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A child would rightfully be terrified of spending a night in the hospital, if not a week, or a month. They can be cold, sterile environments and even at their best, they are simply not as comfortable as their homes. Preparing a child for a hospital stay is imperative to making it a little more comfortable and a little less scary for them

HOW TO TALK ABOUT IT

When your child is afraid of something you talk about it, right? This is no different. The first step towards easing your child into a hospital stay is to talk to them about it in advance, when possible. Obviously, if they are having an emergency appendectomy, you won't be able to do this. But, if they are having their tonsils out, you should be able to bring the subject up in advance

Their age will determine how far in advance you should broach the subject with them. With a younger child, you should wait until only a few days before the stay to bring it up. You don't want a very young child agonizing over something that is ominous and very unknown to them. But, an older child should be given notice of a few weeks. They likely understand the concept of a hospital a bit better than younger children and they will want to get their "affairs" in order. This means things like arranging homework at school or maybe feeling like they can set up having someone come in to feed their fish, taking grown up responsibility on their own.

When you bring it up, make sure you are not overly serious or grave with the topic. Be casual and give them the opportunity to express their feelings and thoughts on what will be happening. Children don't always have the capacity to express how they feel, especially fear and be aware that you may see them acting out in other ways for a while. Make sure you explain appropriate ways to express their feelings. Age comes into play here too: drawing, coloring, journaling, crying, singing or just hugging can all help.

Speak with the hospital admissions department about what resources are available to help you explain to them what they can expect when they check in. Hospitals offer lots of tools, like tours and films of their process or building. Your child's nurses and doctors are often your best resource here to help answer questions that they may have. Try not to be hurt if your child feels more comfortable talking to these people either. They may feel less threatened bringing up fears and concerns to people that don't know them.

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