Some of my favorite resources for teaching kids in the hospital are books. Children are constantly exposed to books outside of the hospital so it makes great sense to use them as a teaching tool within. I was able to create a Therapeutic Library of resources for myself and my colleagues to utilize throughout the units of the hospital we cover, below are some of my favorites!
The Invisible String: This book is great for separation anxiety, but I also frequently use it when preparing children for the death of a loved one. Be sure to talk to the family about their religious beliefs prior to reading this book though, one page asks if the invisible string reaches all the way to Heaven. It is amazing to me how much kids get out of this book!
The Way I Feel: Talking about feelings is really important with kids or siblings in the hospital. Some younger children have a tough time naming or describing their feelings about different things and that can lead to confusion or stress. This book does a great job of naming a feeling and describing it. I like to ask kids to name a feeling that wasn't in the book when done reading it with them.
Whistler's Last Song: Anticipatory grief is a tough thing. In this book a little leaf, Whistler, has a hole in his tummy which makes his stem too weak to hold him on the tree anymore. I love this book because it shows Whistler having a problem that can't be fixed, much how a family member has an illness that can't be treated anymore. I personally think the best part of this book though is when the forest creatures come together to ask questions about death, I find the questions to be very similar to the ones kids ask me in the first place!
Waiting for Baby: This book is super NICU specific! It is hard to find a good book to prepare siblings to visit a new baby in the intensive care unit. This book has fantastic illustrations and talks about the sights, sounds, and other sensory information found in the NICU setting. My coworker loves this book and utilizes it during her sibling preps before a first visit with baby.
A Terrible Thing Happened: I love using this book for traumatic situations, the best part being it can work for so many because it only states "a terrible thing happened" and doesn't name what that thing is. This book shows some of the side effects of poor coping after a traumatic event and demonstrates how talking to someone can make it better. I sometimes like to partner this book with a blank journal so that kids can write or draw about their terrible thing.
The Sibling Slam Book: Can't forget about the siblings right? I really enjoy reading this book or giving it to siblings because the author is siblings just like them. It has voices of other siblings sharing their honest thoughts about having a sibling who is ill. I don't always have siblings of multiple patients present in the hospital at the same time so I like to use this as a way to show them that other kids feel the same way too.
What are some of your favorite therapeutic books for teaching in your setting? There are so many great books out there for a myriad of situations!
-K
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