How you prepare your child for surgery will depend on their age and understanding of what is about to happen. Click a link below to drop down to the relevant age-specific recommendations for your child.
Infant
Preparing an infant for surgery includes creating a comforting environment to support yourself as a caregiver, as well as your child.
- Pack essentials: Prepare a bag with essential items for your infant such as breast milk, a comfort item, diapers/wipes, extra clothes etc.
- Comfort and familiarize your infant: Comfort items for your infant such as a favourite soother or blanket can bring a sense of familiarity into an otherwise unfamiliar environment.
- Remain calm: Infants can sense their parents'/caregivers' emotions. Staying calm and relaxed will help create a positive experience for everyone. Reach out to your child's health-care team for support and resources.
- Do not forget about yourself: Bring water and/or snacks for yourself to stay hydrated. Remember to bring a phone charger with you.
Toddler/preschool age
When explaining an upcoming surgery to this age group, be sure to use appropriate language and a gentle approach.
- Keep it simple: Use simple language that your child understands. Using familiar terms and relating the surgery to a familiar experience may help your child gain a better understanding. Avoid using medical jargon or sharing overwhelming details.
- Be honest and reassuring: Explain to your child that they are going to the hospital to have a surgery to help their body get better. Explain that the health-care team will take great care of them, and you will be with them for as long as you can be.
- Address their concerns and answer questions: Encourage your child to ask questions. Answer their questions honestly, while providing reassurance. Do not answer a question that you do not know the answer to. Let your child know that you will ask their health-care team to answer any questions that you cannot.
- Use visual aids: Use picture books, operating room preparation books, videos or drawings to help illustrate what your child will see when they go to the hospital for surgery. This can make it easier for your child to visualize their experience.
- Role-play: The use of dolls, puppets, stuffed animals or action figures to act out the trip to the hospital is a useful tool in helping young children understand and act through what will happen. This is also a helpful way to assess if your child has any misconceptions about their upcoming surgery.
- Offer reassurance: Assure your child that they may feel different emotions, from calm to worried, but that you will be with them before and after surgery, that they are safe and well cared for. Let your child know that they can bring a comfort item with them to the hospital and into the operating room.
School age
When preparing your school age child for surgery, open communication and transparency is important to help reduce stress and ensure a smoother experience.
- Communicate openly: Explain the purpose of the surgery in a calm and age-appropriate manner. Use simple language to explain what to expect during and after the surgery. This can include information about the hospital, the surgery and the recovery. Offer the opportunity for your child to ask questions and answer these questions openly and honestly.
- Address questions: Listen to your child’s questions and provide reassurance. Validate their feelings and acknowledge that this is not something they do every day. Explain that this is what their health-care team does every day and that they will take great care of your child.
- Use visual aids: If you feel it would be helpful, use visual aids such as books about going to the hospital, books about surgery, OR preparations books or educational shows about going for surgery. This can help your child visualize their experience and it may bring up questions that your child did not know they had.
- Pack comfort items: Comfort items can provide a sense of familiarity and security. Allow your child to bring a comfort item like a favourite stuffed animal, blanket, or toy to the hospital. Your child can bring this item into the operating room with them.
- Stay calm for your child: Children can also pick up on their parents'/caregivers’ emotions. Staying calm, supportive, and positive throughout your time at the hospital will help your child feel safer and more at ease.
Teenagers
When preparing your teen for surgery, it is important to address their unique needs and concerns. They may have questions but find it hard to identify exactly what their main concerns are.
- Open and honest communication: Have an honest conversation with your teen about their upcoming surgery. Use age-appropriate terms and share as much or as little information as your child wants to know. Share accurate information about the surgery, recovery and expected outcomes.
- Provide information for self-exploration: Offer resources such as written material or access to websites with accurate information about your teen’s upcoming surgery. This allows your teen to review the information at their own pace, in their own space and ask further questions when they feel ready to do so.
- Find out what is important to your teen: Understand if your teen would like to be a part of the decision-making when it comes to their care. Respect their privacy and honour their confidentiality. Encourage autonomy, such as allowing them to participate in deciding what course of anesthetic is used. Where possible, make adaptations that honour and respect your teen’s individual needs and preferences.
- Pack comfort items: Support your teen in bringing a comfort item such as a stuffed animal, a favourite book, blanket or a distraction item such as an electronic device. A comfort item can provide a sense of familiarity, and distraction throughout their hospital experience.
- Emotional support: It is important to acknowledge and validate your teen’s emotions. Encourage them to ask questions and provide them with honest answers. Offer your support and comfort and remain supportive throughout recovery.
- Plan for recovery: Include your teen in the recovery plan. Consider what is important to them and how you can support your teen in a successful recovery. Discuss necessary lifestyle changes or restrictions and how you can support your teen through those changes.