kids tips!

Hi all, not sure if anyone else is in the same boat but im finding it extremely hard to think up an issue or problem im having on prac - i love it and dont want to change a thing! My biggest challenge this week is actually thinking up something constructive to write in this blog... So instead im going to pass on some random tips to those going into paeds placements next semester (when if ever we will find these out who knows..) so here we go:

• bribery is underrated!
• if the parents dont relate to you you're not going to get anywhere with the child so treat the family as a whole not just the pt
• take care in how you explain things, as kids often take things very literally! Of particular concern is children with eating disorders who may take a statement completely out of context
• gloves blown up and tied like balloons make great tools to distract the kids - especially when drawn on to look like people or cartoon characters
• if using latex gloves to make these characters beware of any child with spina bifida and dont use latex anywhere near them - for some reason a large percentage of these children are seriously allergic to latex, reason unknown...
• reverse psychology is DEFINATELY underrated!!
• compliance will increase greatly if you allow the child to be involved with some decisions during treatment (they dont have to know that both option 1 and 2 will be achieving the same PT goals!)
• stickers are the gold standard of bribery
• make the treatment as fun as possible, as many kids sadly dont have alot of visitors and your sessions with them are as much about company as the treatment itself

If anyone has other tips that i might be able to put in use in these last 2 weeks please fill me in! Thanks, em