Guest Blogger, Jessica Ehret, Author of The Hospital Bedtime Story
Hospitalization is disruptive to a child’s normal routine. It means that they are either ill or injured, and are requiring the work of medical professionals to diagnose and treat them. For the child, this typically means pain, fear, regression, and separation, to name a few. As parents do their best to navigate the process, child life specialists step in to help mitigate the journey; it is through our skill set and resources that we are able to best provide these services.
Here is a new resource for child life specialists to do just that. The Hospital Bedtime Story is a children’s book that is sure to provide comfort and gentle explanations of the child’s newfound surroundings. Specifically dedicated to patients, families, pediatric health care workers, and child life specialists.
About the book
Riley has been hospitalized and is processing everything that’s going on in the new and unfamiliar environment. From the hospital room itself, to vitals, routine interruption, procedural fear, and bedtime- Riley provides insight from a child’s perspective. Riley’s age and gender are not identified so that more children can relate, or make their own inferences. Riley’s medical condition also remains unspecified in the book, due to the vast range of diagnoses and circumstances that warrant hospitalization.
Who is it intended for?
This book was created for children who are, who will be, or who have been hospitalized. This is also a resource for child life specialists to add to their toolkits. It’s recommended for ages 4-10.
The Hospital Bedtime Story is a great resource to be introduced at the time of hospitalization. Caregivers, nurses, or child life specialists can offer this book to children and families to provide gentle explanations, comfort, normalcy with a bedtime routine, and to encourage positive thinking.
What inspired you to write this book?
I wrote this book for 2 reasons; one is professional, and the other personal.
Professional- as a child life specialist, ‘I put myself in my patient’s shoes’ in order to empathize, and to best understand them. On several occasions, I left work for the evening and I continued to think about those families and what the rest of their evening might be like.
Personal- as a mom of two small children, upon getting home after work- it’s dinner, bath, and bedtime. Like ours, most families with young children have bedtime routines that consist of reading books before going to sleep.
So, through both avenues, I saw a need to help normalize this portion of hospitalization for children and families. Many of us go home for the day, while our patients and parents still have the entire night to face. This left me wondering, what more could I do at that point? How could I provide support without my presence, but still offer a resource that is intimate and helpful? Hence, a bedtime story about hospitalization.
Where to purchase?
The book is currently being sold on Barnes and Noble, Amazon in paperback and Kindle version.
We will be giving away a copy of The Hospital Bedtime Stroy to one lucky winner.
Choose one or more ways to enter:
- Sign up for email notifications at ChildLifeMommy.com and leave a comment below.
- Facebook: Follow Child Life Mommy and tag a friend.
- Instagram: Follow @ChildLifeMommy and tag two friends in the post.
- Twitter: Follow, Like, and RT the post to @ChildLifeMommy.
Good Luck, the winner will be chosen on 5/30/20.
