Parents and caregivers play an important role in helping children feel comfortable with medical care. When possible, sharing age-appropriate information with children before a medical appointment can help ease their fear and anxiety.
To help children prepare for a visit with their health care team, it is important that parents and caregivers understand the reason for the visit and what tests or procedures are likely to occur. Child life specialists, who are trained in child development, can help guide families and minimize the stress of the medical environment for children and teens.
“We want to make sure kids feel empowered,” explains Jennifer Rodemeyer, manager of Child Life at Mayo Clinic Children’s Center. “We’re open and honest with them so they know what they are about to experience.”
On this Ask the Mayo Mom edition of the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, host Angela Mattke is joined by Jennifer Rodemeyer and Tara Lodermeier, also a child life specialist at Mayo Clinic’s Children’s Center, to discuss helping children cope with medical experiences.
Relevant reading
Mayo Clinic Guide to Holistic Health
Are you tired of playing catch-up with your health, always racing to address problems rather than preventing them in the first place? In a world where high-tech medicine often takes precedence, it's easy to overlook the fundamental factors that contribute to our well-being. Mayo Clinic Guide to Holistic Health takes you…
Children’s health information and parenting tips to your inbox.
Sign-up to get Mayo Clinic’s trusted health content sent to your email. Receive a bonus guide on ways to manage your child’s health just for subscribing.
