We know that together we can help siblings of children with cancer redefine their experience so they may be better equipped to face their futures with strength, courage and hope.

Below you will find elements from the SuperSibs! Sibling STAR Kit in both English and Spanish language.

Please use these to create a new focus on siblings – or use them to enhance the existing sibling awareness and support in your hospital or organization.

For more information on the SuperSibs! Sibling STAR Kit OR to schedule a personal coaching call where I can walk you through how and where to best utilize these materials — please contact me anytime. E-mail: Sandi Ring at sring@supersibs.org.

Sections:
  1. Research
  2. SuperSibs!
  3. Hospital/Organization
  4. Floor/Clinic/Department
  5. Individual
  6. Group
  7. Events/Celebrations
  8. Siblings Who Are Bereaved
  9. Parents/Guardians/Grandparents
  10. Teachers/Peers
  11. Questions/Conversations
  12. Awareness/Sensitivity Training
  13. Resources/Partnerships
  14. Feedback/Evaluations
Research

Use this research in grants and applications for funding that will allow you to integrate more support for siblings of children with cancer.

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SuperSibs!

SuperSibs! Frequently Asked Questions

SuperSibs! Referral Form – (For siblings of children with cancer only)

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How Can Your Hospital or Organization Easily Integrate Sibling Support?

Your hospital or organization can make a huge difference in the lives of the often overlooked brothers and sisters of children with cancer. They want to feel that they, too, belong in this place that their sibling is being cared for. These suggestions can be implemented with ease and do not require additional money or staff involvement.

Sibling Tours

Sibling Passport – This is a fun and easy way to help siblings who come to the hospital frequently feel connected and involved. Have them bring their passport to every visit so the staff members they see can sign their names or place a stamp or sticker.

Sibling Sticker / Name Badge – This is a wonderful, and easy, way to honor and address every sibling by their name! You can do this at the main entrance or in your specific clinic or floor.)

Sibling Welcome and Support Bags – A variation of this is to create a special Sibling Information section in your “New Family” notebooks.

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How Can Your Floor/Clinic/Department Easily Integrate Sibling Support

The most important thing to remember is to help siblings feel recognized, remembered and included. They know they are entering the place that is helping their brother or sister, so it is very important that they feel like they belong there too. These suggestions are simple, but can make a significance difference for a sibling, young or teen, who is visiting.

Monthly Theme Ideas to increase Sibling Awareness

Stationery Station – Help parents use this time to send messages of love to their children who are not sick. A designated stationery station can be used once a week, or each day, by parents who aren’t able to be home with their other children. This is an opportunity to partner with organizations in your community to help keep this “Stationery Station” stocked with cards, pens and stickers. Have local businesses or community groups donate colored paper and pens. Ask craft stores to donate scrapbooking materials, and encourage small fundraisers to help pay for the postage. The hospital can be especially supportive by mailing these letters for the families.

Here are guidelines that will assist you in keeping this area stocked with support from outside groups.

Sibling Bulletin Boards – This can be done by staff, volunteers, or by the siblings themselves. Designate an area (bulletin board, cork on the wall, etc…) to become a “Sibling Board.” This can be used for siblings to hang their pictures, their artwork, messages of love and support, poetry, etc… It can also be a place to post fliers for families regarding sibling events, meetings, camps and information about support organizations like SuperSibs!).

Siblings ROCK

Sibling Garden – This activity will give siblings an opportunity to create a beautiful flower that represents their uniqueness – and can be displayed on the wall in a main gathering area, at clinic or on the in-patient floor. Inside the middle of each flower, siblings can place a picture of themselves alone or with their brother or sister. On each petal, siblings can write words that best describes what makes them special. (Prior to this activity – have stems pre-cut, so after siblings make their flower, they can attach a stem and display their flower power on the wall or door.)

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For Individual Siblings (or small groups)

Communications and Feelings Chart

Dream Catcher

Hope Box (Communications Box/Message Box)

Inspiration Calendar

Sibling Collage

Worry Dolls

Guided Imagery

Sib to Sib Widsom – written by one of our SuperSibs! Scholarship recipients, this expresses the many challenges of being a sibling and what she wanted those around her to know and understand.

Sibling Word Find

Sibling Maze

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Groups – Siblings and Families

For siblings who so often feel alone and isolated, it is so important to provide an opportunity to be with other kids with whom they can identify. Support programs and workshops are an important part of a child’s coping strategy and can give them new perspective on what is happening in their home.

Emotion Ocean – The objective of this activity is to acknowledge that dealing with a sibling’s illness can be like a turbulent ocean, and there are things and people around that can help them stay afloat during this difficult time.

Sibling “Go Fish” – a Sibling twist on the standard card game.

Sibling M&M Game

Worry Wall – This is a great activity for siblings who may need a more physical outlet to express themselves. This will give them an opportunity to place their worries and fears, and to work through their frustration and anger.

The Sibling Journey – This is a wonderful activity that will help siblings discuss the many feelings they have throughout the Cancer Journey!

Journey Roadmap

Young Kids Journey Activity

Teen Journey Activity

Buddy Blankets

Family Scrapbooks –

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Events and Celebrations

Though it is important to remember siblings EVERY day – there are several specific dates that are especially important for Sibling Awareness and Recognition.

National Sibling Day – April 10th (every year)

Happy ThankSibling® -- November in the United States ; October in Canada

Ideas and Reminders for planning a Sibling Celebration!

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End of Life Involvement for Siblings

Supporting Siblings who are Bereaved – this information includes how you can help bereaved siblings, legacy building activities, how children grieve and bereavement materials and resources

A Letter from a Sibling who is Bereaved – this can be very special for a child who has experienced the death of a brother or sister. (PLEASE consider whether this is a good fit based on your relationship with that child and situation.)

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For Parents/Guardians/Grandparents

100 Ways to Encourage a Sib – use this to help remind siblings how special and loved they are.

What Can Parents/Guardians Do

I’ve Got to Hand it to you – Support and Communication activity for Parents to better support siblings

The KISS Form (Kids Information and Stat Sheet) -- to leave with anyone who may be temporarily caring for the siblings in their home or elsewhere. This will help caregivers to know each child and be able to identify cues of distress if they begin to develop.

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For Teachers/Peers

What Teachers Need to Know

TEAM Form – for teachers or school support team. This form will assist the teacher or teacher team (for middle/high schoolers) so they understand how to best provide support at school.

 

How Peers/Classmates can Support Siblings

The Helping Hands Program

Support Garden

Information Materials

Cancer 101 – basic definitions and descriptions of the various types of cancers. Feel free to copy and distribute these pages to better educate your colleagues or to help families better understand the cancer their child is facing.

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Questions / Conversations

Key Messages from Siblings

A Note From Me – This is a wonderful tool that will give siblings (young and teen) an opportunity to think about what they want and need and create a positive way to ask for help when they need it.

How to Explain Cancer – here are age appropriate ways of how to explain cancer via questions and conversations. You will learn what kids want to know, what to say, when to say it and how to say it. Siblings are consistent with the message that they want to understand cancer, and understand what is happening with their brother or sister. This information can be used together with parents to communicate appropriately with each sibling.

Journal for Young Siblings

Journal for Teens and Young Adults

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Sibling Sensitivity Awareness Training

The Sibling Impact

The Puzzle of Total Family Support

Sibling Support Session – Flier

In-Service Presentation Outlines

Sibling Panel Discussion – Objectives and Plan

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Sibling Resources and Partnerships

CarePages

Padres Contra El Cancer

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Feedback and Evaluations

To best serve YOU – our partners in Integrated Sibling Support and Awareness… we rely on feedback to guide us in programming that meets YOUR needs.

PLEASE take a moment to complete these Activity Forms as you begin to implement elements of the Sibling STAR Program.

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