Children and Pain
Talking To Your Kids About Pain
If your child is in pain, you need to help them communicate what is hurting them, where it is hurting and how much it is hurting. It can be hard for children to find the words to describe their pain, fear and frustration. They may express their pain in nonverbal ways – by acting out, crying and screaming, eating too much or too little, refusing to play with other children and so on.
Keep in mind that older children may not want to talk about the extent of their pain because they blame themselves for the situation or don't want to cause stress for their parents. Parents should be patient and allow the child to express how they feel verbally and watch their child to see if there are non-verbal clues that the child is showing.
One way that parents can help children find the words to describe their pain is by reviewing the following lists together and choosing the words that best describe the child's pain.
Description
It's important to find out exactly where your child is hurting. Try having them point to which parts of their body hurts – either on themselves, or on a doll. Remember that if their leg hurts, the pain might migrate to their hip or lower back, so be sure to let them know it's OK to feel the pain in several places and that there is no "right" answer.
If a child is having a hard time using words to describe the pain, try asking him or her to pick which face on the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (below) best shows how they are feeling.
Remember that children tend to pick up on and react to our moods and emotions. If you show that you are afraid of what your child is telling you, then your child may become frightened as well and try to minimize the pain to protect you. Try to remain calm and serene while discussing the situation. Acknowledge your child's pain and experience without going overboard or becoming hysterical. Instead, be hopeful and positive and let the child know you appreciate his or her honesty and believe what he or she is telling you.
Keep in mind that older children may not want to talk about the extent of their pain because they blame themselves for the situation or don't want to cause stress for their parents. Parents should be patient and allow the child to express how they feel verbally and watch their child to see if there are non-verbal clues that the child is showing.
Pain Words
One way that parents can help children find the words to describe their pain is by reviewing the following lists together and choosing the words that best describe the child's pain.
Description
- Burning
- Aching
- Cramping
- Dull
- Sharp
- Stabbing
- Shooting
- Pulling
- Prickling
- Sore
- Intense
- Tingling
- Itchy
- Stinging
- Splitting
- Tearing
- Numb
- Sickening
- Pounding
- All the time
- A lot
- Often
- Sometimes
- A little bit
- A tiny bit
Location
It's important to find out exactly where your child is hurting. Try having them point to which parts of their body hurts – either on themselves, or on a doll. Remember that if their leg hurts, the pain might migrate to their hip or lower back, so be sure to let them know it's OK to feel the pain in several places and that there is no "right" answer.
If a child is having a hard time using words to describe the pain, try asking him or her to pick which face on the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (below) best shows how they are feeling.