It's important to keep your baby's routine the same before the day of surgery. Make sure you, your baby, and your family are well rested.
Read books to your toddler about going to the hospital. Keep any explanations simple and be careful of the words you use.
One of the major fears preschoolers have is fear of the unknown. Tell your child about the surgery several days before the procedure and perhaps even visit the hospital for a tour.
Have your child explain back to you what is going to happen in the hospital. School-aged children sometimes will listen carefully, but not understand all that was said.
Allow your teen to be part of the decision-making process. Encourage them to make a list of questions to ask the healthcare providers.
When your child goes to the hospital, brothers and sisters may feel afraid, worried, or confused. They're often afraid simply because they don't know what to expect, and they may imagine the worst. Here's what you can do to help.
If your baby needs surgery, you may feel helpless. But there's something you can do to make this experience a little less stressful: breastfeed. Read on for helpful tips.
Talk with your baby's healthcare provider about being present as much as possible for the test or procedure. Child development experts say it's best to keep to a minimum the amount of time your child is separated from you at this age.
Helpful tips on how to prepare your toddler or preschooler child for a surgery, test, or procedure.
By age 7 or 8, school-age children are starting to develop coping skills as they think more logically and begin to understand cause and effect - if this happens, then that may happen. This way of thinking helps them find ways to cope with scary or stressful experiences.
During the teen years, abstract thinking begins and teens can fully understand how parts of the body function, the medical problem they have, and the reason for the test, procedure, or surgery.