Before Your Child Visits a Parent in Hospital

Check with the ward, ask your child whether they want to visit, and tell them what they’ll see.

A two-minute read, three things to try, for children under 18.

Where to start

Ask your child whether they want to visit, and check with the ward and the parent in hospital.
Before the first visit, describe the ward, any machines and how their parent looks.
Keep an unwell child at home, keep visits short, and have an adult ready to leave.
If the upset lasts, with problems sleeping, eating or at school, talk to the GP or the school.

The rest of the tip, and why it works, is in the library.

Sources

Macmillan Cancer Support, Talking to children and teenagers when an adult has cancer (booklet, fifth edition, 2024), pages 33, 46 to 53; NHS, Visiting someone in hospital (2023); Marie Curie, Supporting a child or teenager when someone has a terminal illness (2025)

It goes with

When a Parent Is Seriously Ill. For parents whose own serious illness, or the other parent’s, has changed life at home.
The Conversations Parents Avoid. For parents who need to tell their child something hard and don’t know how to start.

The first chapter you open here is free to read in full.

Free on this subject

Serious illness in the family. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.
Family stress. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.

The rest of the library

The Parent Book is a library written by therapists: chapters on the situations parents bring to our therapy rooms most often, quick tips for tonight, things to do together, and every sheet to print. One subscription opens all of it, from the day you join.

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If you need help right now

If you or your child is in immediate danger: 999 · Go to your nearest A&E · 24/7.
If either you or your child is in a mental health crisis: NHS 111 · England, Scotland and Wales: call 111 and choose the mental-health option. Northern Ireland: call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000 · 24/7.
If your child is under 19 and needs to talk to someone themselves: Childline · 0800 1111 · 24/7 · www.childline.org.uk.
If you are worried that a child is being harmed or is at risk: NSPCC Helpline · 0808 800 5000 · Mon-Fri 10am-4pm by phone; email 11am-4pm, seven days a week. An email sent when the service is closed is not received. · email help@nspcc.org.uk · www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/our-services/nspcc-helpline · If the NSPCC service is closed and the concern cannot wait, call the police on 101. You can also contact the child’s local out-of-hours children’s social care, social work or social services team. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
If you would prefer to text rather than speak: Shout · Text SHOUT to 85258 · 24/7 · giveusashout.org.
If you or someone you are worried about needs someone to talk to: Samaritans · 116 123 · 24/7 · www.samaritans.org.

If you need help right now

Published by Kensington Square Therapy. Company No. 16707111. Written by therapists registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). This page is not therapy, and not a substitute for professional support. The full library is at theparentbook.com.