For some parents, such discussion is stressful. For this reason we suggest some tips you can follow to prepare your child:

• Before arranging the meeting with your child's Psychologist, tell him/her what's going to happen and explain the reason you want him/her to meet with the Psychologist
• If your child is a teenager, encourage him/her to attend the first meeting and discuss directly with the psychologist his/her thoughts and feelings. Reassure your child that all information shared with the Psychologist will be confidential
• If your child is at preschool or primary school, try to explain what a Psychologist is and prepare him/her the night before on who he will meet (stating the name of the Psychologist) and what he/she can expect from the meeting (for example, discussion, drawing, game, etc.)
• It is important to answer all your child's questions and when you are unsure, talk with the Psychologist
• If your child is stressed or anxious about the meeting, reassure him/her by saying that you will be present throughout the meeting or you will wait outside the Psychologist's office at the waiting room.
• Sometimes, children are more comfortable if you allow them to bring along a favorite toy or object
• If your child feels uncomfortable or appears to behave "differently" because he/she is going to meet the psychologist, explain that many people-including children and adolescences- present similar difficulties when their loved one is hospitalized. So they go to a Psychologist to help them cope with the situation