In answering your child's questions, avoid negative statements. Instead of saying there will be pain, for example, emphasize that medicine will be given to make it feel better. Staff will take you around and explain how everything works. During your visit, you might also want to ask about how to use role-playing games at home to help prepare your child for diagnostic tests, anesthesia and surgery. Tell your child that you or some other familiar adult will always be close by during the hospital stay, if that will be true.
Children can feel lonely and abandoned in a strange place, especially when they're facing surgery.
We also understand that work and family obligations sometimes make it difficult for parents to come to the hospital as often as they would like. Encourage your child to express any fears or concerns. Let you child know that it is okay to be afraid and to cry. When your child is admitted to University Children's Hospital at UC Davis Medical Center, you will be asked about his or her health history, including past illnesses and any allergic reactions to medications. A nurse will measure your child's height, weight, temperature, and pulse.