A hospital stay can be a difficult and often emotional experience for a child. Keeping your children occupied can be the best way to keep them from focusing on their illness. Here is a list of things that can make your child’s hospital visit much more fun.
- Most importantly let your children know how much you love and care for them, and that you will be by their side.
- Bring toys from home for your children. Their favorite doll or dinosaur can make the hospital stay seem much shorter and help them feel at home.
- You can do arts and crafts. Bring coloring books, legos, beads and more. Try making a scrap book of their hospital stay by collect stickers from nurses, drawing pictures of the people they met and so on. Being creative can be a wonderful way to keep busy and stay positive. It’s also a great way to join in on the fun with your child.
- You can bring outside dinner into your child’s room if the nurses okay it. This will make the children feel a lot better, and of course it is much better than eating the cafeteria food.
- Bring video games. If you don’t own video games most hospitals have a Nintendo you can rent. Even parents can get involved on two player games.
- Take your child for “adventures”(walks) in a wheelchair all over the hospital.
- Have a “slumber party” in your child’s hospital room. You may not be able to make a lot of noise, jump on the bed, or have friends come. You can bring a movie and some snacks if your child is able to eat. Most hospitals allow you to rent the vcr. Your child can even have other members or children of the hospital to come and join.
- Bring books to read stories to your child. This is aways a great way to help them fall asleep.
Things which may be restricted:
- Cell Phones. Cell phones often cause interference with hospital equipment.
- Latex or rubber balloons. Many people are allergic to latex, and to be on the safe side, most hospitals restrict their use. Mylar balloons are usually permitted.
- Flowers or stuffed animals. You’ll want to check with the nurse beforehand. Some hospitals have restrictions on these items to avoid patient allergies.
- Electrical Gadgets, like blow dryers, radios, portable DVD players, etc. You will want to get clearance before bringing these items. Battery-operated handheld video game players should typically be permitted.