Taking your kids to visit a doctor for any reason is never pleasant. For one thing, they’re likely pretty reluctant about the trip, while you may well be a bag of nerves by the time that receptionist is calling their name. Yet, as the parent in charge, it’s important to remember that you aren’t powerless to the high emotions a healthcare visit can bring. In fact, by taking a step back and approaching with a calm, collected manner, you can significantly increase the chances of a good outcome, or at least a fast diagnosis.
To make that possible the next time illness takes its toll, just consider these surprising ways that you, alone, have the power to simplify your child’s next doctor’s visit.
Step 1: Try to book with a regular doctor
Kids are naturally wary of unfamiliar faces, meaning that they’re unlikely to feel comfortable in a doctor’s surgery if they’re always visiting someone new. While family doctors aren’t anywhere near as common as they used to be, it is still possible to book up with a regular doctor in most instances if you take the time to do so. That person will then become a familiar, trusted face to your child, making doctor’s visits far more pleasant, and even meaning that a comprehensive understanding of your child’s medical history in advance should result in faster outcomes in most instances.
Step 2: Make sure you know about genetics
Kids can be tricky to diagnose, and doctors may want a complete family history that includes the possibility of any genetic factor for illness, regardless of how small. This may require you to mention even seemingly irrelevant things, like an illness your gran experienced in her childhood, or even issues closer to home, like the prevalence of genetic neurological conditions, or even foot conditions that can be passed down. After all, diagnosing a bunion isn’t complicated, but it’ll be a whole lot simpler for everyone if your child’s doctor knows to look out for issues of this nature in the first place. So, make sure that you have all the genetic facts in mind for any questions that your child may be unable to answer!
Step 3: Talk to your child beforehand
Speaking of arming yourself with facts, it’s also vital to speak to your child before their appointment. After all, they may have trouble expressing themselves or remembering every symptom when they’re in the healthcare hot seat. While this is by no means to say that you should speak for them, getting their version of events enables you to help your child remember all of the details. You may even be able to develop some ideas for diagnosis this way, which could help a doctor to either reach a faster conclusion or rule out conditions to make their lives easier down the line.
Taking your child to visit a doctor is never pleasant, not least because it comes alongside illness. Do what you can to dampen the blow of a visit like this by always keeping these pointers in mind.