From why they sneeze and yawn to why they need to visit the dentist and brush their teeth every night, kids can have all kinds of questions about caring for their health. As their parent, it can sometimes be awkward to answer these questions, whether they’re a bit complicated or you just don’t know what to say.
Healthcare, however, should be made simple for kids to understand – they won’t be able to build good and healthy habits otherwise! So let’s go through a few things every parent should know about explaining healthcare to children; get the point across now and they’ll grow up knowing how important it all is.
Remind Them That Being Sick Isn’t a ‘Bad’ Thing
Getting sick feels bad – we all know that. When you’re stuck in bed with the flu, it feels like you’re never going to recover, and that you’re always going to have a stuffy nose and feel nauseous for the rest of your life.
However, make sure the kids know that being sick feels bad, it’s not bad to be sick. This can help them to approach life with a clearer mind about the value of health, and that even when you’re in bad health, you still have plenty of worth.
If they ever have to deal with a long-term or chronic illness, instilling this attitude when they’re young is really going to help them develop a positive mindset later on.
Tell Them if They Feel Uncomfortable, They Can Speak Up
Kids need to know how to advocate for themselves. Above all else, they need to know what it takes to say ‘no’, and the fact that they’re perfectly allowed to do so if they feel uncomfortable in a situation. Even when they’re at the doctor’s office, or they’re interacting with a family member, they can say no and walk away when they want to.
You should also teach them that asking questions isn’t a bad thing either. Say you’re about to take your child for a routine hearing test; you can go through a list of questions for hearing specialist together, to show your child that questions are common and it’s OK to have a few to ask.
Using the Right Words is Essential to Getting the Right Care
If the kids know how to describe what they’re feeling, and they know the right words for parts of their body, they’re going to be able to succinctly tell you when something is wrong and how it feels.
When we have the language to describe the way we feel and what we’re going through, we can access the help we need, even when talking to people we don’t really know (such as a doctor).
Ultimately, children need to know that they’re capable of talking about their health and that they’re going to be taken seriously when they do.
If you want your kids to treat healthcare with importance, try to incorporate these tips into your talks about it.
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