From the author: “Hospitalization is necessary, get ready to go to the hospital” is a frequent verdict from an emergency doctor, which is perceived by many parents as a death sentence. Of course, the ideal option is when you can be with your baby around the clock. But as practice shows, so far this largely depends on the age of the child, the conditions of the hospital and the illness of the little patient. How to reduce the psychological consequences if you are forced to leave your child alone in the hospital for a while? “Hospitalization is necessary, get ready to go to the hospital” is a frequent verdict from an emergency doctor, which is perceived by many parents as a death sentence. Of course, the ideal option is when you can be with your baby around the clock. But as practice shows, so far this largely depends on the age of the child, the conditions of the hospital and the illness of the little patient. How to reduce the psychological consequences if you are forced to leave your child alone in the hospital for a while? Urgent hospitalization is necessary when the child requires emergency medical care. For example, an attack of false croup, pneumonia or tonsillitis, a severe infectious disease, injuries, surgical interventions for vital reasons, etc. There is no time to prepare either yourself or the baby - you need to act quickly, there is little time to get ready. Take every opportunity to stay next to your child in the hospital, at least for the first day. Tips: Get together and act as coherently and clearly as possible, do not panic. The child notices the parents’ condition and also begins to worry. At home, have a list of things for the hospital, prepare it, and let it always be at hand. Medical and basic documents should be in the same place so that searching for them does not take much time. Try to keep control yourself, don’t become limp, one emotionally stable parent, or both together, should go to the hospital. It is important to remain calm because... in an affective state, it is difficult to correctly evaluate the information that doctors will tell you. On the way to the hospital, be close to the child, hold his hand or in your arms, remain confident, convince the baby that everything will be fine. Planned hospitalization. Children with chronic diseases are examined in the hospital almost every year and for them it becomes a part of life. They are fully adapted to the conditions of a hospital, they know what awaits them there, and they even expect to meet old acquaintances and friends, because nothing brings them together like common experiences. In some hospitals, even if there are no conditions for the mother to be with the child around the clock, doctors try to accommodate. There are always hours for visiting children; in some hospitals this time is from 8 to 20 hours. Surgeries are easier for children after 5 years. Therefore, if it is possible to postpone it without harming your health, then for the sake of psychological well-being it is worth doing. This also includes cases when the baby is undergoing a planned ENT operation: removal of adenoids and tonsils. The child is hospitalized without his parents for 3 days; he is only allowed to pass on packages; parents are prohibited from seeing the children and entering the department. But there is time to psychologically prepare the child for the upcoming event. Tips: start preparing 1-2 weeks in advance, gradually, answer any questions that concern the child. Calmly tell the baby what he will have to do in the hospital, try to convey to him the need for this for his health , tell him that he will get less colds, cough, etc. tell him only the truth, that he will have to be without you for some time, that he will not be alone there, but in a children’s group. Be sure to agree on these things with your child , games, books that he will take with him, let him take an active part in the training camp. Never threaten your child with medical procedures and doctors, he may perceive hospitalization as a punishment for bad behavior. This may be his first acquaintance with anesthesia.Explain that he will fall asleep and wake up when everything is over. When removing adenoids or tonsils, children often do not understand why they felt well before the operation, but are sick after. It is necessary to discuss this and warn that the first day the throat or nasopharynx will hurt, and then it will get better. Older children can be told that for him this is a life test of courage and vitality. Mother Tatyana, son Gleb 5 years old. “For several months now, my son has been walking with his mouth open and not breathing through his nose at all. It was impossible to postpone the removal of adenoids any longer. I told him that he needed to go to the hospital in two weeks. At first he resisted, saying that he wouldn’t go anywhere, but I continued to talk to him about it, convinced him that he needed to get over it, and tried not to show that I was also worried. A week later, he came to terms with this reality, realized that he didn’t want to, but it had to be done. I took him to the Rusakovskaya Children's Hospital, there are nannies there who look after the children and treat them well; there are 4-6 kids in a ward. He endured the separation quite calmly, but he immediately went into the garden without any problems, and easily let me go. At the time of the operation, of course, it was not easy for me to cope with my own emotions, but the thought that if I was strong, then the child would get through it easier, helped me a lot. The son clearly knew that his mother would definitely pick him up in three days. Gleb has only positive memories of the hospital; he needed to talk about his experience for about 2-3 weeks. I explain this by the fact that I was always honest with him and did not deceive his expectations. I’m proud of my son because he behaved like a real little man.” Adapting. How quickly the baby will adapt to the hospital depends on many factors: whether and what his first experience was with the hospital, the severity of the illness, age, and individual psychological aspects of the personality. In the first days, the baby may be wary, ask to go home, and not communicate with other children. After about 3-5 days, the child “thaws out” and begins to get used to the hospital. A lot also depends on the parental attitude. The baby needs your visits; it is in the first days that he feels abandoned and lonely. But excessive anxiety and guardianship are not allies - the child must develop his own internal resource to defeat the blues. An optimistic attitude without dramatizing events is 50% of success in treatment and a speedy recovery. Establishing contacts. Never find out the subtleties that relate to the disease in front of a child, do not express your concerns. Information that is unclear to him may worry him unnecessarily. You need to make sure that the baby knows the names of the nannies and nurses in the department, and is not afraid to turn to them for help if necessary. Tell the medical staff about the characteristics of your baby, what affectionate name you call him at home, about his interests and his food preferences. Visit. Young children, when visiting their parents in the department, may greet them with tears and not let them go anywhere during their presence. But this does not mean at all that when you leave, the baby continues to cry and withdraw. Ask the medical staff how your baby behaves in your absence. If he plays with other children, studies or draws, and joins the general daily routine, then adaptation proceeds normally and there is nothing to worry about. If not, then mom’s presence in the hospital is necessary. Parents are issued a temporary pass - it is signed by the head of the department in which the baby is located. Discuss with relatives the procedure for visiting the baby in the hospital, because on one day everyone may come at once, and on another there will be no one. If the condition is serious, it is better to have those closest to you, but other visits should be postponed. Tell us exactly how your relatives can help you, what kind of help you will need (buying the necessary medications, looking after the remaining children, etc.). What to talk about with your child? Tell him only good news, and those that may disturbor upset, you should put it off. Ask your child about what is positive in hospital life: he met new people, learned something that he couldn’t do on his own before, etc. Tell him how great he is, note that he is leading today I felt much better than yesterday, I ate the whole portion of porridge, I didn’t cry before the injection, I made a beautiful appliqué. Make plans for the future: where would you like to go with the whole family, what to see, who to stay with. You can promise to buy a new toy that will be waiting for the child when he returns home. Any news, messages from friends and relatives with words of support, care and hope for recovery will bring joy to the child. Interesting observation: In the hospital, all children, without exception, experience anxiety and fear to one degree or another. Surprisingly, the mechanism for compensating for these experiences is children’s favorite stories about the black hand and unusual mysterious phenomena (UFOs, ghosts) that they have encountered in their lives. And they tell each other about it at night. They are really terribly scared, but the psychological effect is that at this time they feel the support of friends and their security, and their anxiety about the real situation decreases. We are improving the situation. There is a lack of bright colors in the wards, which is why the colors that surround the child are so important. Clothing and bedding should be in cheerful colors; the child feels comfortable and protected in an environment with a combination of orange and green colors. For little ones, you can make bright, removable covers for the sides of the crib, or a small bright rug in the baby’s field of vision; you can change the figures on it using Velcro and change it periodically. Be sure to bring family photos, where you are all together, cheerful and happy. Favorite activities. Make sure that the child has something to do in all his free time; if you are tired of doing one thing, bring something new. You can start learning what kid has never done before. Some children discover real talent within themselves. Some people start drawing or sculpting, some start making beads or macrame. The main thing is that it brings a positive attitude and pleasure. Start with your child something that he can continue on his own in your absence and finish by your arrival. Useful things and games: For kids: oilcloth books, rubber toys that are easy to clean, for preschoolers - books, mini board games, puzzles, mosaics, album, coloring books, pencils, plasticine, small various figures and cars, construction sets, sets for children's creativity (for example, making engravings). Now there are several children's radio stations, after 21 o'clock they broadcast calm, relaxing music, so an MP 3 player is an indispensable thing before going to bed or during a quiet hour, you can bring a table that is placed on the bed - it is convenient for studying. How to say goodbye? Don’t delay farewell, avoid emotional scenes, the child will feel your hesitation, warn that you are going to leave 20-30 minutes before. Be sure to tell the baby when and at what time you will come to him again. The key moments for the perception that mom is nearby are the moment of going to bed and mom returning to breakfast. Arrive exactly at the promised time. Leave your child your personal item, this will give him confidence and the opportunity to feel your invisible presence. For kids, you can bring a soft toy, the image of which represents protection. For example, a stuffed lion or tiger. Tell him that while his mother is gone, he will protect his peace and sleep. The baby should know that staying in the hospital is temporary, and no one is going to prolong it. As soon as the doctor gives permission, you will prepare together for discharge and return home. Legal certificate. What do parents have the right to? Parents have the right to be present in the hospital at all times. There are “Fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation on the protection of the health of citizens.” The law was adopted in 1993, and Art. 22 clearly states that anyone. №3