All Kids All The Time!
From the moment you walk into the new Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, you can tell this special place is all about kids.
Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
What Kids Really Think
14 year old Katie Hollstein, was a patient at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. We wanted to find out what kids think of the new facility and went straight to the source to find out!
Our Top Ten List
We made our Top Ten List of what makes Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital a special place for kids.
Candy Ritsema’s Story
Candy Ritsema is a nurse at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Her hospital experience as a child, made her decide to go into the health care field.
Staff and Patient Connections
The Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is “all kids all the time!” Their one of a kind staff cares for kids of all ages, including babies in the neo-natal unit.
Pet Therapy
One of the most popular programs for patients at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is their pet therapy.
Toys for the holiday season
Maranda heads to Meijer with an expert on toys from Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital to see which toys are for the best ages to increase development.
Big Sister In-Training
Since our daughter Sophia found out she was going to be a big sister, she has been ecstatic. She talks about how she is going to help take care of the baby, feed the baby and can’t wait for Baby Allen’s arrival. As much as I’m excited that she is on-board with having a sibling, I also was concerned about her knowing what changes in our house to expect and how she can and can’t help.
A few months ago a friend told me about a class offered at Spectrum Health for children ages 3-5 years old that are expecting a sibling. When I told Sophia about it she said she “wanted to go to baby school” so we signed her up. We took the class with her a few weeks ago and I wanted to share a little about our experience.
The hour and a half class started with each of the kids getting a lesson in how a baby is born and then explained what they can expect around the house. It touched on things like lots of crying, babies being up in the night and new rules that you might have at home once the baby arrives. Then the kids all got to practice some basic helping skills on dolls. They were each shown how to swaddle a baby, properly hold them and even fed the baby a bottle, all while being reminded that they need to be with a mom or dad to do these things.
The class ended with a tour of the birthing unit at Spectrum Health and showed the kids where the baby would be born. This was also a great way to get the kids familiarized with where they’ll be visiting their mom, dad and new sibling.
Sophia had a great time and my husband and I had a lot of fun watching her as a big sister in-training. This class really opened my eyes to the huge amount of resources offered by Spectrum Health and their Healthier Communities program. You can learn more about the Siblings Class by watching Maranda Where You Live on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22. Maranda and our crew tagged along with my family to the class and documented things, so you can get a look at it for yourself in just a few weeks!
Keeping Sports Fun for Kids
Sports can get competitive at a young age. The key is keeping things fun for kids and making sure they’re safe when they play.
Keeping Your Kids Healthy
Here are some tips on making sure your kids stay healthy during the school year.
Blogs
Maranda's Blog
Keep in step with Maranda as she explores issues affecting your family.
Maranda's Go-To Gal
Insights from the mom who helps Maranda get it all done.
Whitecaps Blog
Whitecaps mascot Crash takes you inside the ballpark.
Cruiser's Blog
Cruiser has the inside track for Craig's Cruisers.
Health & Wellness
Make health and wellness a priority.
Fifth Third River Bank Run
On pace with the Fifth Third River Bank Run.
Healthy Living
Simple solutions for healthy living.
Social Media
