hospital books or videos

[Lucia]

Our 4 yr old son is having hernia surgery in March. Does anyone have suggestions for books or videos that might help to prepare for the experience? We haven't talked about it too much with him but as the time approaches I thought some books might help. As a kid I remember reading books about going to the hospital to get your tonsils out and eating icecream (guess kids don't read those books anymore!). Any suggestions or tips would be great!
Thanks

[SnuggleBuggles]

There was a thread about this very topic just a few months ago. Here is the link with some ideas:
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=12&topic_id=68057&mesg_id=68057&listing_type=search

In that discussion I recommended "Franklin goes to the Hospital." Realistic discussion of what will happen and answers a lot of the questions he may have. Plus, my 4 yo likes Franklin so maybe your's will too. :)

Good luck to all of you!

Beth

[Lucia]

Thanks, Beth! I should have checked the archives before posting. My son loves Franklin so we will be sure to get that book. Thanks again for your reply.

[Lilysmom06]

You could call the hospital and check if they give tours and an information session. I know where I used to work, they had special times that the children would come in, so they could see where they would be coming before the surgery. I know that some of the parents thought it helped a lot. It may help prepare you as well!!

Kathy

[Ceepa]

I like the Usborne series for first experiences. I don't remember this one so it may target a younger child, but, in general, they're great books:

http://www.amazon.com/Going-Hospital-Usborne-First-Experiences/dp/0794501060

Good luck with your little guy's surgery!

-Ceepa

[julieakc]

My DS just had his hernia repair and orchiopexy on Friday; he turned 3 the Sat. before the surgery.

I bought these three books:

The Usborne one mentioned already;

http://www.amazon.com/Going-Hospital-First-Experiences-Civardi/dp/079451006X/sr=8-1/qid=1172473791/ref=sr_1_1/002-7761919-0233657?ie=UTF8&s=books


http://www.amazon.com/Going-Hospital-Rogers-Fred-Experiences/dp/0698115740/sr=8-3/qid=1172473791/ref=sr_1_3/002-7761919-0233657?ie=UTF8&s=books

http://www.amazon.com/Clifford-Visits-Hospital-Norman-Bridwell/dp/043914096X/sr=8-1/qid=1172474076/ref=sr_1_1/002-7761919-0233657?ie=UTF8&s=books

The Clifford one doesn't actually talk about a child having a procedure, but DS loves clifford and it does show a nurse, thermomotor, etc. We took DS's Clifford stuffed animal with us to the hospital in case we needed to say see just like Clifford in the book.

DS also really likes Mr. Rogers and although the pictures in the book are somewhat dated it does a very good job of going over a lot of what will happen at the hospital from waiting in the lobby, to getting an id bracelet, to having vitals taken, putting on special pajamas, to going home when the doctor says you can.

I also took all 3 books with us to the hospital so that we could refer to the pictures in the book if needed (I think we did once).....in order to relate what he'd already seen in the book to what he was experiencing.

We started reading the books 3-4 weeks before the surgery. We never directly told DS he was going to have surgery (don't really think he would have understood), although I discussed it in front of him to other people so I didn't hide it either. On Friday when we woke him up to leave, we told him we were going to the hospital and he was quite excited.

MIL also sent DS a puppet of a nurse in scrubs and mask which had been BIL's YEARS ago before the same surgery. That arrived a couple days before the surgery and so we also used that as a prop so that people in masks would not be new to him.

Good luck. Let me know if you have any other questions....since I just went through it everything is fresh in my mind.

BTW, DS did great and the hard part has been trying to get him to take it easy!