Using Fun, Humor to Help Children through Hospital Stays and Procedures

I could write a book on helping children cope with hospitals and medical procedures. Having two children with Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome, we have seen our fair share of hospitals. The procedures and hospitalizations affect every member of the family. No one escapes the stress. We can minimize the effects of the stress by using active coping strategies. In this article, I will address using fun as an active coping strategy to help children cope. We have all heard about the healing power of humor. Well, fun and play are also healing for the mind, body and spirit. Mix fun, play and humor and you are sure to help your child cope with hospitalizations and medical procedures while building a few enjoyable memories along the way.

No one likes to go to the hospital. No one likes needles. Unfortunately, for some children, this is a common occurrence in their lives. My boys have had anxiety and fear about procedures, but they have never hated the hospital or not wanted to go! Amazing! My youngest has an extreme fear of needles, yet he has always been excited about going to the hospital to see his favorite nurses and doctors. One day, we had to reschedule an appointment and he was actually disappointed that he was not going to see his favorite nurse! This is what prompted me to look back on what we had done to give him this positive attitude.