Parents of life-limited and life-threatened children are used to hearing about what their child cannot do. At Julia’s House our focus is on what a child CAN do - smiles, laughter and achievements, no matter how small are all celebrated. We want to build up a library of positives.
There are now three of us in the team covering Dorset and Wiltshire, at hospice sessions and home visits, working with parents and the rest of the care team.
Every child has a voice and it is our job to find that voice so that children are able to make choices. They might communicate through the blink of an eye or the flick of their little finger but if I hold up two toys and a child is able to indicate which one they want, it instantly gives them the control. By tuning in to what a child loves we are able to empower them and massively enhance what they get out of each play session.
The Playmakers visit families at home to carry out an assessment and then write up a tailored plan that helps them use play for fun, but also for reaching goals like helping a child’s development, or making something medical seem a less scary.
