How does your child react when going to the doctor?

Talking around the age of 3 and up...Is your child cooperative or is it a struggle? Also need advice on how to make it easier for my toddler to go. How old is your child btw?

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

DS is two, we walk through the doors and he starts saying, 'no, no no..." I have to either tell him we are there for DD, or distract him if it is for him. I think they learn pretty early what the doctor's office is.

If I start stripping him in the actual exam room, he tells me he wants to go away and points to the door. He knows it's for him.

He does not like his temp taken, his ears checked, his weight taken and despises shots. He just got 2 this week and screamed bloody murder.

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

want the truth?

he used to be so cool with it

and now...no. he is almost 3.

he cries, tries to leave the waiting room, etc

the only way to get him to go is to not even MENTION that day that we are going there.

we pull in, make no big deal about it, and as we walk in, we tell him afterwards we will get ice cream or something.

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

not so great. He tells the the doctor not to touch him and that he wants to go home...now.

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

Kaydyn is almost 3. She generally is ok leading up to going to the doctor. In the waiting room she's fine, then when we get in the exam room she gets nervous. She doesn't like laying down on the scale to be weighed, and doesn't like laying down then the ped checks her out. Other than that she's fine.

With our ped each exam room is painted in a different theme. To keep her occupied while in the room we point out everything on the walls, she asks about the medical equipment. We talk about the stickers she's going to get from the ped. I just keep her busy or she starts to get nervous.

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

Both my children have always been cooperative for the doctor and even the dentist. DS is almost 2 and DD is 5.

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

It's not pretty!!! DD usually screams her head off even when she isn't getting shots. Now that she's getting older (almost 2.5), she is a little better because I can bargain with her.

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

My DD LOVES to play doctor so that helps - she thinks she IS a doctor some days. Unfortunately she knows the way to the doctors so even if I don't say anything she knows where we are going. I try to schedule her appointments the same time as her sisters so that I can just say DD#2 has an appointment. She is usually okay with going if she doesn't think she is getting a shot.

Do you have a play medical kit (fisher price, disney and a lot of companies make them). I would try buying one and maybe let them play doctor on you.

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

DD has actually never really given us a problem with going to the doctor. She wants her stickers!! Cries for the shots but is fine two seconds later. Actually, I took her for her flu shot last week and my big girl did not cry a tear. I think what helped is that we have been bringing her to the doctor a LOT lately. She comes to all my ob appointments and sees that mommy is a "big girl". She was there with me when I got my flu shot and held my hand, so when we went for hers, all she asked was that I hold her hand and it worked...she was a big girl and I made a HUGE deal about how proud I was of her. We'll see what happens in two weeks when I have to take her back for the second half of the shot..lol!!!

Maybe try taking your DC to your doctor appointments if you don't already...it seems to have helped DD.

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

Depends! If he is feeling well and it's just a well check up he goes through the doors no problem.

If he's not feeling well, he'll walk in but say "I dont want to go to Dr. Tocci's house" (my peds name is Dr. Martocci).

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

DS used to FLIP out as soon as we drove into the parking lot. But as he got closer to 3, I'd explain to him in the car where we were going to prepare him and he does a lot better with it. Now, he really only gets upset when the doctor goes to touch him.

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

Honestly, sometimes he asks to go see Dr. John (if he has even the slightest boo-boo!). We have prepared him well enough that he knows that Dr. John (and everyone at the office) is there to make him better if he isn't feeling well or has a boo boo. Also, he knows that sometimes he has to get shots and those are to make sure he doesn't get sick.
Also, he pretty much always gets a sticker so that is enough for him!

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

DD, 2, screams her head off but only if they come near her. It's pretty bad, and gets worse if the dr tries to look in her mouth with the tongue depressor. I worry if something is really wrong they wont be able to examine her good enough and I worry about when she has to get blood drawn (my office only does fingersticks so far).

Message edited 11/5/2010 7:25:34 PM.

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

For those that wrote that your dc doesn't do too well did your ped ever mention they could have a sensory issue?

My son does well on the ride there, in the waiting room but when it comes time to them touching him he flips out. BUT anywhere else he's fine he'll hold a teachers hand, hug other kids, play...he's just not comfortable having the dr or nurses touch him for things. Isn't this kind of behavior normal for a boy who just turned 3??? I could see if he acted like this by 4 I would be concerned...just looking for others opinions.

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

My kid LOVES going to the doctor. She asks to go all the time...even when there's nothing wrong with her

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

DD is one and knows EXACTLY where we are. She screams bloody murder the entire time. She stops as soon as we walk out the door.

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

He's fine b/c there is the promise of a lollipop. He had a flu shot today and asked if I would be seeing Hanauer for mine - he knows she's my MD

Re: How does your child react when going to the doctor?

Message edited 11/5/2010 9:36:34 PM.