Preparing Yourself for Your Child's Hospital Stay
Children take their cues from you. So, before you can help your child, you have to help yourself. Here are some steps you can take to get ready to talk to your child—and to face your own anxieties.
Learn as Much as Possible About Your Child's Illness and Treatment
- Ask your child's healthcare professional for information packets and a list of resources you can tap into including library materials and websites.
- As you review the information, put together a list of questions to ask your doctor.
Learn as Much as You Can About the Hospital
- Start right here by reviewing our Visiting Golisano Children's Hospital section.
- Take a tour. Our child life specialists provide tours so families can see the unit, meet staff, and learn about the hospital prior to a child's admission. Contact them at (585) 275-9878.
- Get specifics about what will happen. For example, if your child will be having a test or surgery you'll want to find out:
- What will happen before the procedure?
- How long the procedure is expected to take?
- What kind of equipment will be used and will your child might be frightened by the look or sound of it?
- What the procedure will feel like?
- Whether your child will be awake during the procedure, and if so, what he or she will be asked to do?
- What will happen after the procedure?
- What will your child look like after the procedures (any swelling, bandages)?
- When you can be with your child (during the procedure, in the recovery room)?
- If your child will have pain and how it will be managed?
- If your child will need to restrict activity after the procedure and for how long?
- Will your child be out of school and for how long? Will your child need a tutor?
You Are Your Child's "Safe Place," so You'll Want to be at the Hospital as Much as Possible, Especially for a Younger Child
You may need to:
- Arrange for time off from work or for a more flexible schedule.
- Line up people you trust to stay with your other children.
- Find family, friends, or neighbors who are willing to help you with the details of daily life like carpools, shopping, and other errands.
- Make arrangements to stay close to the hospital. One adult family member can stay overnight in your child's hospital room. The Ronald McDonald House can provide inexpensive lodging nearby for immediate family members who live outside of Monroe County. Call (585) 442-5437.
- Make a plan for ways to reassure your other children and help them feel they're still important in your life. (See Helping Siblings Cope.)
Plan for Ways to Manage Your Stress
Parents who actively seek support for themselves cope better with their child's hospitalization and are better able to care for their children.
- Get enough sleep and rest.
- Ask if there are parents of other children with similar medical conditions who would be willing to talk to you.
- Ask if there are support groups you can join.
- Write about your child's medical experience in a journal.
- Take breaks from caring for your ill child when possible.
- Identify relaxation techniques that work for you like deep breathing, meditation, exercise, or music.
Decide When and How You'll Broach the Subject With Your Child
The younger the child, the closer you'll want your discussion to be to the actual event. Try to anticipate the questions your child will ask so you can plan your answers.
Finally, there isn't an absolute right way to do things. You know your child better than anyone else. Trust your instincts.
Have Questions?
If you have questions about your child's condition or would like information about a test or treatment the Ask A Medical Librarian (AAML) service offered by the Edward G. Miner Library at the University of Rochester Medical Center will provide it for you.
