A Child Life Specialists job

Photo by: Christiaan Triebert

Child Life Specialists help children cope with their illnesses as well as to bring comfort to the these children through play.  Children who come into the hospital anxious and wary for what is to come, they are reassured by the child life specialist, who explains to them, step by step, what is going to happen. They might take the patient and family on a tour of the facility, especially if they are going to have surgery, and show them how far their mom and dad will be able to go with them. They will also show the child what the nurses will be putting on them while they are still awake, so they are prepared, especially for the gross smell of the sedation gas, if they are being sedated, by letting them choose a awesome flavor to smell during this time inside of their mask. When the child feels safe and secure, and know what is coming, they will be able to not only cope with the situation better, but also understand what is happening, and not be afraid because they have seen everything before. Many people do not know that child life specialists have this large of an impact on children.

Photo by: Carol Garcia

Child life specialists work with children and adolescents of all ages, going through many different medical challenges, including oncology. Since patients dealing with cancer are all of different age, they have activates and programs suited to each different age and developmental group. One activity that is talked about in this article, is teen grille night, where there is a different featured food item that the teens get to make themselves, and sit around and talk and eat with their peers. This often brings a comfort to these patients, that they are not the only ones going through this, and that somebody else understands. Because child life specialists are in hospitals, and help children cope with their illness through play and explaining procedures in a way children understand, children and parents are less stressed and anxious for any given procedure. Also, kids who are too sick to come out of their rooms do not feel isolated and alone, because the child life specialist brings activities and toys to their bedside, including them in the things that the other kids on their floor are doing.  Helping sick kids be kids is a crucial part of a child life specialists job and they truly make a difference in the life of children and their families everyday.