Sometimes it happens that parents want to help and support their child so much that, guided by good intentions, they deprive the child of the possibility of independent action. In situations in which the child could cope by itself or with a little help, the parents help the child, wanting to spare him the effort or experience of failure. It also happens that in the rush of daily duties, caregivers do not allow the child to become too involved in household chores or other self-service activities, because adults will do it better or faster. In the short term, this strategy works, but looking at it in the long term we harm the child more than we help him. It takes time to get into practice and learn to do something right – whether it’s dressing, cooking, or building spaceships.

A stay in a hospital is not one of the easiest experiences in the life of a child and its parents. Fortunately, there are people who can make this challenging time pleasant and at least a little easier. They’re the animators. It’s the most advantageous when they’re an integral part of the child care team. Here, at the Paley European Institute, that’s exactly how it is! 🙂

In cooperation with our psychologist Dominika Jakubowska, we’re starting a new series of entries related to non-medical aspects of treatment. We’ll discuss all the important issues that affect the entire therapy process. These are the topics that you should pay special attention to. We hope that our alphabet will help you prepare even better for treatment at the Paley European Institute. Our psychologist is still at your disposal. We wish you pleasant reading and we start with the first slogan in our ABC by Paley.