Which of the following is a staff response to play?

• A. Monitor regression
• B. Promote avoidance behavior
• C. Punish avoidance
• D. Limit interaction with family

Answer: (A)

Play serves as a window into how a child is coping with illness or hospitalization. When staff observe a child during play, they look for signs of distress and how the child is managing rules, routines, and new environments. Monitoring regression specifically means noticing if the child slips back to earlier behaviors—like increased clinginess, needing more comfort objects, bed-wetting, or asking to revert to younger routines—as a response to stress. This information is valuable because it signals how supports might be needed to help the child feel safe and regain a sense of control. It’s a nonpunitive, informative approach that guides care planning, caregiver involvement, and therapeutic play interventions.

In contrast, encouraging avoidance or punishing it, and limiting interaction with family, would undermine coping and the protective role of family support, which are not constructive responses in a therapeutic play context.