4 Tips To Help Your Child Lose Their Fear Of The Doctor – You Are Mom
One of the most common fears in childhood is that of the doctor, especially between the ages of 2 and 5. Is this the case with your child? If so, you are interested in the following lines because they give you some tips to help your child lose this fear.
But first we need to make it clear that it’s normal for children to feel uncertain and insecure when they need to go to the doctor.
This is because they have to face an unfamiliar situation in which a person from the immediate environment invades their personal space and, on some occasions, performs procedures that produce a certain amount of pain or discomfort.
4 tips to help your child lose their fear of the doctor
1. Prevent visits to the doctor in advance
If your child perceives the visit to the doctor as a threat and a danger, it is important to let him know several days in advance that he needs to go to a doctor’s appointment, so that it does not take him away. not by surprise and that he could gradually get used to the idea.
2. Transmit security and trust
As a parent in this situation you need to act as a source of support and trust. To do this, you need to explain to your child that you will accompany them to the doctor’s visit and that they should not worry because you will be there for what they need.
In addition, to make the child feel more secure, you can tell him to choose one of his favorite toys or objects (a soft toy, a doll, his blanket, etc.) so that he can also accompany him and stay with him during the visit.
3. Play doctor and tell stories about health centers
A good idea to make your child less afraid of the doctor is to play health-related games with them. Thus, in a fun way, the child has the opportunity to discover how the role of doctor or nurse and the role of patient are exercised , and what are the usual practices.
Another good idea is to create a story that takes place in a health center and to read it with the child, so that he gets to know the environment he will find in the doctor’s office and not to him. not cause so much uncertainty.
4. Avoid negative comments about the work of health personnel
Sometimes adults complain and criticize the work of health workers, and share their bad experiences with the doctor. If you have a child who is afraid to go to the doctor, you should avoid making these kinds of negative comments in front of them because you will only fuel that fear.
On the contrary, you must make him understand that the doctors are there to help people and not to harm them, and that the fact of going to see them is not a punishment, but a necessity to be in good health and to benefit fully. of life.
Fear of the doctor or a phobia?
If you think your child’s fear of going to the doctor is irrational, excessive, and crippling, it may not just be a fear of the child, but a phobia – more specifically, it may be iatrophobia.
In this case, it is likely that the advice given above will not be used to reduce or end the problem. It is therefore recommended to seek the help of a psychologist specializing in the treatment of phobias.
What is iatrophobia?
Iatrophobia is a type of social phobia that is characterized by extreme and irrational fear of doctors or healthcare workers in general. People suffering from this disorder, in these situations, experience intense discomfort, anxiety and even true panic.
The importance of treating fear of the doctor
Ultimately, it’s important to address the doctor’s fear as soon as the problem is detected. After all, it is inevitable to go to the doctor both in childhood and throughout life.
As soon as your child understands that the person in the white coat is their ally and not their enemy, they will be able to face visits to the doctor in a more relaxed and less insecure way.
