Tips For Parents Taking Kids To Doctor’s Appointments

It isn’t a surprise that kids hate going to the doctors. Firstly, children don’t like getting spoken to and handled by unfamiliar faces. Another factor is there is always the fear of getting injections and shots. Almost all parents face the ‘going to the doctor’ freak-out at least once in their lives. These are a few suggestions to make everyone comfortable for an upcoming doctor’s appointment.

Talk About Why You’re Going

Parents need to prepare their kids on why they are visiting their doctor. Children should never be surprised about the visit and should know the purpose of going to the doctor. If it’s just a regular check-up, you need to tell them it’s just to make sure they are healthy.

If you are going for a particular diagnosis or an illness, you need to explain it to them in simple and understandable language that the doctor is there to find out the problem and fix it. Children need to understand what doctors do and how it helps them. You need to enforce positive feelings towards doctors to make your kids more accommodating towards them.

Talk It Out

It would be best if you informed your child about what will happen at the appointment beforehand. Contact your doctor or the clinic before the visit and ask them questions; Questions about what equipment will be used, whether there will be any injections, or whether they will require any bloodwork. Once you know what the visit is about, you need to be honest and upfront with your children about the circumstances.

When children already know what will happen and have time to prepare, it gets much easier for both the parents and the doctors to handle them. 

Validate Their Feelings

Of course, your child is nervous and full of anxiety about their doctor’s appointment. You and even they can’t control their feelings.

What’s important is recognizing and validating their feelings of nervousness and anxiety. You need to make sure they understand that you know how nervous they feel.

Maybe tell them how nervous you used to be for doctors’ appointments when you were a child. You can also let them know that visiting and letting doctors help is how you remain healthy. Parents need to recognize and acknowledge their children’s feelings. Just saying, “It’s going to be fine” is not enough.

Handle Your Anxiety

When your child isn’t feeling well or is sick, you as a parent will also, of course, feel nervous. Children can feel anxiety and nervousness from their parents, which can be contagious.

It is natural to be worried about what’s wrong with your child but it’s important to make your child as comfortable as possible, you need to be strong in front of them. Maybe ask questions and speak to the doctor separately and away from the child to calm yourself down. Clear up any concerns and problems on the phone if the doctor’s appointment has you worried too.

When parents feel nervous and anxious, it shows to their children and makes them nervous too. It is important to keep your feelings in check to ensure your child doesn’t have any extra things to worry about while at the doctor’s appointment.