Preparing children through role play, talking, reading, watching a video, while prepping them for an appointment or doctors visit will help ease the process and make it somewhat of a more manageable experience that they will hopefully carry through the rest of a child's life. While it won’t guarantee zero tears, big feelings, or push back, it will help ease the process, help build social emotional resiliency during visits, and prepare for future appointments of all types.
One of the best ways for a child to feel more equipped for a visit or appointment is through role play. Since children learn by doing, simply setting up an invitation where the environment will be similar to their experience will help them feel better prepared and more in control for what will happen to them as they will have a foundation of what to expect. For an EEG appointment you can read this book Lucky's First EEG and/or watch a You Tube Videos. then invite the child(ren) to reenact what happens on baby dolls. Provide a bed such as the Whats It, Miniland Baby Dolls, a real or play lap top, blanket, pipe cleaners and sticker dots. Invite the child to recreate through play what happens in the EEG appointment to the baby dolls.
Talking during meal times, car rides, bath and/or bed time continues to open the discussion and lay the foundation to prepare and let them know what will happen, understand their worries, provide examples of what will happen, have them feel seen & heard, and why it is important to take care of our bodies. Here is another Invitation to Role Play to Prep for a Vaccine or Doctors Visit.and here are many children’s books about doctor’s visits, you can read with your child in the days leading up such as these listed below:
Doctor Visits:
And as always watching videos with their favorite characters helps take the pressure off, feels relatable, and they are more connected to that a familiar face doing the same thing they will be doing. Here are some videos below for doctor visits:
Doctor Visits:
Getting A Check Up- Sesame Street
D is for Doctor- Sesame Street
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