Saturday, May 4, 2013

Helping Your Child Get Along With Doc

By Sarah James


Visiting the doctor's office isn't a child's idea of fun. Truth is, many young kids remain horrified with the idea of talking to the professional who's all clad up in white. So why do children have this innate fear of doctors? According to psychologists, a child's experience with the physician over the years may play a significant role in building his or her perception of the medical professional.

A child who experienced several flu shots in the past may relate the doctor with pain and physical discomfort. A child left in the exam room may think that the doctor is responsible for his or her parent's absence. Also, going to the doctor's office might bring out a child's fear of the unknown and may even provoke a kid to think that some sort of disease will take him or her away from the family. This line of thinking arises especially when a kid sees the death of a family member inside hospital premises.

Does this scenario capture what your kid is facing? Is your beloved angel afraid of going to the doctor's office? Have you run out of methods to persuade your child to pay a visit to the doctor, especially the ENT doctor? Have you exhausted all possibilities just so your kid can meet up that children ENT specialist who can assess your child's worsening tonsillitis or odd snoring pattern? Here are some tricks that may change your child's attitude towards the doctor:

Let your child know what is going to happen. Fear of doctors is commonly associated with fear of the unknown. Talk to your kid about the vitality of a check up and give assurance that you will be there by his or her side. Relate how a check up is crucial to a person's well being. If your child understands the importance of a visit to the clinic, he or she can grow appreciation for the doctor's role.

Engage in role playing. Acting out the doctor patient scenario will ease your child's anxieties. You might want to get her a toy doctor's kit to make her feel comfortable with the idea of medical examinations.




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