Decreasing fear. Maintaining a calm, restful environment for the child and organize nursing care so as to disturb the child as little as possible and allow for periods of uninterrupted rest. Encourage parents to touch and cuddle the child, because a parent’s presence is important in reducing fear in infants and young children. Also, encourage parents’ participation in care and explain ways that can make their child more comfortable. Caring for a child in the hospital is exhausting to parents, and fatigue magnifies feelings of anxiety and helplessness. Therefore, provide parents with breaks as needed and assure them that their child will be cared for in their absence. Allow the child to keep a favorite toy or blanket and use developmentally appropriate communication techniques (e.g., play, puppets) when explaining treatments and procedures. Allow the child and parents to ask questions and to discuss fears and concerns, because croup symptoms can be frightening and parents sometimes feel guilty for not having brought the child in for treatment sooner.