If there is a difficult situation to experience as a parent, it is to see your child sick or in pain. Indeed, no parent wants to see their child suffer, and can quickly feel anxious about it, even powerless. We are going to see how Pipouette can play a key role in supporting these little and big hassles of life.
pain in children
There are three situations in which your child could have pain:
- small daily injuries, such as falls or teething, are uncomfortable and frequent.
- the severe pains, rarer, are impressive and often require going to the hospital, this is the case for fractures, appendicitis, or more serious infections.
- pain caused by care, such as vaccines for example, or blood tests, but also dental care, or rehabilitation.
We will therefore seek to relieve the pain of the first two situations, and to avoid that of the last. But before relieving the pain, it is necessary to know how to evaluate it, at least to detect it. And in children the messages are not always clear, as you well know.
Assess pain in children
The young child rarely expresses that he is in pain like us adults. Before access to language, he may change his behavior, become grumpy, even cry, but will rarely show the origin of his discomfort. It is you parents who will observe that he walks differently, or no longer uses his left hand. He may refuse to eat, or keep a so-called analgesic position, remaining motionless in the position that relieves him. Later, he will say that he is in pain, but will not necessarily be able to locate his pain, let alone quantify it. How to use Pipouette to assess his pain: you can offer Pipouette to your child, with the face of pain. He will be reassured to see that Pipouette feels like him, and may be able to show you the location of his pain on her ( not before 4-5 years though).
Relieve child's pain
In addition to drugs, which effectively relieve pain in children, you can act on your side thanks to very simple means:
- by listening and reassuring your child with your warm presence, you are already bringing him great comfort
- making sure he is comfortable and not cold or thirsty
- by offering cold or heat, as needed: you can apply cold to small falls, hot to stomach pain, for example.
Pipouette's hot water bottle will be a precious ally for small stomach aches, but also to relieve cervical tension, or rest your tired head.
Distraction, a real magic power
Children's imagination is a powerful engine, as well as their emotions. It is through this imagination that you will be able to move his attention away from his pain or sadness. A story told, a song, or a shared game will help him to think about something other than his pain, and to make his mind travel. How to use Pipouette to distract my child from her pain: thanks to the possible identification with Pipouette, your child will be able to express her feelings by changing her face, treating her, and quite simply playing with her, or giving her a hug . She will then be his cuddly toy, his friend, or his doctor, children's imagination is limitless!
The case of pain caused during care
Pipouette certainly already accompanies your child to the doctor. She reassures him when he is a little apprehensive, and comforts him after the exam. But it can do even more, by reducing the pain caused by certain treatments.
Let's take the example of the vaccine: you can reduce the pain associated with this injection by applying an anesthetic cream. But sometimes this is not enough, and the stress felt by your child at this time increases the painful sensation.
That's when Pipouette comes into action: a real pediatrician's assistant, Pipouette shows the equipment, you pretend to vaccinate her, you can offer your child to stick a small bandage on his thigh, and don't forget to applaud Pipouette all together! It is then your child's turn, and he is immediately more confident, because he has seen his Pipouette pass this test before him, and he learns by imitation.
What if my child is sick
During his first years, your child will go through many childhood illnesses, and will strengthen his immune system at the same time. But it will cause fever, runny noses, shunned meals, and sleepless nights.
As with pain, a child does not easily express that he feels sick. It is once again you parents, who will sense that something is wrong, by the change in his behavior or his appetite.
You will then go and get the thermometer, but also Pipouette and her sick little face, perhaps. Because nothing better for your child than to be able to show you on Pipouette that he doesn't feel on his plate, and to see that neither does his Pipouette.
You can also offer your child the little Pipouette hot water bottle as mentioned above in the article. Pipouette, a great ally for small and large sores
Everything passes, fortunately!
Pipouette teaches us something essential, it is that everything ends up working out.
With her face of relief, she allows the child to understand that Pipouette can feel better after his pain or his illness, and that it will therefore be the same for him.
It is very reassuring to visualize that the pain or the fever will not remain forever, in him, and he will know how to seize it in order to make you verbalize this, or to express in turn that he feels (finally) relieved. .
Dealing with the first illnesses and pains of your child is very difficult for parents! But Pipouette is a precious ally to support you in these moments, both comforter, doctor, and friend.
