Fear of the Doctor

My toddler is afraid to go to the doctor. How did you cope with this?

Our Mommy MD Guide’s reply: In the toddler years, kids often need to go to the doctor a lot. I think it’s important to choose a pediatrician you like and convey that feeling to your child.

Going to the doctor can be scary for toddlers. When my daughters would say they didn’t want to go the doctor, I explained that there are things in life we don’t want to do that we have to do. We have to sleep. We have to eat. We have to go to the doctor. That’s life.

“I understand you don’t want to go,” I’d say. “I don’t like to write medical chart notes either, but I have to do it. There’s no way around it. That’s how it is with going to the doctor.”

It helps to be calm yourself. Don’t be anxious about taking your toddler to the doctor. Children pick up on how you are feeling. Also, after the visit it over, quickly change the mood. Go do something fun or give your toddler a reward such as a sticker or my teen just reminded me that we would go to the dollar store that was right next door. You want to change his or her mindset as quickly as possible. Later if he  or she protests going to the doctor, you can say, “I know you don’t want to go, but remember last time, how much fun we had after?”

—Eva Ritvo, MD, a mom of 21- and 16-year-old daughters, a psychiatrist, and a coauthor of The Beauty Prescription, in Miami Beach, FL