Resources for Children Developmentally 13+
undergoing medical care and healthcare experiences
Read.
Making self-care a routine part of your teenager’s life will help them manage stress and anxiety, better cope with life’s challenges, and help them live a better life.
Book of the Month: Becoming Me: A Work in Progress: Color, Journal & Brainstorm Your Way to a Creative Life, by Andrea Pippens.
Watch.
Self-awareness is an important quality for teenagers with regard to their development of learning and thinking. Self-awareness can help your teenager come to grips with their issues and understand how they affect him in school, the hospital, and throughout their adult life.
App of the Month: GritX - Mental Health and Self-Care for Adolescents (website) GritX (app store)
Do.
Bring comfort from home: familiar music, blankets, books, and/or photos help encourage a sense of familiarity and routine.
Provide your teen with activities such as the Hospital School Program and Child Life programming to encourage socialization with peers.
Talk with your teen if you notice any changes in their behaviors, thoughts, or emotions.
Show that you have an interest in their life (school, friends) while also respecting their privacy.
Respect your teen’s opinions and help them work through conflicts.
Listen to your teen’s needs and celebrate their accomplishments.
Prepare your teen for upcoming medical procedures in advance.
Give clear and concrete explanations and be honest about medical information.
Support their preferred style of coping with procedures in the hospital setting. Child Life can help…….CLS
Allow your teen to ask for more pain medication if needed.
Offer books about the anatomy of the body.
Ask questions that start a discussion, avoiding questions with "yes" or "no" answers. Ask them what they want to know.
Provide creative things to do: journals for writing, or paper and colored pencils for drawing pictures of medical events.
Screen-time for children 13+
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for children ages 13 and older, place consistent limits on the time spent using media and the types of media, and make sure media does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity, and other behaviors and habits essential to health.
Designate media-free times together, such as dinner or driving, as well as media-free locations at home, such as bedrooms.
Create a Family Media Plan.
Have ongoing communication about online citizenship and safety, including treating others with respect both online and offline.
I Can. You Can.
Developmental Support for children ages 13+ years old (printable)
