Children’s hospitals want to make it as easy as possible for the little ones to adjust to the foreign environment. The nursing staff is not only specially trained from a medical point of view, but is also attuned to the special needs and problems of their little charges. Often, there are guidebooks for parents on the wards, in which the daily routine of the ward is described in detail.
Tip: Do not be afraid to approach the staff and express your questions or wishes concerning your child.
Do not leave your child alone!
It is especially important that a child is not left alone in the hospital. Mom, dad or another close caregiver should be near him or her as often as possible.
Meanwhile, clinics take into account the realization that children suffer a real loss when they are separated from their parents. For some children, the separation can even be traumatizing.
What your child is afraid of in the hospital
Also tell your child that you will stay with him and not leave him alone. This must then be true, of course. If you go away (have to), say exactly when you will be back and stick to it as well. Rather say that you will be back a little later, even if you can be there earlier, than the other way around. Children need a sense of stability, especially in the hospital situation.
Do not talk shop with the doctor in front of the child; he or she may feel left out. Include it in the conversation and do not conceal what will happen. If the examination will hurt, prepare a child for it and never say the opposite. This would make a child lose his trust in parents.
How to make your child feel comfortable
” Take familiar things with you: With the favorite teddy bear, the favorite pacifier and the favorite pillow, your child will get used to the foreign atmosphere much better.
” Visiting other children: If your child goes to kindergarten or elementary school, you can find out if the other children are allowed to visit. Some hospitals have special “children’s days” for this purpose. The children are shown around, and you are told what it is like to be in the hospital. Children often become calmer when they have been in a place before and get a sense of control and safety.
