Beyond Support: Helping Your Children Prepare for a Procedure

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As parents, there is nothing quite so difficult as seeing our children undergo any form of health problem. When our child needs to undergo a procedure like an operation or surgery, there may be a lot of questions from your child, but it’s also important to make sure that you are preparing your child properly and ensure you can provide that vital support.

It may seem hard to give them the support they need, which is why you should think about some of the following to help you and your child throughout the process.

Answering Their Questions

They may have a lot of questions about the process. If they are having a tooth taken out, they are going to want to know if it hurts, but it’s important to be honest, rather than saying things that are not accurate.

You need to explain why they are going to sit in the chair and have a tooth taken out or operated on. If something is going to hurt, we should say so, but we need to explain that while it may hurt for a bit of time, these people are professionals that do everything they can to make sure your child is as comfortable as possible.

In terms of the dentist chair, there are many options for sedation dentistry which can help to make your responses much easier.

Know As Much as Possible

They will know when you are concerned, and for most of us, the reason we feel scared of something is because it is the unknown. Therefore, the more you understand, the less stressed you’re going to feel, so you can explain things to your child properly.

Depending on the procedure itself, you could potentially go to the professional’s office beforehand and find out as much as possible. If your child is undergoing surgery, you could meet with a Child Life Specialist (CLS), who is a trained member of the team who can speak to your child and explain it in understandable ways.

Letting Your Child Express Their Emotions

They could be mad or scared, and every emotion is not wrong. It’s normal to be scared and it’s ok to be upset. We should do what we can to be emotionally supportive of our child, even if we are scared of the unknown ourselves, so we need to let them let it out.

It’s vital to provide as much reassurance as possible, even if your child is older. Our child will need us more than ever to help them through this time.

Ensuring You Support Yourself

One of the most critical parts of helping prepare your child for any procedure is making sure that you are as stable as possible. You need to do what you can to get enough sleep and recognize that if you are happier with yourself, they will be happier too. After all, if you don’t make sure that you are doing your best, you will not be able to give the child the best of yourself.

*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.