Taking the Toddler to the Doctor
Toddlers hate visits to the doctor as they anticipate getting an injection. They start howling and throwing a tantrum whenever it is appointment time. But, going to the doctor is necessary and unavoidable as regular check –ups are required.
Educate the Child about Doctors
Pictures and stories work effectively for toddlers, and books on visits to the doctor abound. Select a book from the nearest bookstore and repeatedly read it to your toddler. The toddler will start identifying with the child in the story and learn that there is nothing to fear about the doctor. In fact, the book can be carried along for the doctors’ visit to build further confidence in the child.
Build Faith in the Doctor
Keep telling your child stories about his/her doctor and how nice a person the doctor is. This reiteration will help the child to believe that the doctor is someone to be loved and not feared. The doctor can be projected as a person who is the child’s friend (and this is specially so as most paediatricians are very child-friendly).
Make the Experience Fun
Every visit to the doctor should be fun and not filled with apprehension. Some paediatric clinics have toys and books to keep the children occupied while they wait their turn. Or else, the parents can carry along the child’s favourite toy and a few books to make the waiting period easier.
Take Child for your Doctor Visits
It is a good idea to take the child along for your own medical check –ups as this will imbibe a feeling of confidence in the child. When seeing a parent interact happily with a doctor, the child is bound to do the same.
It will take time for a child to get comfortable with visits to the doctor, especially if a phase of toddler immunizations has just been done, as the child will tend to remember the immunization. But, with time and patience on the parents’ part, children will learn that there is nothing to fear from doctor’s visits.
