Having reliable medical care for your sick child is certainly a reason to be thankful. But, oh, that wait in the pediatrician’s reception room can be so difficult!
A child who is feeling ill is often a cranky child, and in the reception room, yours is not the only one. Here are a few ideas for activities for infants to help the wait time for doctor exams to pass more quickly. Try these activities with your child.
A visit to the doctor is often accompanied by a form-filling session. With a fussy baby on your hands, it’s not easy to think about anything except calming baby, but try a little multi-tasking.
What You Need
- You and your baby
- Medical history forms
Let’s Go
- Prop your baby up so that she can see your face and hear your voice. As you complete the forms, tell her all about what you are reading and writing — your names, address, phone numbers and so on.
- Be sure to use a calm, low voice but vary your tone to make it interesting to her. Look at her face often and if she begins to fuss and look away, regain her attention by saying her name softly over and over. If you can manage to write and have a free hand, use it to rub her tummy gently or play with her feet to give her at least some of your attention.
Janet Pletcher is a freelance writer.