Do Your Kids Dread Visiting Your Local Medical Clinic? Here’s How to Help

Plenty of adults would prefer to steer clear of visiting a medical clinic, even when they urgently require medical attention. It comes as no surprise, then, that children also feel anxious or stressed when it comes to even routine doctors’ visits. For a small child, the process of walking into a medical clinic and getting up close and personal with a stranger is totally beyond their control, and many kids will cry, throw tantrums, or become aggressive to avoid going through this. As a parent, it is difficult to see your child in such a state of distress, and it might seem easier altogether to avoid the doctor; but, medical anxiety is a debilitating condition that may prevent your child from receiving essential care in the future. Below, we take a look at why children sometimes feel afraid of doctors and healthcare professionals, and how to help ease their distress.

Understanding Your Child’s Valid Fears

Recognising why your child is afraid of a visit to your local medical clinic may give you some clues as to how you can remedy the situation. Some children have had bad experiences with nurses holding them down while administering a painful injection, or perhaps they saw something on television that created the association between the medical field and discomfort. Children are also like adults in that they find change frightening, and a visit to a medical clinic is a major upheaval of their daily routine. Other reasons your little one is scared of doctors may include:

• A lack of consent: Like adults, children set up boundaries and feel helpless when their consent is disregarded. To a certain degree, medical professionals might be seen as intrusive, and treatments such as injections may violate a child’s objections and protests, leaving them feeling powerless
• Clinical spaces: A medical clinic’s waiting room is often in stark contrast to child-friendly spaces such as preschools and playgrounds. Clinical and uncluttered, children may be intimidated by the muted colours and doctors and nurses who sometimes dress differently. While many clinics do have playroom areas and toys for children, it is not uncommon for kids to feel frightened of their strange new surroundings.
• Shyness: Many extroverted and boisterous kids have no problem with doctors, and usually cannot wait to see their family physician. Children on the shyer spectrum, though, might feel nervous under the gaze of an attentive GP. Here, it may be helpful to ask the GP to keep their spotlight on the child to a minimum.
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Knowing What to Expect

Like adults, children may develop a fear of the unknown as they are so reliant on daily structure and routine. While it is important not to overhype and over-prepare them for their appointment (that is, to the point that they become nervous), some preparation is important for children. Talk to them about what to expect during their appointment in a calm manner and reassure them if they have any questions or concerns.

Don’t Villainise Doctors 

Parents often use doctors and medical staff as a way to discipline children through phrases like, “If you don’t eat your vegetables, the doctor will give you a shot”. These statements are incredibly damaging to children who learn to fear a vital field within modern society. When speaking to your children about doctors, emphasise their care and compassion, and steer clear of jokes about needles and hospitalisation.

Have a Trusted Adult Go with Them

If your child is nervous about visiting a medical clinic or doctor’s practice, ensure that they go with an adult they trust. This means that it may be better for a close parent or guardian to go with them instead of a babysitter or extended family member.

Practice Together at Home

Children enjoy roleplaying as a method for learning and sorting through information. It can also be exceptionally helpful for kids with a phobia of doctors and medical clinics. Parents and guardians can even purchase a cheap doctor’s toy set to encourage them to engage with the concept and work through any fears they might have. It may even inspire a love for the profession.

Don’t Lie to Your Child

For parents, calming a child down during a crying spell or tantrum might become so important that they are willing to tell their child a white lie to avoid more distress. These lies might include the parent telling the child they won’t receive unpleasant medication or an injection. In the long run, however, this creates further distrust between the child and adults and teaches the child that the adult’s comfort surrounding a doctor’s visit offers false security.

Take a Toy or Activity Along

Sometimes, distracting your little one is the best way to take their mind off their anxiety. Before the appointment, ask your child to pick out their favourite toy or activity to keep them busy in the waiting room and help to divert their attention away from the uncomfortable environment in which they find themselves.

Try to Comfort and Not Reprimand

It is impossible to punish fear out of a child. Reprimanding your child for their real fear might teach them to suppress their emotions but will inevitably heighten their anxiety surrounding the event. The experience also becomes unpleasant when children are pinned down or restrained painfully during a treatment. As far as possible, try to hug, hold, and soothe your child during an unpleasant treatment, getting them to focus on you and your voice.

Offer an Exciting Treat After Visiting a Medical Clinic

What could be more comforting than ice cream or getting to pick out what movie to watch after visiting the doctor? Not only will your child quickly release their anxiety, but an exciting reward will enable them to create a positive association between a doctor’s visit and a treat.

Find a Superb Doctor

Some doctors specialise in paediatric care and know how to interact with children well. Before booking an appointment at a medical clinic, ask the front desk receptionist which doctors at the facility work best with children of a certain age.

Here, at Intercare, our facilities and child-friendly professionals are accommodating, compassionate, and go the extra mile to ensure every patient’s comfort. For quick and easy online bookings, simply click here and make your appointment today.