Flashes of Hope photographer Thomas Sanders graces our second issue cover with precious mastery and compassion.

Read through the growing debate between Child Life Specialists about whether new  therapeutic intervention technology is helping or hurting our field. Join the the online forum to follow. Check out the full sneak peek!

Buy the second issue today.

by Belinda Hammond, CCLS

by Diane Sharmel, CLS

Empower them out of hiding.

“They told me what they were going to cut. They told me where they were going to put me after I woke up. They told me I might have to have surgery again if this time didn’t help. But no one asked me if I already knew all of this…or how I felt about it.” – Nicole, 15

Anyone can hand a child a book, pamphlet, or video and say,”Hey, this is what you’ll be going through.” But it’s only a chosen few that dig deep to get to the child’s level, look them in the eye, and actually interact with them. In the rush of responsibilities and trying to balance administrative work with patient care time, we can forget the importance of genuine interaction. We can forget the looming doubt, confusion, and fear of anticipation the little ones surrounding us are trying to sift through.

Empower your talks and teachings with families by switching up a few of your methods:

• Arrange yourself so that you are sitting/standing towards everyone. Don’t leave anyone out. If the family is sitting, then sit with them. Make yourself an equal.
• Create a shared problem solving forum. By openly resolving fears or questions, parents and patients alike can learn how to effectively navigate through difficult situations.
• Act as a facilitator for discussion, rather than lecturing about procedures and outcomes. “A lot of kids feel scared about this kind of surgery, how does it make you feel mom and dad? How does it make you feel___?” Sometimes people just need to be asked their story before they’ll tell it. This gives families a chance to indirectly communicate with one another, where they might have been intimidated before.
• Parents should be recognized as the experts in their own children. Foster their confidence in this.
• Review everything you went over, and repeat as necessary. How often do you have conversations with people and tune out occasionally because you’re processing an emotion or thought? The same is happening with your family and patient, don’t take it personally.
• Individualize your tone, teaching, and interactions. Factors such as culture, age, disease, etc can effect how you interact with a family. Use your framework teaching, but tailor it to the situation at hand. They will see your sincerity.

Have an article you’d like to contribute? Write to us at LSQuarterly@gmail.com

Click image for details

Light Spinner Quarterly takes a special look at an extra special nonprofit organization in our September issue.

Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program founder Lu Sipos created the very first Chemo Duck for her 1-year-old son Gabe, who had been diagnosed with cancer. The Duck instantly became a best friend for Gabe, and they learned about the journey of cancer and recovery together. Now, children all over country can have their own Duck best friend too.

We will be giving away a free Chemo Duck, Activity book, AND mini bilingual book (as a gift pack) to TWO subscribers. Subscribe by June 30th to win.

Chemo Duck himself comes with a port-o-cath, removable clothes, and a twinsies bandana your patient can wear. He is a medical teaching dream! Your hospital and Child Life program can become affiliates with Chemo Duck. Chemo Ducks are funded by donations. Additional resources include: bilingual mini book teaching tool, activity book, Dr. Gabe educational mini disk/DVD.

For more information, please see the article in our next issue of LSQ or visit: www.chemoduck.org

Join our Child Life intern as she learns the ins and outs of Child Life…even if most lessons come at the expense of her!

LSQ building momentum

The 2011 Child Life Conference marked the culmination of our very first issue. Light Spinner Quarterly thanks the hundreds of Child Life enthusiasts who stopped by the dance-music-infused booth #25 for a free issue, tattoo and sparkling hello.

We are excited to have connected with subscribers in New Zealand, Japan, Canada and the United States. Your feedback was highly valuable, and its successfully professionalized our upcoming issue. You asked for everything from more content, to more diversified articles, to better editing (told you we welcome all feedback!).  Thanks to the hundreds who’ve become passionate about our new venture, the second issue will shamelessly embarrass our first!

We tirelessly passed out over 1,000 copies and have since mailed out just as many. We still have a limited amount of copies if you haven’t gotten yours yet! Readership grows by the day, as do the people involved. Excitement is an understatement.

Advertisers have secured their spots for the upcoming issues. Contributors are finalizing their artistry and expertise. Organizations are making themselves available to you.

Light Spinner Quarterly gives a magnitude of gratitude to the Child Life Council for making the conference a living accomplishment that has bettered us all.

To Child Life Specialists, students, educators and lovers thereof – Light Spinner Quarterly is abundantly enthused to be a part of your legacy. The mission to create a publication that supports you both personally and professionally has become a distinguished honor; an honor that we treasure as a singular, undisputed purpose.

Child Life is fun. Child Life is rewarding. Child Life is hard work. The work that you do is necessary, important and virtuous.

Thank you for fervor and faith. We are so jazzed to celebrate the greatest field on Earth!