Talking with children 6 to 8 years old

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HealthWiki > Epilepsy and Seizures > Chapter 8: Talking with children about epilepsy and seizures > Talking with children 6 to 8 years old

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

• Chapter 8: Talking with children about epilepsy and seizures
• Communicating with babies (birth to 2 years)
• Talking with children 3 to 5 years old
• Talking with children 6 to 8 years old
• Talking with children 9 to 13 years old
• Talking with young people 14 to 18 years old
• Sex and relationships
• Talking with siblings about epilepsy
• For health workers

As children get older, they are able to understand more about their bodies in general as well as more about their brain, epilepsy, and seizures. Parents and caregivers can expand on the simple information they shared earlier. Children at these ages are better able to take their medicine properly, avoid things that trigger their seizures, protect themselves from injury, and help when they see someone having a seizure.

What happens during their seizures. Children at this age need to know what happens so they can protect themselves, know what they can ask of others, and what to do after they have a seizure. Make sure they know if they may fall or drop things they are holding so they and others around them can try to make the seizure as safe as possible.

A child is likely to feel embarrassed if their seizures cause them to wet or soil themself. Help the child understand this is part of their seizure, not because they are “babies.” Speak openly with your child’s teachers, school nurse, or administrator about how some people lose bladder or bowel control during a seizure. Ask them to avoid drawing attention to your child if it happens to them. Pack an extra set of clothes in your child’s backpack or leave clothes with a teacher so they can help your child change after a seizure.

If the child will need to sleep or rest quietly after a seizure, make sure they and their teacher know it is OK to need this. Encourage the child to explain to their friends that resting helps them recover.

Avoiding seizure triggers. If you know what triggers a child’s seizures, talk together about how to avoid those triggers. For example, depending on the trigger, you might suggest that the child not eat too much sugary food, not exercise so much they get out of breath, avoid too much time in the sun, stop playing when they feel tired, or rest more when they have a cold or infection.

Why seizures happen. Find a way to explain that your child will understand. Here are some examples that might work for you and your child:

Our brains send electrical signals that tell our bodies what to do. It’s like watching television, when sometimes the picture and sound suddenly stop. When the signals start flowing properly again, everything goes back to normal.

Something like that happens during a seizure. Electrical signals in the brain get mixed up and make the body shake and fall. Then, after a minute, it wakes up again.

It is like a mobile phone. Sometimes, you are talking to someone and the call drops. Then they call again and you continue talking. That’s sort of what happens with your body and brain during a seizure—it drops off, and it comes back.

It’s like heavy traffic, but instead of too many cars, it’s too many messages in your brain all at once. Everything stops, and then it starts going again.

Taking medicine. Children at this age tend to like and depend on routines. Parents and caregivers still have to remind and support them, but can encourage children to take responsibility for remembering to take their antiseizure medicine.

Activity

Make a chart: Medicine superstars

Draw a simple chart with rows and columns for each day of the week (see example below).

Explain to your child that every time they take their medicine on time, they get to mark the chart with a star or other shape.

When your child earns 7 marks in a row, offer a small reward such as an extra story or a weekend activity, anything that works for your family.

Asking for help. Having a seizure is nothing to be ashamed of. If the child knows they are going to have a seizure, they can ask for help to stay as safe as possible. If they are feeling poorly while recovering from a seizure, they can also ask for help to get what they need to feel better—a drink of water, dry clothing, a quiet place to rest. The more people who know about a child’s epilepsy and what they need to recover, the easier it will be for them to avoid harm and regain comfort.

Fighting stigma and wrong ideas. If a child tells you that someone has treated them poorly because of their epilepsy, offer words of comfort and remind them that not everyone understands epilepsy. Explain that people are often afraid of things they do not understand and will make things up or repeat things they have heard others say, even if they are not true. Talk with the child about how they can speak up against teasing and bullying, and let them know you will support them. Help them think about and practice what they could say to a person who insults them (see “How to stand up to bullies: Tips for young people”).

Ask your child if they would like you to talk about epilepsy with other parents or reach out to teachers or a neighborhood group to organize a seizure first aid training. Be sure to follow through on what you offer to do. Invite them to help if they want to.

Speaking out against stigma. is not the responsibility of a child with epilepsy or their family alone. Children learn by watching adults around them, and parents and caregivers need to prevent bullying and instead act to create communities where kindness and respect are the norm. Accept differences among people, pay attention when others speak, oppose bullying, and praise your child when they share toys or help another person to model behaviors you would like them to develop.

[[Image:EASB_Ch8_Page_243-1.png|640px|left|alt=a woman talking with a small girl who is crying]

Sasha called me “crazy girl” and started waving her arms to make fun of me! It made me feel like I never want to play with her again!

Oh, Tuki, I am so sorry. You know what Sasha is saying is not true. Some children wear glasses, some use a wheelchair, and you have something different in your brain. That is part of what makes you you, and everybody loves you!

Prevent physical and sexual abuse of children with epilepsy

Children with epilepsy are at a higher risk of being physically and sexually abused than other children. Because they are often seen as weak or different, others may try to control, frighten, or exploit them. When they lose consciousness during a seizure, or need time to recover from a seizure, they become more vulnerable to abuse. Usually, abuse happens in secret and is carried out by someone the person knows. Talk to children about their right to keep their bodies private and say no. Be aware of signs of physical and sexual abuse: unexplained bruises or strange marks on skin fear of certain people sudden changes in behavior a child becoming quieter or withdrawn Pay attention when a child shows fear or asks for help. If you suspect a child is being harmed, talk with a health worker or another trusted adult about what to do. Your body belongs to you. It’s OK to say “no” if someone tries to touch you in a way that feels uncomfortable. By openly addressing everyone’s right to be free of physical and sexual abuse, all children, including those with epilepsy, are more likely to be protected. As you strengthen a child’s self-respect and self-confidence, they learn that they will be heard and supported when they speak about their feelings and experiences. Parents, caregivers, and community leaders can work together to create safe environments at home, school, and in the community, and to hold abusers accountable. For information about child abuse and how to help, see Hesperian’s Promoting Community Mental Health, Chapter 5.

Talking about absence seizures

While absence seizures can happen at any age, they are most commonly recognized when children are between 6 and 8 years old.

What happens during their seizures. Children who have absence seizures may suddenly stop moving, stare blankly, or smack their lips. These episodes usually last only 3 to 15 seconds, but they may happen many times during a day—sometimes even hundreds of times! Usually, a child having an absence seizure will not know it is happening.

Helping a child with absence seizures. First, explain to the child that their absence seizures are a health condition and not something they can control. When you notice an absence seizure happening, guide the child away from any danger and stay with them until they are alert again.

Then begin to organize a safety net and support system by telling people close to the child—siblings, neighbors, the child’s friends and their families—what an absence seizure is and what to do when one happens.

Sometimes your brain takes a very short nap during the day. It happens a lot, and you just space out for a few seconds and don’t notice what’s going on around you.

Is that bad?

No, it is neither good nor bad, it just is. And we let you know so you don’t miss things.

What you see during an absence seizure. If you are looking at a child having an absence seizure, you might mistakenly think they are not paying attention. It may take a while before you recognize that a child’s blank stare could be a type of seizure.

If you notice Gladys staring blankly or “zoning out” for a few seconds, don’t be alarmed or raise your voice. Gladys gets absence seizures that make her lose focus and attention for a few seconds.

Absence seizures at school. The brief, painless episodes of “zoning out” during absence seizures are typically followed by a rapid recovery. It is important for parents to talk to teachers so they understand it is not a problem of “not paying attention.”

Parents can encourage children to feel comfortable talking to teachers about what they experience. When teachers listen without being judgemental and offer to help rather than dismiss what the child has to say, they help to build trust and safety in the school.

Sir, somehow, I didn’t know about the assignment. I feel like I miss many things… Everything goes quiet in my brain for a few seconds. It’s like I’m listening to you in class, but I don’t always hear what you say.

That is worrisome, Maria. But I’m glad you told me about this so we can look into what might help.

Promoting epilepsy awareness with puppets

Puppets are a great way to teach children about epilepsy. Children (and adults!) are attracted by the entertainment of a puppet show. A good story and a few memorable characters make it much easier to communicate about and understand difficult or sensitive topics. Children with epilepsy who might not be able to talk about their feelings can learn from puppets that mirror their feelings, teaching them and others what it can feel like to have epilepsy.

In Chile, puppets take the stage to shine a light on epilepsy

Community health promoters in Chile created and filmed a puppet show to raise awareness about epilepsy in elementary and middle schools.

The video features puppet Juanito, who attends school with his friends and has a caring and supportive family. One day during recess, Juanito has a seizure on the school playground.

His alarmed but quick-thinking classmates rush to tell their teacher that Juanito needs help.

After making sure Juanito is safe, the teacher asks the students to describe what they saw. This not only helped the teacher understand the situation but also educated the children about seizure symptoms.

After Juanito recovers, the teacher speaks with him gently and calmly. She suspects Juanito may have epilepsy.

We follow Juanito as he visits the doctor with his parents, spends time at home with his grandmother, and plays with friends at the playground. In each setting, Juanito’s experiences spark conversations about epilepsy, spreading awareness among different community members.

To see if the video helped children learn, the community health promoters asked students some questions about epilepsy before and after showing it. Even children who had not heard of epilepsy before knew what to do after watching it when asked, “What should you do if your friend has a seizure?”

How to make puppets at home

Simple puppets to entertain and teach children about epilepsy can be made at home. Puppet stories can describe familiar experiences, the adventures of epilepsy superheroes, and everything in between. Puppets can be made from paper glued onto sticks, using simple materials like something to draw with (markers, crayons, colored pencils), paper or cloth scraps, scissors, short sticks, and glue (or needle and thread). Or you can make sock puppets.

Together with your child, draw a few faces on paper or make them out of scraps of cloth. Glue or sew each face onto a stick or sock. Let the child name each puppet. Use them to tell stories about different topics, like what happens when a person has a seizure, what questions a doctor might ask about seizures, or how to help when someone is having a seizure.

A puppet made from a sock looks alive!

1. Fit the sock over your hand.
2. Make the mouth by pushing in the cloth between your thumb and fingers.
3. Add eyes, nose, and hair to the sock.

This page was updated:24 May 2026