The doctor's office can be an intimidating place for a young child. As a parent, it can be hard seeing your child in pain, and even harder if they regard the doctors office as a traumatic experience. Here are some ideas to help you make your child's first doctor's appointment a good experience:
Talk to your child about the doctor before you visit. It can help to find some children's books about doctors at the library and read these before you go to the doctor. It's important your child understands the doctor is nice and isn't there to hurt them, even if sometimes they do things that feel uncomfortable.
Some doctors have their picture on their website. This can be a great way to get your child to respond positively to your doctor. You could show them the picture before and explain that the doctor is their friend.
A great idea is to take your child into the office when you go for your own doctor's appointment (or an older sibling's appointment). This way, they can see you acting calm when the doctor does his examination, and they know what to expect. They will want to emulate your behaviour.
Playing "doctors" at home with a toy stethoscope and other toy medical supplies can also be a fun way to help your child overcome a fear of the doctor.
If your child is sick, make them feel as warm and comfortable as possible. Pack something for them to drink and their favourite toy. If they're old enough to talk, let them tell the doctor what is wrong. Doctors are experienced at talking to kids about their health, and can often get more answers from them than you can.
Ask your child what they thought of the doctor. Did they like the doctor? Did they find the doctor scary? What did they think of the office? Did they have any questions about the tests or what the doctor said?