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Play for the sick child
Children who are confined to a bed need to have play periods built into their day. The length of play and the toys will depend the individual child's age and physical and emotional states. Short-term school projects appeal to school-age children because these activities help the children feel industrious and think about their future wellness. Parents can help children with their baths; encourage them to drink enough fluids; and prompt them to do deep breathing and muscle strengthening exercises.
Safety issues
Toys and games should be screened for safety, especially those used by a sick child. The toys should be washable with no sharp edges and no small parts that could be swallowed or aspirated. Cylinder-shaped toys of 1-inch (2.5-cm) diameter (the size of a regular hot dog) are the most dangerous size because they can occlude the trachea (windpipe) if they are aspirated. As a rule, if a toy can fit through the center of a toilet tissue tube, it is too small.
Parents should be certain that toys do not lead children into danger. Tossing a ball to a toddler on bed rest may be safe, but if a child in a cast leans to catch the ball, he may fall. Chasing a ball may lead to falls and collisions. If children are bored with a toy because it is not stimulating enough or they have played with it too long, they may begin to use the toy in an unsafe way. For example, the child may throw blocks across the room for fun instead of stacking them.
Indoor toys
For home care of the sick child, parents may need to buy new toys suitable for indoor use. The ill child may need soft toys for bed play and sit-down toys such as magic markers, puzzles, books, or board games, for quiet out-of-bed play.
When to call the doctor
Parents and teachers who spend time observing and understanding childhood behaviors may want to report to the child's therapist what they see the child do.
Skin care is essential for children who are bedridden or in a cast or restraints. Children lose interest in playing if they are uncomfortable or in pain. Parents should look for pressure over the buttocks, elbows, heels, and other parts of the child's body. The skin should be inspected often and massaged with a moisturizing lotion to increase circulation. Redness, irritation, and sores should be reported immediately to the healthcare provider.
When children are ill, the rate of bladder and bowel elimination may slow down because of reduced physical action. School-age children and adolescents may hesitate to drink or eat a normal diet because toileting is uncomfortable or performed without privacy. Parents may need to seek medical advice about digestive and elimination aids and about adjusting the child's diet and fluid intake to promote normal elimination.
KEY TERMS
Accommodation—The process in which a schema changes to accomodate new knowledge.
Assimilation—The process of taking in new information by incorporating it into an existing schema.
Associative play—Preschoolers play together in a similar activity with little organization or responsibility.
Cooperative play—School-age children play in an organized structure or compete for goal or outcome.
Experimental play therapy—Play therapy based on the belief that a child has the ability to solve his or her own problems within the context of a warm and caring therapeutic environment.
Observation—Infants and children watch an object, although not actively engaged in it, as in watching a mobile.
Parallel play—Toddlers play side by side but seldom try to interact with each other, playing separately with a similar toy.
Play therapy or therapeutic play—A type of psychotherapy for young children involving the use of toys and games to build a therapeutic relationship and encourage the child's self-expression.
Play-based assessment—A form of developmental assessment that involves observation of how a child plays alone, with peers, or with parents or other familiar caregivers, in free play or in special games.
BOOKS
Barbour, Ann, et al. Prop Box Play: 50 Themes to Inspire Dramatic Play. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House Inc., 2002.
Cassou, Michelle. Kids' Play—Igniting Children's Creative Passion. East Rutherford, NJ: Penguin Group, 2004.
Drake, Jane. Organizing Play in the Early Years: Practical Ideas for Teachers and Assistants. Philadelphia: Taylor & Francis Inc., 2003.
Humphrey, James Harry. Learning the 3 Rs through Active Play. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers Inc., 2001.
Scarlett, W. George. Children's Play. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2004.
PERIODICALS
Schulman, Lisa. "Good guys, bad guys: Pretend play." Parents Magazine. (June 2003): 169–70.
WEB SITES
Games Kids Play. Available online at <www.gameskidsplay.net> (accessed October 13, 2004).
Aliene S. Linwood, RN, DPA, FACHE
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Author Info: Aliene S. Linwood RN, DPA, FACHE, Thomson Gale, Gale, Detroit, Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health, 2006 |
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