Tips for Making Pediatrician Visits Less Scary for Your Child
It’s no secret that most children don’t like the idea of visiting their pediatrician. However, some kids are completely petrified. And this is not surprising because most kids hate the idea of having unfamiliar persons handle them. Even worse is when the person can give them a shot. If your child fears visiting the pediatrician, here are tips for making those visits less scary for them.
Prepare the Child for a Pediatrician Visit
Before you take your child to the pediatrician, talk about the visit. Educating them in advance can alleviate their fears. For instance, you can use age-appropriate TV shows or books to explain what a pedestrian’s visit is about before you go. You can also use a toy doctor’s kit to pretend you’re the pediatrician that the child will see at the office. And this will alleviate the fears that the child might have about the pediatrician.
Don’t Joke About Needles
Most children fear visiting the pediatrician because they don’t want to get shots. Joking about needles, therefore, will worsen their fears. For this reason, be cautious when talking about injections because you can prompt needle phobia. If you must talk about needles, create the impression that shots prevent kids from falling sick and are not a form of punishment.
Accompany Your Kid
Some parents leave the responsibility of taking kids to the pediatrician to a care provider, or a grandparent. However, this approach isn’t the best if a parent can make it for the doctor’s appointment. If a kid sees that the father or mother is comfortable during the visit, they will also relax. What’s more, a child will most likely trust the pediatrician once they realize the parent does the same.
Stay Close
Your toddler will undoubtedly feel vulnerable if the pediatrician towers over them while lying down without the father or mother around. If you accompany the child and let them sit on your lap, they will feel protected and safe. And this will dispel their fears.
It’s natural for a child to fear visiting a pediatrician, especially if they know they can get a shot. Follow these tips to make pediatrician visits less fearful for your child.
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