Make the Most of your Pediatrician Appointment with These 4 Simple Tips
Depending on the age of your child and your family’s living situation, you as the parent spend the most time with your little ones, especially those ages 0 to 3. You know what makes them smile, laugh out loud, run away in fear, or scream. But the child you go to the Pediatrician’s office with might not be the same kid that you parent throughout the day.
Going to a doctor’s office is anything but common place because of its sterile nature chalked full of strangers, leading to increases in fight, flight, or freeze responses that do not accurately portray their current skill set. This is especially true with babies as stranger danger typically emerges at 6 months and separation from familiar faces emerges at 8-9 months, but it is just as common for our older kids with higher degrees of neurodivergence, history of medical trauma from hospitalizations/long illnesses, and general shyness. These biological responses, diagnoses, and personality tendencies can make it difficult for you to optimize your time with the medical provider and for the health provider to observe your sign and symptom concerns.
Here are some tips for how to get the most out of your time with the pediatrician.
1. Come With Questions
If you are like me, whenever someone is talking to me, I tend to lose my train of thought in an effort to track the conversation. It can leave you feeling frustrated when you leave the appointment without asking about the little concerns and questions that may or may not be related to that day’s visit. That is when pen and paper, or even notes on a phone app come in handy! You deserve to have your questions and concerns heard because when you learn, you know better, which translates to doing better.
2. Fact Check Social Media
Let’s face it, we are bombarded with information on social media. It is easy to see what other kids are accomplishing and what cool toys/positioning devices are on the market. But before running out to buy the ‘next big thing” or fretting that your child is behind, talk to your pediatrician about appropriate developmental milestones and positioning. Learn the spectrum of typical development and be sure to share with your provider if you feel like your child is becoming delayed.
3. Record Concerning Movement Patterns and Behaviors
While our littles might be people shy, most of them certainly are not camera shy. So, when your toe walker decides to walk with their heels down during the appointment or the sensory-avoider sits quietly on the scratchy papered-table, take out your phone and show doctors what they are not able to see in real time. Without tangible proof, concerns might be brushed off, making you feel overzealous in your worries.
4. Trust Your Gut
“Trust your gut” is more than a cool saying, it is a phenomenon that science is actively studying! As a parent, you get to make choices based not only on the logic and facts presented, but also on your gut, which is “dependent on previous experiences”. Because you know your kid, with the backpack full of context they carry, you know what they need more than any other person on the planet. So, if the pediatrician makes a recommendation that does not sit well with you, advocate for your child. If you think something is wrong and a specialist referral is required, do not leave without presenting your case. Medical professionals are there to serve, so help them to know how.
As the parent and guardian of your child, we applaud all you are doing to help them reach their full potential. Taking them to to the pediatrician is just one small moment of your day. Please let us know how Kids Place can be a part of their journey!
