Having your child admitted to hospital is not an easy experience. Parents and caregivers have to consider many factors that all play a part in making the stay as least stressful as possible, while facilitating an optimal outcome. Toddlers in particular experience anxiety around the fact that the hospital environment is totally different to their usual surroundings.
Prepare for a hospital stay
- Ensure all arrangements are sorted out as far as possible. Often this entails calling on your support network to help out with practical arrangements such as dropping off and fetching the other children. The stress of being in hospital with your child should also be shared between the spouses, so that each is given time to go home and have a break to refresh themselves. When you are sorted and comfortable, your child senses this is and is more relaxed.
- Understand the timelines and the treatment plan. Good communication with your doctor is essential. Every child is different, and each treatment plan will be different too. Parents should try and understand the time that will be required for the necessary treatment to be adminstered. This will then allow them to plan accordingly. Being well organised will also mean that you are more relaxed and able to provide better support for your child.
- Comfort objects and familiar toys will help your toddler adjust to the new environment, so be sure to bring these with to the hospital.
- Reading about your child’s condition can help you to understand the problem that requires treatment, however excessive reading or gaining inappropriate information may be counter-productive and actually increase your anxiety. Make sure you know and understand the basics, but avoid getting a plethora of information off the internet that may confuse and alarm you.
- Choice of hospital is very important. Many hospitals are child friendly and offer the facility for one parent to sleep over with the child. It may be wise for parents to have a look at the paediatric ward before the child is admitted and familiarise themselves with the hospital.
- When a child is admitted to hospital it is natural for parents to feel sorry for them. This can often lead to the parent relaxing the normal rules they enforce as part of their parenting style, with the result that the child behaves very differently upon discharge from the hospital. It is very important that parents are consistent in their rules, even on discharge. Avoid excessively indulging your child and resume your usual habits as soon as possible to help normalise your child’s behaviour.
- Sick children require more time and care. This may result in the parent reducing the time and energy they have for parenting their other children, or the time they have for their partner. While the time and care for the sick child should not be compromised, it is important that parents also make the time and effort to ensure their other children also receive the love they need. Partners should be patient with each other and communicate well during this trying period.