Should Children Go To the Hospital to Visit A Loved One?

I want to talk about whether kids should go to the hospital to visit their loved one.  My grandma was in and out of the hospital at least 10 times in the past 4 years (maybe more, I lost count!)

Mom and dad were not sure if it would be a good idea if I visited grandma.  They asked many people for advice.  Finally, they decided to ask me!  I really wanted to see grandma. One time grandma had a subdural hematoma (that means bleeding in the brain) she couldn't talk but she smiled so much when she saw me. I was very scared about her being in the hospital and wanted to see for myself how she is doing.  Here is my advice about whether kids should go to the hospital.

Tips

1. Children under the age of 5 should not go to the hospital. It could be too scary!
2. Ask the kid what they would like to do. Some kids WANT to go, others do NOT
3. If the loved one is in pain and could be moaning or something, it's not a good idea to go
4. If the loved one has something contagious (like the flu) kids should not visit
5. Find the Child Life Specialist at the hospital. You can do arts and crafts with him/her!