It's the most wonderful time of the year!

There is just something about Christmas time that makes me feel warm and happy inside.  It, of course, helps when I am in Pennsylvania with my family.  We always get ready for Christmas the beginning of December and would probably start earlier if the men in our family would allow it.  Since I was little, it has been tradition for us to get the tree together.  As we have moved out and started our own families, my parents still wait till most of us are home to pick out the prized tree of the year.

Before...

After...

This year many of us were home for Thanksgiving, which provided the perfect opportunity to begin our Christmas festivities.  As if getting the tree and decorating isn't enough, we also took a day to make tons of yummy cookies.

This is a wonderful way to spend time with family and bake yummy goodness to share with others.  I don't know a better way to bring together generations and share memories that will last a lifetime.

What is your favorite tradition when preparing for the holidays?

Happy Thanksgiving from PA

It is wonderful spending the holidays with family and this year I was reminded of the blessing it is to be close to loved ones, especially when life is changing and new adventures are beginning.

Today, and everyday, I am thankful for my husband who is my rock and biggest support. He evens me out and keeps me on track.  He leads me in the right direction and is constantly making me laugh.  I would be lost without him.

This year we are extremely thankful for the new adventure we have started.

Those two little lines told us we will be welcoming Baby Shep in June 2014!

We certainly don't feel prepared for this experience, but we have been overjoyed by the love and excitement we have felt from our friends and family.

What are you thankful for this year?

Thanksgiving in the PICU

This year we have a lot of little ones in the PICU.  I have found myself stuck in that place of seeing everyone, finding no child life needs and having hours left in my day.  These babies are sick so there aren't many toys needed and many are over stimulated by touch.  I have been providing a lot of family support and searching for a way to include these little ones in the festivities of the upcoming holidays.  I had seen turkey handprints online and thought they were absolutely adorable but worried about the feasibility with my kiddos. Since many of these patients cannot be touch for long periods of time, I improvised... 

I used model magic to get a handprint and then painted the print instead of attempting to paint each hand and get a quality print.  It was much easier for the patients and the families seemed to love them. Painting the hand of an intubated child may be easier at times; however, it can be extremely over stimulating and it is essential to watch the monitors and the child's cues to assess how each patient is tolerating the stimuli.

As far as legacy building goes, I am torn.  If this was the only thing I could get with a sensitive, intubated patient it would work, but the paint takes away the lines and finger prints that make each mold unique.  Many of the turkeys I painted myself, but, when appropriate, I gave the supplies to the parents or siblings to participate which seemed to be well received.  Overall, I would say this activity was successful and will be utilized again.

What activities do you do with your patients or children for the holidays?

What would your sign say?

The other day I came across an article entitled Let's be gentle with each other.  Let's read each other's signs from this website.  IT. IS. POWERFUL.

Hopefully the idea of empathy is not completely foreign, however, it has certainly become a stranger in society today.  This article was written by a woman who found herself in a time of extreme stress and great need, but help was not easily found.  She suggests how different life would be if we could move past all the small talk and just say what we feel.  What if we didn't have to walk on egg shells in public or we were surrounded by people who wanted to care for us in times of need?  What if we could each wear a sign that let everyone know times are tough and it's hard to talk about it?

While we may never truly know what someone is really experiencing, we could instead assume each person is wearing a sign that says "please be gentle with me, I'm doing my best" and extend grace and empathy regardless of the situation.  Instead of judgement, people could feel love.  Instead of lonely, people could feel support.  Instead of selfishness, the world could see empathy and kindness.  With all that love, support, empathy and kindness; my problems seem a little more manageable and my feelings matter.

What would your sign say?  What do you wish people knew when you put on your pretend happy face before you start your day?  How would life be different if you felt like you could let your guard down, even just a little?

This week my sign might say:  "I think I can, I just need someone to agree"  

 

Distraction

Sometimes the best technique I can utilize whether for pain, coping, or anxiety is distraction.  We can all be distracted by something and, as a child life specialist, I take my job very seriously as I work to uncover the specific distraction that works for each patient.  For toddlers it can include bubbles, singing, or light up toys.  For school aged children, I often gravitate toward the iPad, a game, or craft.  For teens, a good distraction might be talking about their favorite movie, listening to music, or an activity.  Whatever that topic is, I must work to find how I can utilize it as I attempt to distract from an unpleasant experience.

Today, I found myself working very hard for my pay check as I printed out pictures of these two for a teenage girl to use as distraction...

It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.  To all my child life friends - keep up the hard work and if the opportunity ever arises to use pictures like this has hospital room wallpaper...don't let it slip away.

Group Play

What a wonderful afternoon in the playroom!  I was able to get a PICU patient up to the playroom which is a rare occasion as few of my patients are able to do this.  It was a perfect afternoon, creating with energetic school age girls.  

One of the very creative child life specialists I work with came up with the idea to do a group project--the button tree.  This has been a very popular activity lately and these girls were up for the challenge.  We all chose our favorite buttons and took turns adding them to the tree.  While there may not be an obvious therapeutic goal for the button tree, I would say our goals today

1. Engaging patients with differing physical abilities

2. Promoting group work

3. Encouraging normalization of the hospital

were a success!  This was a reminder of the great work that is child life and the happiness that comes from seeing a sick child feel empowered through play.  

The Importance of Play

This week I have been reminded of the importance of child-centered play.  I have been working with a patient who has needed me only to provide a safe space to play.  She has an incredible imagination and tells powerful stories to understand her world.  She doesn't need my prompts, my ideas, or even my replies in conversation.  She only needs me to be the container of her story and her play.  This experience has been healing for her and intriguing for me.  She has learned to better understand her world, recognized her strength and learned coping techniques that will last a lifetime.  I continue to be impressed by the work of children and the value of play, especially in times of stress.