A three-year-old boy lies sleeping in his hospital bed. Monitors are silent, white noise plays in the background, and lights are low.  “You aren’t doing your job. You don’t know what you are doing. You need to call the doctor right now!” Outside the room, the little man’s mom is angry and screaming at the ...

Brother and sister are playing together at home. They both want one specific Lego piece, and sharing is not an option. The six-year-old gets angry, stomps around, and throws toys across the room. The five-year-old runs to the corner, silently crying with tears streaming down, and they sulk. These little ones have two drastic reactions ...

A family on a stroll stumbles upon a dessert shop. They all decide to grab one ice cream cone each. Dad chooses strawberry, mom picks vanilla, and the three-year-old settles on cookies and cream with sprinkles. The little one is looking forward to enjoying this tasty treat. She runs out to the bench and trips. ...

Physical touch has never been my love language. I have not been a hugger, kisser, or cuddler. This sentiment did not change even after I became a mom. My oldest was born six years ago. Even when I met my firstborn, what I’ve heard described as the moment that makes all the pain, hardship, waiting, ...

I have the privilege of being both a pediatric nurse and a mom. With 11 years of hospital bedside experience in the pediatric intensive unit, I encounter a range of patients and families. Each meeting is unique and special in its own way. Something new I learn every shift, is how to foster resilience in ...

Little humans are almost like pets. They get antsy when I coop them up too long under a roof. Moreso when visiting the grandparents’ house for the holidays because it is a new environment, they don’t have their comfort toys, and routine is thrown out the window during holiday vacations. I must take them on ...

Little ones seek independence. This desire is met with making decisions for themselves. Allowing children to choose instills a sense of control over their life and body. This is important inside the home as well as inside the hospital. The key is to determine what their choices can be. Choices at home At home, asking ...

Obtaining quality sleep is a challenge. Factor in alarms, excessive noise, artificial illumination, and people waking you up, the idea of getting any shut-eye sounds impossible. Bodies need rest and an opportunity to reset. In the hospital, it is paramount to recovery. Hindrances Hospitals hinder relaxation due to functioning as a 24-hour workforce. Patients are ...

Humans communicate using words, actions, body language, tone, inflection, and volume. Small people may not be receptive to all these nuances. To them, spoken word is the gold standard. They are unable to appreciate sarcasm, puns, and figures of speech. What we articulate to children is what they believe. Cross Signals Youngsters receive conflicting messages ...

Flying with little humans can be challenging. Delays, waits, lines, quiet voices, and nowhere to go, makes my patience grow wary. Traveling adults experience anxiety and tension with getting to the airline on time, progressing through security, and keeping track of baggage. Add bothersome kids to that mix and it is chaos. Being a military ...