Helping Your Child in the Hospital
Parents can help make their child’s hospital stay better by offering the right kind of support. Our Child Life team provides the following information to help you do just that.
Child Life
We Can’t Do This Without You
- Tell us about your child’s favorite activities, school, family, friends, pets and reactions to being sick.
- Share any concerns you may have about your child’s behavior while in the hospital.
- Join your child during play activities when you can.
Ways to Help During Procedures
Medical procedures can be stressful and frightening for children and their families. Our Child Life team offers the following tips:
- Always be honest with your child – don’t say a procedure won’t hurt if it will.
- Tell the staff what helps your child stay relaxed.
- Focus on and talk about positive things.
- Praise your child during and after the procedure for doing all the things that are asked of him or her. For example, “You did a great job holding your arm still.”
- Talk in a calm, quiet voice.
- Be in a place where your child can see you while you hold hands or rub his or her forehead or cheek.
Child Life
Related Information
Specific Things You Can Do
How children react to and cope with being in the hospital varies depending on their age. Select a box below to learn ways to help your child at any age.
Select your child's age above for specific suggestions.
Helping Your Infant in the Hospital
Common hospital stressors may include separation from parents, stranger anxiety, lack of stimulation, change in normal routine and pain. We do our best to keep your baby as calm as possible, but some things you can do to help are:
- Hold, cuddle and rock your baby
- Talk softly
- Play gentle music or sing
- Keep home routines as much as possible for sleep, meals, naps and bathing
Helping Your Toddler in the Hospital
Common hospital stressors may include separation from parents, fear of bodily injury and pain, scary fantasies, restricted activity and change in routine. Things you can do to help are:
- Use simple words your child will understand
- Play with your child
- Hold your toddler and give lots of hugs
- Keep home routines for sleep, meals, naps and bathing as much as possible
Helping Your Preschooler in the Hospital
Common hospital stressors include fear of the unknown, separation from parents, fear of injury and pain, and anxiety about loss of control. Things you can do to help are:
- Encourage play
- Use simple words your child will understand
- Help your preschooler understand that he or she did not do anything to cause the hospitalization, procedure or surgery
- Give your child a feeling of control by giving appropriate choices
Helping Your School-Age Child in the Hospital
Common hospital stressors include fear of injury, fear of needles and pain, loss of control, separation from family and friends and fear of death. They are likely to use their imagination to fill in what they don’t understand. Things you can do to help are:
- Encourage play and expression of feelings
- Be honest and use child-friendly language to help them understand their illness and treatment
- Help them stay connected with family and friends
- Continue school if possible
Helping Your Teen in the Hospital
Common hospital stressors include dependence on adults, separation from home, friends and school, bodily injury and pain, body image issues, invasion of privacy, and status with friends after hospitalization. Things you can do to help are:
- Involve your teen in medical care and decisions
- Encourage your teen to ask questions about the hospital, procedures and treatment and answer honestly
- Respect privacy and encourage independence
- Communicate honestly
- Provide choices when possible
- Bring favorite activities
- Encourage deep breathing and relaxation techniques
- Help your teen to stay connected with family and friends
- Continue school, if possible