By Katie Brenneman
If there’s one thing children look to parental figures for, it’s help — help with opening a jar, help with homework, or help with understanding something. Often, they need help with overcoming fears.
Fears surrounding doctors can be tough to overcome. However, like the above, your children are looking to you for help. Assisting them in overcoming their fear of doctors starts with understanding where their fear comes from.
Why Children May Be Scared of Going to the Doctor
Children may be nervous or scared about going to the doctor for various reasons rooted in medical anxiety. For example, a doctor’s visit may cause anxiety because of a previous bad experience. They may have a general issue with someone touching their body.
Or, your children may be scared of needles. Getting a shot can be painful, depending on which one they’re getting. And if your children have to get multiple, the pain can be even worse. So, it’s no surprise a child wants to avoid shots and doctor visits altogether.
Whatever your child’s reason is for fearing doctor’s visits, you can help them overcome it.
Three Tips for Overcoming Their Fear of Doctors
Doctors will likely be a part of children’s lives forever. It’s best to help them overcome their fear now so that they won’t be afraid to get the support they need for their health in the future. These three tips can help you help them.
Lead With Patience and Empathy
To be completely transparent, working with and supporting children when they’re navigating a fear can be frustrating, mainly when they throw fits and refuse to go to their appointments. Still, never showing your frustration is critical.
Lead with patience and empathy all the time, but especially on doctor day. Be honest with them in conversations about what will happen at doctor visits. Show compassion when they’re upset. Acknowledge how they’re feeling and let them know you understand.
Provide Comfort
It’s always a good idea to make your children feel as comfortable as possible at every appointment. Do what you can to help them feel safe in a place that’s supposed to be scary.
For example, let your child sit on your lap while they’re getting a shot. Allow them to bring their favorite blanket or toy. Play their favorite song. Hold their hand the entire time. Let them sit with their sibling. Figure out what makes your child most comfortable at the doctor’s office and do that.
Do Something Fun After
Your child may be able to persevere through a doctor’s appointment better when they have something fun to look forward to. In addition, doing something fun after the appointment can convince kids to cooperate with the doctor.
Ask your child or children what they want to do after their doctor’s visit. If you can’t do everything they want to do, come up with something you can do that they’re satisfied with.
Also, make sure you do something fun after every visit, even if they have a meltdown. Rather than punishing them for having an anxiety attack, think of it as a reward for going at all.
Overcoming the fear of doctors will take work. But, children you parent or nanny can do it with your help. Lean on the shared tips to guide you.
Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in lifestyle, mental health, education, and fitness-related content. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. To connect with Katie, you can follow her on Twitter.