Before they can reassure their children, parents need to deal with their own fears about the impending experience. It may be easy for parents to unintentionally communicate these fears to the child. The parents should learn all they can about their child's condition and about the hospital, the child's health care team, and available services.
Even with preparation and support, it is normal for children to experience certain fears when they are hospitalized. The most common fear is separation anxiety. The hospital is a frightening place full of unfamiliar sights, sounds, and people, and the child's primary source of security and reassurance is a parent. Many young children have never spent even a single night away from their parents, and if the parents leave for the night, especially at the beginning of a hospital stay, a child can easily fear that they will never return. Even a parent's short absence during the day can prove upsetting to a child. Once the child has become familiar with the hospital environment and personnel, the parents can encourage attachments to particular staff members or playmates to prevent the child from feeling abandoned during periods when the parents must be away.
In addition to separation anxiety, it is common for hospitalized children to fear injury or even death. Children may or may not verbalize these fears. Besides comforting their children simply by their presence, parents can also help them cope by trying as much as possible to help the child feel he or she has some control over things, such as what toys to play with, or what to eat or wear. Parents should answer their child's questions as honestly and thoroughly as possible.
Children may cope with their emotions by being withdrawn or aggressive, or they may have an unnatural
