3 Tips For Parents At The Pediatrician
If you will soon start taking your child to the doctor's office, you no doubt have a ton of questions in mind and will want to ensure the experience goes as smoothly as possible for your kid. If this will be your first trip to a new pediatrician, here are some tips to keep in mind.
Write Down Everything
If you do have a lot of questions ahead of the visit, it can be helpful to make sure you are organized before you arrive at the doctor's office. Write down all questions you might have and any important information about your child that you need to convey. Then, when the doctor is going over the prescribed medications or treatment options, write all of this down as well so you don't need to call the pediatrician later.
Speak for Your Child
Sometimes smaller children have trouble communicating. You need to be your child's voice when at the pediatrician and that might include providing information that is not directly related to health. If your child is experiencing a troubled family life like divorcing parents or has been getting bullied at school, the pediatrician should know about these things. Sometimes little kids can act out and become "sick" when all they really want is some attention.
But Let Your Child Speak Too If They Can
Assuming your child is old enough to talk, you should also be prepared to take a backseat and let the pediatrician interact with your child. This is likely how the pediatrician will build trust with their newest patient and make your child less anxious about going to the doctor in the future. Parents of course just want what is best for their child, but sometimes the best thing to do is to just step out of the way and let the doctor do his or her job.
Call in Advance
After the appointment is over, the pediatrician might give you some next steps to follow. But going forward, know that not every potential problem needs another visit to the pediatrician. Most pediatrician offices are great at communicating with parents by phone or by text. You can simply text or call the office, tell the doctor your child's symptoms and possibly get a prescription called in without a visit to the office.
Having something wrong with your child is every parent's worst nightmare, but there's no need to panic. Contact your pediatrician today for more best practices.
