If the child is in hospital

Yes, it happens. And in your power to adjust the baby and tune in the proper way, so that such an adventure was easy and as soon as possible left behind.

Hospitalization is routine and urgent. And if in the second case there is no special preparation and it is necessary to act quickly for the sake of saving the health or life of a small patient, then in the first there is the possibility of a correct "adjustment". Until the baby is six years old, by law the mother should be allowed to be near him in the hospital. In practice, it happens in many ways. Disease, especially with the need for separation from loved ones, is another stress for the child. How to ease this difficult period of his life?


Let's play doctor

Your approach to a hospital "fairy tale" largely depends on the age of the child. A preschool child, first of all, needs to be reassured and assured that hospitalization is not related to his disobedience or dislike of him by his parents. Particularly difficult to tolerate stay in the hospital are children aged 3-4 years, when mom and dad seem to be the only loving people in the whole world, when fears blossom wildly, including fear of death. The children are tormented by the thought that they will have to endure suffering and pain, they are sure that they are constant companions of any medical procedures. Tell us that this is not always the case. You can also mention a couple of pleasant moments: the opportunity to play with other children or eat right in bed.

An older child should be given more important information about why he will be hospitalized and what will happen in the hospital. The child should understand: such a nuisance as a hospital is needed for his own good, and on how diligently he will follow the recommendations of doctors and nurses, it often depends on how long the hospital period will last. Explain to him the rules of conduct in this institution, suggest taking with him things that can brighten his life in the ward: an album with pencils, needlework, books, gadgets with music and games.

Parents, on the way out!

From the mother's attitude in many ways depends on the child. Try to keep yourself in hand and stay calm, because in a state of affect, we often do what we are then ashamed of, and can not adequately assess the important information that doctors report. No matter how terrible you are, remember that the most important thing now is the health of the baby. Do not make a child in the hospital into a universal drama, do not "wind" yourself, stay away from emotionally unstable relatives. Setting that the hospital is a danger, pain and fear, replace the other: this is the place where they help, bringing the recovery closer.

Try to form a positive attitude towards the doctors and medical personnel. The kid can read the good old "Doctor Aybolit", buy a toy set of medic, so that he can try on this role, the older child - tell the true stories about the man-made miracles of doctors from God, which in fact are many. This will give peace and confidence that everything will be fine. Respect the doctors: do not challenge their actions with the child, be polite in communicating with them. However, this does not mean that you can lose vigilance: medical mistakes happen, and they are not so rare. Therefore do not hesitate to ask questions, you have every right to own any information regarding the treatment of the child, to know what is and why he is appointed, to demand the interpretation of medical terms.

Write down everything that can come in handy: the names and contacts of doctors, the names of the drugs and their admission schedules, the daily routine in the hospital, the permitted and forbidden products, etc. All this will help us to structure the information and, at least partially, contrast the process, and in case of doubt correctness of treatment to receive correspondence consultation from another specialist.

Time X

When is it best to tell a small patient that he has to go to the hospital? It is advisable for a few days - the child needs to prepare both mentally and physically. It is not good to bring a child to the doctor as if for a routine examination, and then immediately register in a hospital - this is a shock for him. But to stretch the suffering about the upcoming separation for two weeks is also not worth it. Try not to show your son or daughter how you feel bad, on the contrary, look for everything in positive. Your child really needs your support!

What does a child need in a hospital?

The main principle - a small patient should have everything that he can need, but nothing superfluous.

From receipt to discharge

How quickly the baby adapts to the hospital depends on the weight of the factors: the severity of the disease and therapeutic manipulations, his age, temperament, individual psychological characteristics, and finally, from the company (with friends and cheerful!). As a rule, after 3-5 days a small patient gradually "thaws", getting used to the new situation. Paradoxically, he experiences the most difficult moments at the moment of visiting his parents: the appearance of the messenger from the house immediately reminds you how good it is and how you want to return there as soon as possible. Therefore, parental visits often end with children's tears and hysterics. However, this does not mean that visits should be cut to a minimum. After all, in the daddy with his mother, children of any age see a source of confidence and tranquility.

Communicate only good news, with the rest you can and wait, ask the child what happened to him in the hospital, again with an emphasis on positive: read a new book, made friends with someone, learned how to fold a puzzle, etc. Praise him even for trifles like a portion of porridge, eaten up to the end, or courageous behavior in the treatment room.

Make plans for the future, what you will do when he returns home, where you go on the tour, whom you invite to visit ... It is important to ensure that the baby does not get bored in the hospital: even your favorite games and activities, repeated every day , can get bored - you need to take care of their change. By the way, it is in the hospital where there is a lot of free time, the child can have a real talent: someone is fond of embroidery or macrame, someone starts to draw, sculpt from plasticine or write poetry!

As for the actual treatment, its success largely depends on the discipline of the small patient and his mother. Try to strictly observe the daily routine and other hospital rules, do not neglect the advice of medical staff. Do not get carried away with pity for yourself and your child, but do not demand the impossible from him. Naturally, he is afraid of unpleasant procedures (injections, bandages, droppers), and even if other children behave better, do not scold him! Especially do not scare and deceive, "Do not cry, and then they will appoint more injections", "You will behave this way - they will never write you out of the hospital", "Look: no one roars, only you", "It's not for you to prepare syringes "(and at this time the doctor suddenly makes an injection) - these are forbidden phrases and tricks.

Welcome back!

Finally, the long-awaited moment of "liberation" - your baby is at home again! This is a great joy. However, some of the consequences of being in the hospital - a psychological one - may soon come to an end. Suffering, the child can become embittered, become aggressive or shut up in himself, or become irritable, capricious and unsettling. Not infrequently and "kambek" in childhood - this usually happens with kids 3-4 years old. They again ask for handles, refuse to dress themselves, they can even write in panties - this is a mental regress, that is, a return to the previous stage of development. Behaving like this, the child seems to be protected: the baby's mother will no longer be allowed to put the baby in the hospital.

Staying in hospital walls alone can inflict a psychotrauma on a child. And it does not matter how old he is: even infants who are forced to spend some time in the hospital without a mother remember it, and afterwards the emotional trauma expelled to the sphere of the unconscious creates many problems, forming strange behavior. This phenomenon is known as "children's hospitalism." If the circumstances have developed so that you had no opportunity to spend the hospital period next to the child, now it is important to take measures to restore it as soon as possible. Help play - the main activity of children and a powerful tool for psychological correction. Losing various situations, including traumatic, the kid works out his fears and anxieties, which improves his condition. In the psychologist's arsenal, a lot of special games for such cases, some of them parents can then use at home. The child's psyche is very plastic - soon everything will necessarily improve.