How to Make Your Child's Hospital Stay Easier, From a Parent Who's Been There

Every hospital bed has a television, and nine times out of 10, a patient has theirs on all day and into the night. My daughter was not wowed by the channels offered, and the more desirable DVDs were either scratched, in use, or missing, so we pack a few beloved movies and a laptop to access Amazon Prime, Netflix, and/or Disney+.

We always pack headphones so we don't have to listen to our neighbor's reality TV or their conversations and a tablet with songs, books, and games loaded on it for alternative entertainment. I also bring my laptop and earbuds so I can work when things are quiet. We have a handy multiport charger that connects all these devices since hospitals rarely provide chargers and outlets can be limited.