Having Kids in the Hospital - Tips to Help You Keep Your Sanity!

Having a child in the hospital is no ones idea of fun, but sometimes it is a very necessary evil. Believe it or not, there are some ways that you can make it far easier on yourself and on your child.

1 - Look around you and suss out where everything is. from bed linen to towels, toileting and food. Sometimes you may only get an hour to yourself, so the less time that you waste finding out where everything is, the better.

2 - If in doubt about anything, from whether you are allowed hot drinks in the ward to which toilets and showers parents are allowed to use - ask.

3 - Once you and your child are settled in take another look around. This time at the other kids and parents. Some stories will be more straight forward than yours, and some will be far far worse and they will help you to appreciate your situation much more.

4 - Get to know your nurses and the aides. They will be your biggest asset and allies.

5 - Asking questions will help your understanding of what is happening. Knowing what the nurses and doctors are doing and why will help you to relax. This will help your child to cope better as well.

6 - Get and keep a positive attitude. Your baby is in the best place and if they didn't need to be there they wouldn't be there, so relax and just take what comes.

7 - Reach out to others - when you are getting a coffee, see if anyone else wants one. If you can see that they may need a hand with something - offer one. Don't be afraid to ask about their child. There are some amazing stories out there. A childrens ward is such a unique environment and can be a place of great support and understanding.

8 - This last one is really important and one that is easy to forget sometimes....

You are in hospital, not in a hotel, so do as much as you can yourself and let the staff concentrate on taking care of your child.

Matilda Matheson has had more than her fair share of medical crises with her kids and has spent more time in hospital with the darlings than she cares to think about! You can read some of her stories over at Kiwiparents Blog. She has also added plenty of good old fashioned advice on how she copes with raising 4 preschoolers, running a business from home and just everyday stuff - Like whether Adam Lambert should have won American Idol! Kiwiparents Blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matilda_Matheson