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Preparing Your Child

Child Life Services

There are many ways to help get your child ready for an upcoming hospital stay. The best time and way to talk to your child about coming to the hospital will depend on his or her age and experience. Here are some tips to help you get your child ready for a hospital stay.

• Be honest with your child about coming to the hospital.
• Younger children (ages 2-4 years) may think that they are being punished. It is important to explain that they did nothing wrong to cause them to come to the hospital.
• Young school-age children (ages 4 - 6 years) may have magical thoughts and misconceptions about many aspects of coming to the hospital. Concrete explanations of what is happening will help these children understand their experiences more clearly.
• Choose a quiet time to talk to your child about coming to the hospital. Allow enough time so that your child can process through their feelings as ask questions without feeling rushed.
• Ask what your child knows about being in the hospital. This can help you understand what you need to explain to your child.
• Use gentle, but honest language in describing the hospital. For example, your child may ask "Is it going to hurt?" It may be very tempting to promise that things wont hurt. Instead, it is important to be honest with your child. You might say, "I cant promise that it wont hurt. It may feel uncomfortable. Lets think of some ways to get through it if you don't like how something feels." This will allow you to start talking to your child about planned coping strategies, such as deep breathing, talking about a favorite place, counting, or squeezing hands.
• Give your child realistic choices. This will give your child a sense of control and can build self-confidence and a sense of mastery over their experience. This can be as simple as having your child pick out which clothes or favorite stuffed animals to pack.
• Let your child know that it is okay to feel many different feelings. These feelings may come up at any time before, during, or after the hospitalization. Children must feel safe in expressing these feelings.
• Listen to your child. Be receptive to your childs behaviors, questions, and moods to help determine how your child is coping.