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Hospitalization Separation
Coping With Your Child's Hospital Stay
By Gwen Morrison
Make sure you answer any and all of your child's questions the best way you can. At some hospitals, like Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron, the staff helps prepare children for surgical procedures and other medical experiences by giving them a hands-on familiarization of the medical equipment. This can make it seem less frightening to the child.
An Emotional Time
Being in the hospital can potentially be a very stressful place for children due to many factors. Separation from parents and siblings is difficult, even for older children. Parents need to be aware of their child's feelings of anxiety and try to encourage positive feelings whenever possible. "The parent's attitude will be contagious, just as a negative attitude," says Dr. Brown. "The parents will provide the model for having stable and positive feelings around separation."