Bringing the Kids to a Doctor's Appointment

Today the baby had a doctor's visit, and for the first time as a mom of three, I had to bring all of the kiddos along with me.

Yikes, right?  Actually, it wasn't that bad. While I did have the option of having my mom watch the older two kids for me, I decided to just bring them along. After all, there will be times when I have no sitter available and have to have all three at the same time any way!  Like I said, it wasn't bad. Here's what I did to prepare the kids for the visit:

1. A few days ago, I began discussing with them proper behavior when at the doctor's office. They needed to sit nicely and quietly in the waiting room, and when we're called in, they need to sit quietly in their seats while I spoke with the doctor about the baby. 
2. The night before, I stocked the diaper bag with everything I would need for the baby, plus a few extras for the kids (my iPod, a book, emergency Pull-Up). That way, in the morning, I could just add a bottle for the baby, grab the bag and go.
3. In the morning, I began preparing for the appointment two hours before I had to be there. That meant getting dressed, bathing the kids, preparing the baby's bottle, feeding the baby, etc. 
4. As we were all getting ready, I kept reminding the kids of what I expected of them at the doctor's office, plus I added in a bonus reward to sweeten the deal: a Happy Meal for each if they did as I asked. We don't get fast food that often, so it was a good choice for them. 
5. Before we walked into the waiting room, I once again reminded the kids of what I expected, to the point that my oldest said, "Enough Mom! We get it!". Mind you, he's only four...

We checked into the office this morning, and the experience was fantastic. The kids sat quietly in their seats, 'reading' magazines as we waited an awfully long time to be called. Once with the doctor, they sat pretty still in their seats, until the doctor mentioned a needle for the baby, of course. I only had to remind them twice to sit in their seats, but at that point, they were there with me for over an hour and they were getting antsy. 
I couldn't have been more proud to be their mom. The appointment went well, aside from the baby crying from the shot!  I picked up our lunch after we left, and we went home to enjoy it on the patio in the sunshine.  Do you have any tips about bringing your kids with you to doctor's appointments? Share them in a comment below!  Here's a helpful article: What to Do with Kids and Babies to Help Keep Them Calm and Quiet During a Church Service Marissa is a stay-at-home mom who writes pregnancy and parenting articles on HubPages, as well as shares her motherly escapades on Mommy Knows What's Best. 

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