Child life

Painful medical procedures are difficult to cope with. As a Certified Child Life Specialist, my role is to prepare children for new experiences while providing a coping plan. I had the opportunity to support my own son for a routine blood test this week. He was quite nervous when his pediatrician mentioned it and I […]

From problem-solving to creativity, play allows kids to develop important skills they will continue to use throughout their life. Play varies at each age and can be broken down into these 6 stages of play. #playtime #kidsplay #playmatters #toddlers #toddlerplay #childdevelopment #toddlerdevelopment #playskills #pretendplay #playislearning #toddlerplay #childdevelopment #toddlerdevelopment #playislearning #stagesofplay #6stagesofplay Copyright © 2021 Pathways Foundation

This blog gets a lot of traffic from women (because, let’s be honest, it’s always women) who are interested in the field of child life. I get it, unfortunately there are not a ton of ch…

https://flic.kr/p/qGNo86 | A day in Child Life__117 | Kate Denlinger, certified child life specialist meets with patient Kaitlyn Teeter, 5, prior to a procedure she regularly receives at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. Kaitlyn is ready for her procedure. Read the full story at: <http://bit.ly/1BKe9nn

How to explain death to young kids #howtoexplaindeath #howtoexplaindeathtoyoungkids #howtoexplaindeathtoatoddler #howtoexplaindeathtoapreschooler #death #dying #deathresources #griefresources #childlifespecialist #griefparentsupport #explainingdeath

Do your kids (and you!) get anxious during medical procedures? Are you nervous about your child's upcoming surgery? Find yourself in ER with your little one? Child Life Specialists can help! Find out more about what they do and how they can support your family in our latest blog post, "What is a Child Life Specialist and How Do They Help Your Family?" by Katie Taylor, CCLS.

Child life specialists at Oakland Children’s Hospital help youngster cope with complex medical procedures and conditions.

A day in the life of a child life specialist.

One thing I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy: Preparing a child for surgery. If you have other children, help them prepare for their sibling's surgery.

March is Child Life Month, a month where hospitals have the opportunity to celebrate child life specialists through education and raising awareness. This is often done through play, creative activities, learning opportunities, and much more. The sky’s the limit when it comes to ways to celebrate, so get creative and find what best suits your hospital and child life team! Here are some ways you can celebrate them and kickstart your Child Life Month celebrations:

How a Child Life Specialist helped our NICU experience #childlifespecialist #childlife #childlifemonth #doseofplay #guestblog #littlebirchshop #nicusupport #familycenteredcare #siblingsupport #siblingconnection #siblingpreparation #sibbook #medicaleducation #childdevelopment

Did you know it’s Child Life Awareness Month?! There are over 6,500 child life specialists working inside and outside the hospital. If your child has been hospitalized, there’s a good chance you’ve met a child life specialist. At times, your stay may be so overwhelming that you may not fully take advantage of their services. So, what do they do, and why should you take advantage? 📚 Read the article at rareparenting.com or link in bio! #rareparenting #complexneeds #childhooddisability #sp...

I’ve neglected the blog for a while and I’ve missed it! I feel like 2013 is moving at warp speed. I’m trying to stop and pay attention to the things I enjoy along the way and pr…

Child Life Specialist

You may be surprised to see a child life specialist in one of the rooms at Cook Children’s Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU). After all, this is an area devoted to babies. But spend some time in one of those rooms and you will see a big part of the child life specialist’s job is to help patients through tests and procedures, as well as copin...

Check out these other blogs written by Child Life Specialists and students on their way to becoming Child Life Specialists! If you have a Child Life Blog, let me know and I’ll add it to the l…