Helping your child manage their treatment

Plunket New Zealand

Healthline New Zealand

Starship FOundation New Zealand

Helping your child manage their treatment

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What are the main ways you can help your child?

There are a number of ways in which you can help your child if they are having health care treatment.
  • talk to your child about what is happening
  • be involved in all the decisions made about your child’s health care
This will help all the family to cope with the situation more effectively.
 

What can you do before the treatment or procedure?

Before your child has any treatment, it is important for you to know as much as possible about:
  • why your child is unwell
  • what procedures are necessary
  • what choices are available
This will help you to feel less anxious and in turn, will help you support your child to manage any fear and anxieties they may feel as a result of a medical procedure or treatment.
 

What is your role?

You are an important member of the health care team. Your knowledge of what helps your child, and what may make them more anxious or distressed, is very useful information.
 

Some tips

  • find out what will happen; know why your child needs a procedure, how it might feel and how long it will last
  • consider being with your child during the procedure - discuss this before hand with the doctor or medical staff
  • explain to your child simply but truthfully why the procedure is needed, what they can expect to feel, see and hear and who will be with them throughout
  • try to avoid creating undue concern, but do not make promises that you cannot keep; for example, do not tell your child that a procedure will not hurt unless you can be sure of this
  • if your own fears and concerns are such that they are making your child more anxious, talk them through with medical staff or with other supportive adults out of your child’s hearing
  • encourage curiosity and exploration; ensure that staff caring for your child explain to your child (not just to you) what they will be doing and the purpose of the equipment they are using
  • encourage your child to ask questions and to express any concerns they may have
  • where possible use simple language and explain the meaning of unfamiliar terms they may hear, such as “anaesthetic”; when describing a medical procedure try not to use words that have double meanings or which may be frightening, for example, use “special medicine” instead of “dye”; “numb” or “make sleepy” instead of “deaden”; “make an opening” instead of “cut”
  • help your child manage pain or discomfort; many coping strategies can be used to help reduce anxiety and perceptions or pain and discomfort, depending upon your child’s age. These can include squeezing your hand and saying “ouch”, distraction with bubble blowing, songs or stories, deep steady breathing, video games or having a "walkman"
  • afterwards, comfort your child in whatever ways are soothing and reassuring to them; for example, by holding, rocking, touching or stroking
  • encourage play both before and after procedures. Playing, painting, and story telling or story writing give children control, help them to express their feelings, understand what is happening, and cope with unfamiliar or difficult situations
If your local hospital has a play specialist then they may be able to advise you on how to help your child cope with illness, treatment and hospitalisation. (See Where to go for more information and support).
 

Where to go for more information and support

On this website
 
Hospital Play Specialists Association
Play specialists may be able to advise you on how to help your child cope with illness, treatment and hospitalisation.
Postal address: P O Box 26637, Epsom, Auckland.
 

Acknowledgements

Starship Foundation and the Paediatric Society of New Zealand acknowledge the co-operation of the Hospital Play Specialists Association of Aotearoa / New Zealand in making this fact sheet available to parents / caregivers and families.
 

Content endorsed by the Paediatric Society of New Zealand 20 October 2010
© Paediatric Society of New Zealand and Starship Foundation 2005 – 2013
Printed on 19 June 2013. Content is regularly updated so please refer to www.kidshealth.org.nz for the most up-to-date version

DISCLAIMERThis fact sheet is for educational use only.
Please consult your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.