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Preparing your child for a trip to the hospital

What to bring for an overnight hospital stay

“Normalize your child’s environment with things from home,” says Alexander. Here are five things she recommends:

1. Comfort items, such as a favorite stuffed toy, blanket or pillow.
2. Distractions: Gameboy, dvd, music, favorite books, art materials.
3. Photos of pets and family members.
4. Opportunities for play, such as puppets or a favorite toy or game.
5. Siblings–often a visit from a brother or sister is the best distraction of all.

Regardless of whether your child’s trip to the hospital was planned or an emergency, ask for a child life specialist to help make the experience less stressful for the whole family.

Meet our expert:

Shaindy Alexander is a Child Life Specialist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She supports children and their families through stressful experiences and procedures and helps normalize the hospital environment, through play and education, thus helping children gain some control over stressful life events.