"With any medical procedure-whether surgery, an MRI, or placing tubes in a child's ears-little kids don't understand what's happening even after it's explained. They don't know what's wrong with their body, how it got that way, or how the procedure will fix things. They also can't understand how a doctor can be both a good, trustworthy person and someone who causes pain."
"These narratives end up haunting kids for the rest of their lives. I've seen this too many times in adult clients whose issues are directly linked to medical, bodily traumas from their past. Parents can help their child get through any type of medical procedure. It starts with parents understanding how kids misperceive things so that parents can figure out exactly how to speak to their child."
Medical procedures emotionally overwhelm young children who lack tools to understand bodily problems, causes, and remedies. Children cannot reconcile that compassionate caregivers might cause pain. Fear, helplessness, and betrayal amplify intellectual confusion and prompt children to invent explanations for what happens to their bodies. Those invented explanations often become harmful, false narratives about their bodies and caregivers. Such narratives can persist into adulthood and contribute to long-term trauma and relational difficulties. Parents can mitigate harm by anticipating common misperceptions, preparing age-appropriate explanations, and communicating in ways that restore trust and a coherent bodily narrative for the child.
Read at Psychology Today
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