Ensure that you and your partner and/or family member, get the support that you need to help you to support your children better.  NSIC staff should be available to listen and talk things through with you. It is also worth remembering that there will be days when you  feel less able to cope with the needs of your child.  This …

There are no right or wrong answers – every family’s situation is different.  Being willing to talk and listen is often much more important than what is actually said. What to tell your children will probably depend on a couple of things: How comfortable you are talking about what has happened, and how old they are. Whatever their age though, …

All parents worry about what to say to their children during this difficult time.  You and your partner/family member may be afraid of saying the ‘wrong’ thing or of upsetting your children. Some people may try to protect their children by not talking about what has happened in front of them. Every family is different – and you will know …

In addition to visits, you can also maintain contact with your child through letters, phone or video calls and email.  Asking your partner or other family members to take regular photos and home-videos of what your child has been doing can help you to share in your child’s life and development throughout the period you are in hospital. Having seen …

Sometimes questions arise over whether children should be involved in helping with any care you might need: In general, our recommendation would always be to avoid giving children responsibility for providing care to parents on a long-term basis Your care needs should always be met by professional carers, or adult family members if this is your choice.  But children often …

It may help to think in advance about what activities you can do with your child during a visit: If you are on bed-rest or have limited use of your arms, you may need to think more carefully about what activities you plan. Talking about what your child has been doing, telling stories and playing verbal games are all possibilities.  …

It is important for children, especially younger children, to be able to have physical contact with you.  This will be easier if you are paraplegic and able to use your arms to cuddle your child.  If you have limited use of your arms, the prospect of physical contact may be more worrying for you. You should still try to allow …

It is important to maintain as much regular contact with your child as possible whilst you are away from home.  Hospital visits can bring you a tremendous amount of pleasure, but they can also be a source of stress, and may be upsetting for both you and your child.  It can help if you are able to plan for your …

Just the fact of being in hospital can be difficult when you are a parent.  For most people their injury will have occurred suddenly and unexpectedly, and so it is unlikely that you had any opportunity to prepare your child for the fact that you will be in hospital for some time.  Being separated from your child and unable to …