This study aimed to reveal how family experiences the hospitalization of the child in hospital. The study was performed at the pediatrics ward at a university hospital, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The methodological approach was based on Grounded Theory. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, during the first semester of 2010 with 12 companion mothers. They were divided into two sample groups. Comparative analysis of the data generated two categories: negative family experiences during child hospitalization and positive family experiences during child hospitalization. It is known that the experiences of families in the hospital lead us to reflect on our actions when facing them, indicating strategies that professionals can adopt in order to provide a more effective care, they help to experience a healthier hospitalization of the child reflecting on this process.