Personal Philosophy on Child Life
An old wives’ tale once suggested that a fish will only grow as large as the tank it lives in. If a fish is confined to a single, gallon-sized bowl, its full size will remain very small. But if a fish has the room of a 200-gallon tank, it has the potential to grow to its full size. Though it’s just a myth, I think it serves as the perfect analogy to describe the field of child life. A child with little to no support, anxious and afraid during their healthcare experience, will feel tense and confined, just like the gallon-sized bowl they’re in. With support from the hospital staff, the same child has more space to swim in their new 200-gallon tank, free to explore, learn, and form a sense of control and mastery over the situation.
But with the additional support of child life specialists, the fish tank is done away with entirely, and children can feel the freedom of the ocean. By adding professionals specifically trained in education, intervention, debrief, and therapeutic support to the healthcare team, children are free to swim anywhere they desire. There are no barriers, no glass walls that force them to swim in circles, limiting their mobility and exploration. Like the fish tank, the ocean has its fair share of challenges and scary, anxiety-inducing moments. But the ocean has resources that the tank does not-- resources that help children form plans, develop coping skills, and gain knowledge and power over their healthcare experience. The ocean allows children to build confidence and develop the tools necessary to overcome the obstacles they will face during their time in the hospital.
The child life team doesn’t just open up the ocean for the patients but also the entire family. Child life works on the foundation of family-centered care, which is essential in delivering a well-rounded healthcare experience. A family’s perception of the healthcare experience and potential new life changes will influence the patient. Families should feel the same freedom of the ocean as the patients-- opportunities to develop coping skills, a safe place to voice worries, chances to have fun and be silly during a serious time.
As a child life specialist, I will support patients and families through life’s big changes that occur in the hospital, because it’s essential that patients and families adjust and cope in a healthy, safe environment. I will hold resiliency, confidence, and power in the forefront while supporting children, because in empowering the patients, they will leave the experience with the necessary courage and tenacity in how they view themselves and their abilities in facing future challenges. I will lead with empathy, advocacy, and respect in working with patients, families, and other healthcare staff, because patients deserve a support team that works together well. In holding these core concepts in my mind, I am eager to lead children through the beauty of the ocean.