Evening star., 1936-02-12
Caring for
Sick-a-Bed
Youngster
Convalescent Period
Difficult for Child
and Parent.
BY ANGELO PATRI.


TAKING care Of convalescent child
l. is more diffcult than caring for
N thoroughly sick one, The child
thinks he is able to do anything
he wants to do Lying in bed he
feels strong. Il would be a very d1f-
ferent matter if he tried to get on his
feet, of course, but he does not know
this and insists upon having things
his way. The nurse has to use tact
and firmness to protect the child
against himself He must stay in bed
and keep as quiet as the doctor thinks
is necessary.
Keep visitors out of his room. I
have known a child, recovering from
ar operation for appendicitis, to laugh
SO heartily that he opened the wound
and had all sorts of trouble getting
it to heal again. The visiting chill
dren think they ought to make their
sick friend laugh-the harder the bet
ter. A few visitors, very brief visits,
with some one on guard close by,
works best.
AS the ailing child gets stronger he
wants to do school work. He begins
to fret about falling behind in his
classes. Don't allow any lessons until
the physician in charge gives permiS-
sion. Studying always raises a child's
temperature and that may be precisely
the wrong thing to do. Let the les
sons wait until the right time comes.
1t is much harder to recover after
a relapse than when the convalescence
is steady.
Guard the child's eyes after an
illness. Don't allow him to read in
bed until he can sit up for long
stretch, and the physician says read
ing will not hurt him. Reading ia
tigues the eyes, and that affects the
nervous system. AS the child's nerves
have been strained by illness more
strain is not advisable. Rest comes
first, then strength.
Measure the time you read to the
ailing child. Listening is one of the
most fatiguing processes. A child
can grow very tired listening to a
story. If it is an exciting story his
pulse is speeded, his respiration quick
ened, his nervous system wearied.
Any fatigue is bad for the convalescent
child.
Read light, amusing stories to these
young ones. Uncle Remus is among
the best for this purpose He inter
ests all ages. His stories are funny
enough to keep the child amused,
but not so loudly funny as to make
him laugh uproariously. One must re-
member that all the reactions of an
ailing child are abnormal. He will
laugh easier. weep sooner, become cross
faster, and with less cause, than when
he is we'll. Don't judge what he
can stand now by what he took easily
when he was well.
Make the routine of the sick room
impersonal and inevitable. Pin the
schedule in handy place and refer
to it regularly. Give treatments, food,
attention of any sort on schedule, and
do it with no more show of interest
than you would make when handing
the child picture book. You are
waiting on him, serving him, not
stirring up emotions in him or in your
self. Any sign of fear or distress
in you will be multiplied in your pa
tient. If you cannot control yourself
and be impersonal when waiting on
the ailing child, let somebody else
do it who can be impersonal.
Let the child get better. Just as
soon as he is able to help himself,
let him do so. Forget illness as soon
as it has passed. Give care when it
is needed, but let health do its work
as soon as it is indicated. This is
the old doctrine of common sense, but
it must be recited for our good oc-
casionally.
(Copyright, 1891