When I Can't Play Like the OthersPractical Advice for Hospitalized ChildrenWhen I Can't Play Like the Others is a comprehensive, compassionate, and practical guide designed to support hospitalized children, their families, and the professionals who care for them. The book addresses the emotional, psychological, educational, and social challenges children face when illness or hospitalization prevents them from living and playing like their peers.Grounded in child development, pediatric psychology, and hospital-based care, this guide offers concrete strategies to help children cope with fear, anxiety, pain, isolation, and disruption to normal life. It recognizes that hospitalization affects not only the child's body, but also their emotional world, identity, and sense of belonging.Through clearly structured chapters, the book explores: how hospitalization impacts children at different developmental stages, how to build emotional resilience and coping skills, how to communicate effectively and empathetically with hospitalized children, how to adapt play, learning, and social interaction despite physical limitations, how families, caregivers, educators, and medical teams can work together, and how to support children before, during, and after hospitalization.Special attention is given to therapeutic play, creative and digital engagement, educational continuity, family-centered care, child-friendly hospital environments, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Practical interventions are offered for managing pain, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and long-term hospitalization, as well as guidance for discharge and reintegration into home and school life.Written in an accessible and professional tone, this book is suitable for: hospitalized children and adolescents, parents and caregivers, psychologists, social workers, educators, and child life specialists, nurses, physicians, and multidisciplinary pediatric teams, hospitals, clinics, and pediatric care centers.When I Can't Play Like the Others is not just a guide-it is a supportive companion that helps children feel understood, empowered, and emotionally safe, even when life does not look the way it used to.