Child life

Painful medical procedures are difficult to cope with. As a Certified Child Life Specialist, my role is to prepare children for new experiences while providing a coping plan. I had the opportunity to support my own son for a routine blood test this week. He was quite nervous when his pediatrician mentioned it and I […]

This blog gets a lot of traffic from women (because, let’s be honest, it’s always women) who are interested in the field of child life. I get it, unfortunately there are not a ton of ch…

From problem-solving to creativity, play allows kids to develop important skills they will continue to use throughout their life. Play varies at each age and can be broken down into these 6 stages of play. #playtime #kidsplay #playmatters #toddlers #toddlerplay #childdevelopment #toddlerdevelopment #playskills #pretendplay #playislearning #toddlerplay #childdevelopment #toddlerdevelopment #playislearning #stagesofplay #6stagesofplay Copyright © 2021 Pathways Foundation

March is Child Life Month, a month where hospitals have the opportunity to celebrate child life specialists through education and raising awareness. This is often done through play, creative activities, learning opportunities, and much more. The sky’s the limit when it comes to ways to celebrate, so get creative and find what best suits your hospital and child life team! Here are some ways you can celebrate them and kickstart your Child Life Month celebrations:

Some links below are my affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a very small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Special thank you to Dr. Korie Leigh for her contribution to the tips and resources sections at the end of this post! Dr. Leigh i

Asking for help can place childhood cancer families in a vulnerable position that most of us try to avoid until desperation sets in and the bills just get to be too big.

Guest Blog Post by Emily Jasinowski, mother of Mason and Arlo and Little Birch Blogger It’s an understatement to say that our son’s NICU journey was difficult on our family. Our worried hearts were wrapped around his health and well being, new diagnoses that dropped out of nowhere,

What is a child life specialist? So glad you asked! It’s a question that everyone interested in improving kids’ medical experiences should be asking.

A day in the life of a child life specialist.

One thing I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy: Preparing a child for surgery. If you have other children, help them prepare for their sibling's surgery.

Today one of our bloggers who is currently completing their child life internship hosted a Teddy Bear Clinic along with her co intern for the patients in the hospital. Teddy Bear Clinics are so muc…

These books for children with cancer can help bring some comfort and reassurance during a very scary time. They help children feel as if they are not alone.

Check out these other blogs written by Child Life Specialists and students on their way to becoming Child Life Specialists! If you have a Child Life Blog, let me know and I’ll add it to the l…

Spread the word: 152 Shares Facebook Twitter Email More Sometimes it’s hard to know what to say to kids who worry, especially when they are overwhelmed in the moment. Well-meaning adults who just want to erase the worry for kids may say some phrases that aren’t so helpful and don’t empower kids to tune in to their bodies. To help a kid who is worried, try these helpful, empowering phrases: What to Say to Help a Kid Who is Worried: […]

Child Life Specialist

The students at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School in Lafayette, Louisana had a fantastic time doing this operating room dramatic play as a part of their, Hospital Day. Students were given patien

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted on here! I think I might have discovered Pinterest about a year ago and it was an easier way to organize and find ideas, so I've been pinning away over there! I highly recommend using it as a GREAT resource for ideas for work with your clients! I used to have one board for all therapeutic intervention ideas, but I have since organized them into various boards. You can see all of them at pinterest.com/carlycollins Anyway... Speaking of Pinterest…

Guest post by: Kristen Lawrence, Certified Child Life Specialist, Emergency Department This post includes affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, I earn a small commission when you purchase items I use and recommend by clicking the links below. Thank you for your support!

Summer is considered trauma season, but Parkview Health is prepared to treat those unfortunate and unforeseen events, for even our youngest patients. We...