Children vs Waiting Room: The Eternal Battle

Waiting for the doctor with young children is like sitting with lit dynamite, eventually it is going to explode. You know its going to be loud, destructive, and did I mention loud?

So how do you survive the dreaded waiting room without leaving a crater of destruction in your wake? Which wire do you cut to diffuse the cute little bomb?

Distraction.

Keeping a child entertained and well behaved in boring doctor’s office is a constant game of distraction. Plan ahead – don’t leave yourself stranded with a sick child and nothing occupy them.

Doctor’s Office Survival Guide (Baby Edition)

• Food. Cheerios are a relatively healthy snack that is perfect to pack. Easy to carry, easy to eat, and easy to clean up. Avoid bringing food you or your child will end up wearing.
• Books & Toys. Pack your own books and toys. The waiting room toys are usually half eaten pieces of crap that should be burned.
• Second set of hands. Don’t go alone if at all possible. When the wait is long, it pays to have someone else to pass your child off to. The wife and I switch off entertaining Little Miss, plus it gives her a change of scenery.
• Kennel/Crate. Wait. How did this one get on the list? Nevermind…

Along with your survival gear, there are several golden rules all parents should follow should they find themselves waiting with their young child. Read them, remember them, use them.

Golden Rules for Waiting Rooms

• Cover your child’s mouth when he or she coughs/sneezes. It’s common courtesy people, at least make the attempt.
• Clean up their mess. The receptionist is not there to clean up after your child. A good lesson to teach is to leave a room cleaner than when you entered it.
• Control your child. The waiting room is not an amusement park.

Just like a good poker hand, don’t go all in right away. Play it cool. Always have a plan, a backup plan, a backup backup plan, a… you get the idea.

Photos courtesy of: banspy & cdsessums