My son George, 4, recently bashed his head against the coffee table and needed 4 stitches at the hospital.
One week later, he needed to have those stitches taken out.
Here’s how I helped him throughout which led him to lying there calmly & relaxed whilst the stitches were removed.
- When your child hurts themselves, allow them to cry freely immediately afterwards whilst you hold them & offer empathy
- don’t distract them, diminish their feelings, or jump in & fix it
- Before an upcoming medical procedure:
- Provide information about what’s going to happen. Talking with your child is helpful, but you’re also going to need to help them with their emotions.
- Play! Encourage your child to pretend to be a doctor chasing you to give you an injection, or perform a procedure. Wrestle & do all the fun games to help them feel more powerful
- Listen. Notice when they get upset or annoyed over seemingly small issues. Allow their feelings to flow. These are perfect catalysts for upset feelings about the bigger issue to be released.
- Offer empathy throughout
- If it’s a scary procedure, be sure to find & receive support for you too
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