Working with Children at CHM Page 1 of 15 CHM Child Life Services Department Detroit Medical Center© May, 2007 Working with Children at Children’s Hospital of Michigan

Working with Children at CHM Page 2 of 15 Confidentiality Ask only the information from children and families that you need (Are you able to come to the playroom? Can you have juice?) It is not appropriate to ask about diagnosis Keep all information offered to you as confidential in and out of the hospital You are to act as an advocate for children and families – support their privacy

Working with Children at CHM Page 3 of 15 Promote Independence Of Children Children in the hospital are often still able to perform tasks for themselves; help children only when necessary Encourage children to continue to develop and explore their capabilities

Working with Children at CHM Page 4 of 15 Approach Children Gently Children are wary of strangers, especially in the hospital Approach children with gentleness; rapid or aggressive movement may non-verbally communicate danger to children Younger children may be especially wary of strangers

Working with Children at CHM Page 5 of 15 Language Use With Children Younger children often interpret works literally: “I’m going to draw your blood.” “See you later.” Talking with staff or other volunteers about your personal life in the presence of children is inappropriate

Working with Children at CHM Page 6 of 15 Speak Softly Tone of voice is as important when communicating with a young child as the words you speak Address children in a soft manner conveying a feeling of warmth and security

Working with Children at CHM Page 7 of 15 Bend Down To The Child’s Level Bend or squat down so that your head is level with the child’s head with whom you are communicating This will reduce threat engendered by height and facilitate communication with children

Working with Children at CHM Page 8 of 15 DO NOT Make Promises That Cannot Be Kept You may be tempted to make promises of returning, or playing a game later, etc.: Circumstances may change causing you to unintentionally break your promise and disappoint a child Avoid making even the simplest promises

Working with Children at CHM Page 9 of 15 DO NOT Offer Children Choices That Are Not Available Phrases such as the following are unfair to children because they offer an apparent choice where none exists: “Is it alright to stop playing now?” “We have to close the playroom, okay?”

Working with Children at CHM Page 10 of 15 Be Positive With Choices When limitations must be placed, state them positively by offering an alternative action: Instead of saying, “Don’t walk with scissors in your hand.”; say, “Place the scissors on the table if you need to get up to get something else.”

Working with Children at CHM Page 11 of 15 Be Aware Of All Children Be aware of the needs of all children in a group, ensuring that they are all involved in meaningful activities/play: You may be tempted to become highly involved in an activity with one child or a small group; however, you must facilitate opportunities for all children to play with other children

Working with Children at CHM Page 12 of 15 DO NOT Be Concerned With Messiness DO NOT be concerned with constantly cleaning up after the children; instead encourage them to tidy one activity up before moving on to another: Children engaged in play will often be messy Accidents will occur, handle the situation calmly and avoid making comments that children could interpret as scolding

Working with Children at CHM Page 13 of 15 Encourage Parent And Sibling Participation This is a family-centered care hospital and as such we strive to facilitate family relationships during hospitalization Encourage parents and siblings to participate in activities with their children

Working with Children at CHM Page 14 of 15 Prepare Children For The End Of Activities Prepare children for the end of activities with phrases like the following: “It’s almost time to close the playroom.” “I can play one more game with you and then I need to go play with another child.” DO NOT offer children choices if none exist

Working with Children at CHM Page 15 of 15 We hope this NetLearning course has been both informative and helpful. Feel free to review this course until you are confident about your knowledge of the material presented. Click the Take Test button on the left side when you are ready to complete the requirements for this course. Click on the My Records button to return to your CBL Courses to Complete list. Click the Exit button on the left to close the Student Interface. Summary: