Tags
activity pack, ambulance, children, emergency department, hospital, Monkey Wellbeing, operation, reassurance
In January Munchkin fell down the stairs. It was a nasty fall and he ended up being taken to hospital in an ambulance as he was vomiting and lost consciousness. It was horrific, holding my limp baby and not knowing what was happening. It’s something that has stayed with us all – but Munchkin had such a negative hospital experience and I really wanted something to change that for him, so when we were approached to review the Monkey Wellbeing pack I was delighted.
Our pack has a lovely activity book where Monkey (the loveable stuffed character) falls from a tree and breaks his arm. We follow him as he visits the emergency department, encountering different staff and is treated. There is an explanation of what is happening and a little basic medical advice. Munchkin, despite being only 4, loved the little activities; the stickers were a huge hit as was the little paper ambulance that we made.
I think that he was able to process what had happened a little better with the information he learned and he certainly remembered lots about his stay in hospital. It was evident as we worked our way through the book that he was a lot more comfortable now that he understood what had happened to him – to the point that he spent yesterday evening building a hospital and treating his toys, carefully explaining to them what to expect.
Our pack also included a story book where Monkey is going for an operation. We read through this together and I thought it was a great preparation if a child was due to go in to have an op as Monkey talks about the procedures and even comments that hospitals smell funny. I genuinely think it would ease the worries of a nervous child seeing Monkey safe and happy at the end.
All in all I have found the Wellbeing pack to be of great benefit, especially as it touches on basic tips to keep a child safe and healthy (a balanced diet, the importance of seatbelts, sun cream, bike helmets and ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’).