{"id":318,"date":"2020-11-16T10:33:17","date_gmt":"2020-11-16T10:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/noviosupport.org\/web\/?page_id=318"},"modified":"2023-07-20T13:19:52","modified_gmt":"2023-07-20T13:19:52","slug":"growing-up","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/noviosupport.org\/web\/growing-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing Up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tips for Taking Anxious Children Out on Visits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preparation is the key! The more you prepare your child, the easier it will be for them to deal with the new situation e.g. visiting the doctors, hospital, dentist, hairdressers, a party, shops, etc.<\/strong>

* Always visit yourself first to make assessments \u2013 you know your child best<\/strong>.
* Take photos of the place; staff; rooms your child will be visiting<\/strong>.
* If outdoors take photos of places; equipment, etc<\/strong>.
* Look at photos on a website if they have one e.g. theme park<\/strong>.
* Share photos with child and talk about what will happen<\/strong>.
* You could make up a social story or visual timetable to help explain what is going to happen<\/strong>.
* You could try role play, e.g. being a dentist and getting your child to open their mouths, etc.<\/strong>
* Watch progs of children visiting these places e.g. \u2018Something Special\u2019; \u2018My Story\u2019; \u2018Down on the Farm\u2019; \u2018Get Well Soon\u2019; \u2018Let\u2019s Celebrate\u2019; \u2018Topsy & Tim\u2019; \u2018Wooly & Tig\u2019 from CBeebies website.<\/strong>
*Look at any books describing the event \/ place<\/strong>.
*Take photos while you are there as a reminder for your next visit<\/strong>.
*Think about your journey there and possibly plans for lunch and share with your child<\/strong>.
*Keep to your other routines as far as possible<\/strong>.
*You need to try and stay calm and consistent! Try not to let it show if you are worried too!<\/strong>

*Routine is important to children because they crave safety and security, so knowing that things are going to happen in a particular way makes them feel in control.

*As adults, we can deal with change better because we can anticipate what that change will be like by finding out everything we want to know about it beforehand, and by using our previous experiences to imagine what it will be like.  

*Our children often don\u2019t have the language and understanding to help them anticipate what the change will be like and only have very limited experiences to refer to, so even what seem like very small changes can turn their world upside-down.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bereavement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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