How to Get Your Child to Like Going to the Doctor
Give them a doctor's play set!, Use guided role play., Do a test run where you leave the room., Give them fun books about going to the doctor's office.There are wonderful kid's books about children going to the doctor's office.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Give them a doctor's play set!
You can get these in most toy shops, and they include plastic stethoscopes, thermometers, tweezers and other items commonly seen during an appointment.
Get your child to play with it and pretend he/she is the doctor.
Let them 'examine' you, and practice on dolls or stuffed toys. -
Step 2: Use guided role play.
Have them role play what will or might possibly occur during the appointment.
You can play doctor and model how caring you will be.
It's also fun to have them play the doctor—the aspects they are most anxious about will show up in their portrayal, allowing you to rest their fears.For example, you could ask, "Can you show me where your heart is?" When the child points to the heart, you can then say, "That's right! Your heart is here.
Now I'd like to check your heartbeat to see if it's regular.
Is that okay?" Then, show your child, through pretend-play, how the doctor will check their heart during a visit. , Many children are terrified about being left alone in a room with an adult who is not their relative or school teacher.
If your child's appointment requires you to leave them alone with the medical professional, you can ease their concerns by practicing what separating from them temporarily feels like. , These books reassure them that there is nothing to worry about, but can do so in a more kid-friendly way! Provide them a book with cartoons or lots of pictures in and they will be less worried! If your child responds more to videos than picture books, a number of fun videos exist online that show kids how fun going to the doctor's office can be.
Child-oriented websites like Sesame Street, for example, offer a variety of free, fun videos that cover many types of doctor visits. -
Step 3: Do a test run where you leave the room.
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Step 4: Give them fun books about going to the doctor's office.There are wonderful kid's books about children going to the doctor's office.
Detailed Guide
You can get these in most toy shops, and they include plastic stethoscopes, thermometers, tweezers and other items commonly seen during an appointment.
Get your child to play with it and pretend he/she is the doctor.
Let them 'examine' you, and practice on dolls or stuffed toys.
Have them role play what will or might possibly occur during the appointment.
You can play doctor and model how caring you will be.
It's also fun to have them play the doctor—the aspects they are most anxious about will show up in their portrayal, allowing you to rest their fears.For example, you could ask, "Can you show me where your heart is?" When the child points to the heart, you can then say, "That's right! Your heart is here.
Now I'd like to check your heartbeat to see if it's regular.
Is that okay?" Then, show your child, through pretend-play, how the doctor will check their heart during a visit. , Many children are terrified about being left alone in a room with an adult who is not their relative or school teacher.
If your child's appointment requires you to leave them alone with the medical professional, you can ease their concerns by practicing what separating from them temporarily feels like. , These books reassure them that there is nothing to worry about, but can do so in a more kid-friendly way! Provide them a book with cartoons or lots of pictures in and they will be less worried! If your child responds more to videos than picture books, a number of fun videos exist online that show kids how fun going to the doctor's office can be.
Child-oriented websites like Sesame Street, for example, offer a variety of free, fun videos that cover many types of doctor visits.
About the Author
Doris Richardson
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
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