School Age (6 – 12 years)

Activities for school-agers:

• School age children like to talk about themselves and their interests
• School-agers typically like to play cards, board games and video games
• Organized and group play allows for a sense of security
• School age children tend to be highly active (sports, dance, arts)

Social interactions:

• Being with friends is becoming increasingly important
• Children at this age begin taking pride in their work and seek recognition for their accomplishments
• School-agers are learning to understand others' perspectives
• They are learning rules for social cooperation and appropriate behaviors

Common stressors and fears of school-agers in the hospital:

• Enforced dependence and loss of competence
• Fear of loss of bodily function
• Fears of body mutilation
• Concerns about pain, imminent death or disability
• Going under anesthesia creates anxiety and raises many questions for many school-agers

What you can do to help while your school-ager is in the hospital:

• Honest preparations for procedures and surgery is imperative for this age group:  let them know if any procedures or medicines will change the way their bodies look or work
• Because a school-ager may be frustrated with being different while in the hospital, emphasize all the things that he/she can do (play games and other activities)
• Allow choices whenever possible and encourage your child to help make decisions regarding his/her care
• Allow children to explore medical equipment, ask questions and rehearse coping techniques