Dear Addy: Unaffected Siblings

Dear Addy,
I have two sons with hemophilia and one daughter who is not affected by a bleeding disorder. My two sons get so much attention and I know that my daughter feels left out. How can I help my daughter understand that we love her just as much as her brothers?
Signed,
Dad of Disheartened Daughter
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Dear Disheartened Dad,
You are not alone. Many parents who have both affected and unaffected kids face the same challenge. HFA can help you cope and find a way for the whole family to flourish in what is otherwise a tough situation. Have a look at the Siblings Toolkit on the HFA website.
On the site you will find presentations (past webinars and slides), downloads (articles, blog entries, tools/documents), and links to other resources. For example, there is a webinar by Diane Horbacz that reviews the social and emotional stages of childhood development, addresses common issues siblings face, and gives tried and true tips for parents on how to deal with children living with a bleeding disorder. Best of luck!
Sincerely,
Addy
Have a question? Click HERE. Your name will be changed in the response.
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HFA frequently receives questions from the bleeding disorders community related to advocacy issues. The questions often impact the entire community. In an effort to reach the largest audience possible with our responses to these widely applicable questions, HFA developed “Dear Addy.” Questions submitted to this column are edited in order to protect privacy and should be considered educational only, not individual guidance.