Supporting Kids When Someone They Love Is Hospitalized During the Holiday Season

If your family is navigating illness, disease, or hospitalization this holiday season, it’s important to know you’re not alone. The holidays can bring routines and traditions that usually feel comforting, and it can be hard when those familiar pieces look different because someone you love is in the hospital.

In my work as a child life specialist and grief counselor, I support families through moments like this. I help children understand what’s happening using clear, age-appropriate language and guide caregivers in finding small, meaningful ways to maintain connection even when physical togetherness isn’t possible.

This post shares gentle, practical ideas to help your child stay connected to their person during a season that can feel both joyful and heavy, while also supporting healthy coping skills for children experiencing holiday grief and stress related to hospitalization.

1. Create a Connection Kit

A Connection Kit is a simple, tangible way for children to feel close to a hospitalized loved one. These activities can support emotional expression, regulation, and provide a sense of involvement, all important aspects of helping kids cope with illness and hospitalization.

Some ideas for a Connection Kit include:

• A drawing or homemade holiday card

• Family photos in decorated frames

• Small holiday decorations their loved one can display in their hospital room

• A simple art activity that their loved one can send back home

  
  

2. Recreate Traditions Through Virtual Moments

Holiday traditions often hold special meaning for children, and many look forward to them all year. When someone they love is hospitalized, kids may not want to participate in certain traditions because their person can’t be part of them and that’s completely normal.

Gently adapting a tradition can allow your family to maintain connection without feeling overwhelming. It doesn’t have to look like past years; what matters is what works for your family right now.

Ideas include:

• Decorating the Christmas tree while their loved one joins on a video call

• Baking cookies and either sending a small box to the hospital or creating a photo journal of the baking day

• Reading holiday books or watching a seasonal movie together over video

3. Create Something “Together”

Children often feel connected through shared experiences, and creating something side-by-side, even from different locations, can be a comforting way to stay close. Crafts or parallel activities give kids a sense of being “with” their loved one, even when they can’t be in the same room.

Ideas for shared projects include:

• A paper ornament

• A wooden heart

• A coloring page

• A holiday or “wish” card

  
  

You can send one item to the hospital and keep the matching one at home, or work on them at the same time during a video call.

4. Bring Connection Into Small Everyday Moments

Even small, predictable touchpoints can help children feel safe and connected when a loved one is hospitalized. These daily moments provide consistency and reassure kids that their person is still part of their lives.

Ideas for everyday connection include:

• Sharing a short morning or bedtime message

• Creating a holiday countdown chain that both home and hospital participants can use

• Leaving a small “note of the day,” drawing, sticker, or quick message for their loved one to open

As you think about what is best for your family, I want to remind you that what matters most is helping children feel connected, supported, and included, even when routines or traditions look different. Small, intentional moments can make a meaningful difference in how your children experience the holiday season.

If your child is navigating a loved one’s illness or hospitalization, The Grieving Space provides support for children and families through child life services, grief guidance, and coping strategies. We work with children as young as 3 in Northfield, IL, and the surrounding Chicago area, and also offers virtual support across the United States.