The child is afraid of doctors: advice from psychologists and experienced mothers on how to help children get rid of fear. The child is afraid of doctors - what to do and how to neutralize fear What to do if the child is panicky afraid of doctors

Scheduled examinations in the clinic and medical procedures such as injections, vaccinations, instillation into the nose with a drop are not the most pleasant events in a child's life. It is not surprising that many children, when they see a snow-white robe, cry, scream, and in the doctor's office they throw a real tantrum. What to do if the baby is afraid of doctors? How can you help your child overcome this fear? We have selected for you simple, but proven recommendations by mothers and psychologists.

Long corridors, many doors leading to mysterious rooms where strict women in white sit, buzzing devices, incomprehensible words exchanged between mother and doctor ... Agree, such an atmosphere does not give the baby optimism.

Do not rush to get upset - if the baby is prepared and behaves correctly with him in the clinic, it will be possible to forget both anxiety and tantrums. But first, let's try to figure out where the legs "grow" from such fear.

Fear of doctors - where does it come from?

Children under the age of one are constantly in contact with health workers - monthly examinations, numerous tests and are a "mandatory program". Thanks to the peculiarities of their memory, unpleasant moments are quickly forgotten. Another thing - kids older than a year. Where does this phobia come from?

Video answer why children are afraid of doctors

So, the reasons have been identified, now it remains to find out what to do if your little one is afraid of doctors. According to experts, the choice of "medicine" depends on the age of the young patient.

If the baby is 1 year old: we warn fears

One-year-old children are usually not afraid of medical examinations, but they are sensitive to any physical inconvenience: an unfamiliar environment, fuss and noise, the loud voice of a stranger, pain. How to relieve psychological stress and prevent the appearance of a phobia?

• Don't lose your temper

Thanks to a strong emotional connection, the baby perfectly understands his mother's condition, and any nervousness is transmitted to him instantly. Keep calm, do not infect him with negative experiences, and if unrest cannot be avoided, ask him to take his grandmother or father to the clinic.

• Schedule your visit

You must follow the normal daily routine. Hungry or sleepy children are unlikely to be delighted with a medical examination. Also, do not try to go through all the specialists at once, otherwise the baby will get tired and capricious.

• Let the baby get used to the room

Try to come to the hospital in advance, take a walk along the corridor, avoiding crying peers. Find something exciting (bright posters, flowers in pots), then the time in line will fly by.

• Don't rush your treatment

Upon entering the office, introduce the child to the pediatrician: “Look, this is Aunt Katya. She is very kind and affectionate. You will befriend her!" Hold the baby in your arms, stroking the back and head - at this age, touch is important. Try to distract him with a rattle if he is about to cry.

• Call a doctor at home

If children absolutely do not want to visit the clinic, use the services of a paid doctor. Invite him home, ask him not to wear “scary clothes” before the examination and play a little with the baby in the nursery.

If children are 2 years old: reduce nervousness

Older children need to be explained why they visit the doctor. If your child develops a positive attitude towards health workers, he will not be afraid of hospitals.

• Be honest with children

You can’t deceive the baby - tell only the truth, because it’s not the pain itself that scares him, but what he doesn’t know. For example, do not claim that the doctor will only listen to him if in fact there is a vaccination. Otherwise, next time the child will refuse to leave the apartment, even if you just need to take a certificate.

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• Borrow with a toy

Try to distract from unpleasant thoughts by buying a new exciting toy or book for your baby. You can move away from strict rules for a while and allow you to play with a tablet or mobile phone.

• Don't compare with others

In the line in front of the office door, such a phrase is often heard: “Look, that boy is brave, sits quietly and does not dishonor his mother.” The baby may think that he is bad and not worthy of his mother's love. To calm the coward, tell: “When you were a little younger, you were not at all afraid of vaccinations. Even my aunt-nurse said that you are very brave.”

• Don't expect good behavior

Do not demand from the baby to observe etiquette - to say hello to the doctor and behave "like an adult." Let him look around in the office, get used to a stranger. If the child is frightened and cries, you can not swear and spank on the pope. Hug and try to calm the roaring child.

If the child is 3 years old: get rid of fears

Unfortunately, it also happens that, despite all the measures taken, three-year-old children still tremble at the sight of a medical uniform. What to do in such cases?

• Explain what medical procedures are for

It is necessary to tell what awaits the child in the office, for which certain medical manipulations are necessary. For example: “Vaccination will help you not get sick. A blood test will tell the doctor what you are sick with. The dentist will relieve your toothache and make your teeth healthy.” Your explanation will help the children to be more tolerant of the treatment.

• Give a baby first aid kit

Buy a toy set with medical tools: syringes, stethoscopes and heating pads. For the role of patients, take a doll and a teddy bear who need to feel the tummies, examine the throat, take blood for tests. As the game progresses, suggest how to perform various procedures, and together rejoice at the “recovered” toys.

• Use fairy tale therapy

Before visiting the hospital, watch cartoons about a doctor, medicines: “About a hippopotamus who was afraid of vaccinations”, “Tari the bird”. Little children especially love the tale of kind Aibolit, who helps sick animals. Be sure to answer any questions you have.

• Promise a reward for courage

Usually, psychologists are categorically opposed to the fact that parents try to get the behavior they want from their children with the help of “bribery”. The only exception is visiting doctors. The kid must be sure that his courage will be rewarded - not necessarily with a toy or sweets, but, for example, a trip to an amusement park.

• let me cry

A strict taboo on tears can cause a backlash. Let the child cry, it will be a good emotional release. Tell him that you perfectly understand his fear, but you need to be patient a little. Never be ashamed of fear and anxiety - phrases like “men don’t cry”, “you are already big” should be excluded.

The child is afraid of the dentist - what to do?

Sometimes children are wary of a certain doctor - most often, a dentist. In this case, it is difficult to talk not only about the treatment of diseased teeth, but also about preventive monitoring. How to make a kid friends with a dentist?

1. Choose a doctor according to the recommendation - find out from your acquaintances and friends in which specialized children's clinic they treat children.
2. Come to your first appointment as a tour. Ask the doctor to show your baby his office, tools, allow him to sit in a chair.
3. You should not focus on discomfort when going to the dentist with your child. And at the same time, one cannot say that the dentist will not do anything at all - this is not true.
4. Do not try to cure several teeth in one visit - the baby will not stand in the dental chair for more than 15 minutes and becomes naughty.
5. Tell them that you will always be with your child and will definitely come to his aid if necessary.

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Every mom is a psychologist herself, so we decided to find out what those parents did, in whose families little cowards grow up, who categorically refuse to contact the pediatrician.

Evgenia, mother of two-year-old Danila: “The following helped my son in exactly the same situation. We changed the district doctor for a paid one and brought for examination not a child, but a beloved teddy bear. The doctor quickly understood what was the matter, carefully “treated” the bear, and only then proceeded to Danka. Since then, with sincere joy, we have been going to a kind aunt to treat ... a bear.

Elizabeth, mother of 4-year-old Katya: “For us, this problem has become less acute with age. We often read about Aibolit, we bought a doctor's kit for our daughter (injections, tubes, thermometers). At the reception, I try not to worry and calmly talk with the doctor. And when we are going to the clinic, I always say what they will do there and that it will practically not hurt.

Anna, mother of three-year-old Diana: “We had a similar situation ... My daughter just squealed when she saw a man in a white coat. But once they came to the dentist, who was able to make friends with her, and Diana did not cry at all. And at home she even asked: “When will we go to pull out teeth again?” Here are such wonderful doctors you can meet!

Video plot: how to make a child stop being afraid of doctors

Specialists of the Kemerovo Children's Multidisciplinary Hospital have developed their own methodology and are successfully implementing it:

Fear of white coats is common among young patients and adults. In the absence of attention to the problem, it can develop into a real phobia. Many people do not visit the clinic without a good reason, but with children they definitely need to undergo annual examinations. At preschool age, only every fifth child is not afraid of doctors - what if your little one is not one of the daredevils? The task of parents is to prevent fears. You need to work on this from the first days of a baby's life.

Dr. Komarovsky claims that all children's fears have good reasons. If there was a fear of doctors, the problem arose due to the action of factors:

1. Psychologists say that the appearance of fear by the age of 2 is a natural process. It is not directed against members of a particular profession. The basis of fear is the touch of a stranger to the child.
2. The second source is negative experience - unpleasant medical procedures performed without warning that caused pain.
3. Parents scare their babies with doctors: they promise to give an injection for disobedience, which is why medical workers appear before the preschooler as villains, tormentors.
4. When visiting a polyclinic, adults lie to the baby that they came only for a certificate or for an examination, while they themselves bring him for blood sampling or vaccination.
5. The example of adults helps the child to form an attitude towards doctors. If a mother, even with a severe toothache, avoids visiting the dentist's office, then the baby will bypass the doctor of this specialty. Refrain from negative statements about the employees of the polyclinic in the presence of a child.
6. Often the cause of phobias is the attitude of doctors towards patients. This is especially noticeable in the generation whose childhood fell on the 70-90s. Doctors ignored the tantrums of young visitors, which caused an old fear.

To create a favorable attitude of children to doctors and medical manipulations, parents need to try. It is important to avoid the mistakes listed above, to be honest with the baby, to prepare him for visiting a specialist. The fear that has appeared must be eradicated immediately, since it will not disappear on its own.

In adults, the fear of white coats led to the fact that at the sight of doctors in traditional uniforms, blood pressure increased, panic attacks occurred, and tachycardia developed. The introduction of colored medical suits partially corrected this problem, but in a small number of patients the phobia remained.

What to do if the child is not afraid of doctors, but of the manipulations themselves? It is in this form that the phobia occurs in one-year-old children - they are afraid of strangers, possible pain, separation from their mother. The choice of method of psychological influence depends on the age of the crumbs. In one-year-old babies, fear must be prevented. They begin to divide people into friends and foes, the touch of an unfamiliar person causes hysteria.

1. Adults accompanying the baby should not lose their temper. Children read other people's emotions. Nervousness, fear and excitement are inevitably transmitted to them.
2. Plan your visit carefully. Deviations in the daily routine should be minimal. Don't try to complete a full medical examination in one visit. If you need to take tests on an empty stomach, then immediately after the manipulation you need to find a place to feed, always take a small amount of food with you.
3. Arrive at the hospital 10-15 minutes before your appointment. Spend this time studying bright posters, decorations, flowers. Let the child get used to the room. Avoid crying babies.
4. With treatment and examinations, too, do not rush. If you feel that the baby is tense immediately after moving to the office, introduce her to the doctor, hold her in your arms, stroking her back.

For serious problems, the first acquaintance with the doctor is best done at home. Call a specialist from a private clinic for examination, ask him to play a little with the baby before the examination. You should not go to doctors only because of illness, visit specialists regularly, monitor the condition of the child. Over time, the environment of the clinic will be remembered, it will seem less scary and hostile.

What to do at 2 years old?

After two years, explain to the child the need to visit a medical facility. Your goal is to create a positive impression. Psychologists offer ways to reduce nervousness:

1. Honesty - say what procedures and why you need to go through. It's not the pain that scares me the most, it's the unknown. Deception can serve as a catalyst for a phobia.
2. A new toy or a bright book can distract a baby from unpleasant thoughts. It is permissible to deviate from strict rules. Give your child a tablet or mobile with a cartoon or an exciting game.
3. If he is very afraid, do not use other children as an example. This will only exacerbate the negative situation. Refrain from evaluating behavior. Do not say that the baby will shame you. The kid will decide that he is not worthy of love because of his phobia. Replace the negative assessment with a story about the past, say that before the baby was not afraid of doctors, everyone praised him for his courage. This will increase self-esteem, dull fear.
4. Many parents expect adult behavior from a preschooler. Because of his fear, he often forgets his inculcated manners. This is normal, it is forbidden to hit or yell for such behavior. He is afraid, so he does not think about politeness, he may cry. Calm down, cheer up the child.

These techniques will allow you to receive treatment. Psychologists say that it is impossible to completely get rid of fears in the second year of life. This needs to be worked on at an older age.

In order not to upset the parents, the baby can say: "I'm not afraid." Learn to read your child's body language. Restricted movements, a desire to stay away from medical workers are the main signs of internal struggle. If you notice them, sit the baby next to him, stroke his back. He must feel supported.

Working with fears over the age of 3 years

If a child is afraid of doctors at the age of three, it is necessary to work on the final eradication of fear. At this age, the most persistent phobias develop. Psychologists recommend that parents use techniques:

Make your first visit to the hospital as a guided tour. Walk with the baby along the corridors, look at the posters on the walls. Use this visit to make an appointment through the reception, choose the most convenient time.

How to get rid of the fear of dentists

Many adults are interested in how to persuade a child to treat their teeth - the advice of a psychologist in this case will help the following:

If your child is afraid of getting his teeth cleaned or going to the hospital, make an appointment in the morning. By dinner, the baby's nervousness will reach a peak, he will constantly think about the upcoming visit.

The problem of fear of medical workers concerns every parent. Because of the need for blood tests or vaccinations, babies are afraid of doctors and nurses from an early age. Only an integrated approach to the problem can cope with the problem: follow the advice of psychologists, do not discuss illnesses, show the safety of procedures by your own example.

Fear of medical personnel and manipulation is one of the first to appear in a child's life. Even healthy infants are vaccinated, and as they grow older, the number of doctors and procedures will increase. It is important from an early age to help the baby not to be afraid, but to perceive visits to the doctor as a necessary and natural phenomenon.

Fear of the hospital can be roughly divided into two groups.

1. Fear of doctors directly:
   • strangers or unfamiliar surroundings are frightening. Especially when an outsider feels the crumbs, climbs into his mouth or nose;
   • bad experiences with medical staff in the past;
   • white coats - an obligatory attribute of a doctor - inspire fear, even if the doctor just entered the room.
2. Fear of medical procedures:
   • • injections;
   • • taking tests;
   • throat examination, etc.

Having suddenly experienced pain from an injection or taking a blood test, the baby will remember this for a long time and will begin to beware of all people in white coats, not expecting anything good from them.

Often, parents themselves provoke such fear, scaring them with evil uncles and injections. And very young children read the state of their mother if she is very worried, worried or has bad feelings for the doctor. This also affects the attitude of the crumbs to the doctor.

Parents for a child are the main authority, an example to follow. There is no escape from clinics, doctors, treatment and tests, so relatives should reassure, encourage, be proud of their daredevil, encourage, but never scold for cowardice, threaten, ridicule, restrain by force. A child who is afraid to go to the hospital needs help to cope with this. If the adequate state of the mother is very important for very small ones, she must be balanced, control herself, calm, pity her child, because the little one feels her condition and reacts in the same way, then everything can be explained to older children.

1. 1. Never lie to a small person, warn about everything in advance. Don't say it won't hurt if they take him for vaccinations or blood donations. Explain calmly that this needs to be done, you need to be patient a little.

1. 1. Be there during the procedure, secure, hold your hand, praise.

1. 1. Any situations can be modeled, turning them into a game. Buy a children's doctor's kit, explain what the tools are for, play with the baby.

1. 1. If the child is in the hospital, let his favorite toy lie there and be treated.

1. Tell stories about people you know who got sick and recovered, or from your childhood.

In overcoming fear, psychologists pay great attention to art and game therapy. You can ask the child to draw what scares him - this will allow him to get used to anxiety and overcome it. Or inflate a balloon, imagine that it is fear, then release the air. Playing and telling stories will also help a lot: children are easily receptive, they identify with the characters. The classic good doctor Aibolit will support today's children as their parents once did.

Of course, there are times when everything has been tried, but to no avail. The child becomes hysterical, resists, bites, screams, turns pale, trembles. In such situations, the timely help of a child psychologist is needed. It is better to first talk with a specialist without a baby, talk about the problem, and then bring the baby to the appointment.

The baby is afraid of people in white coats

Young children are often afraid to go to see a doctor, so if you need to visit a clinic, you need to explain as honestly as possible why they take him there in each case. A doctor is a specialist who will listen, look, cure, advise how not to get sick.

The doctor's contact with the baby is very important, his world is limited by his family, so the doctor should ideally be kind, affectionate, understanding.

If a child throws a tantrum at the sight of a white coat, then the mother should tell that there is such a very important and necessary profession - a doctor. And his clothes are a necessity, a distinguishing feature of a doctor. People of different specialties have their own uniforms: firefighters, policemen, football players.

The child is afraid of the dentist

A child going to the dentist for the first time is not afraid, because he does not know what it is. Fear can be inspired by the one who accompanies him with his warnings such as: do not be afraid, it will not hurt, the doctor will just look, and so on.

On the first visit, it is better to really be satisfied with the inspection. A good specialist will be able to interest the baby by showing and letting him hold the tools, telling what they are for. And if the baby needs treatment, there are many ways to relieve pain without injections.

Pre-games at home are very helpful. They will prepare the child for the manipulations of the dentist, clearly demonstrate their necessity. You can mold teeth from plasticine and tell how good it is when they are clean, how bad microbes can attack them, and caries will result, how the doctor will drive him away. Explain that it is important to go to the doctor, otherwise the teeth will not be healthy, white and beautiful.

As an encouragement, you can buy a small gift, which the doctor will give to his little patient for his courage and invite him to come again.

How to persuade a baby to donate blood from a finger or vein, get an injection and vaccination

When you need to take tests or get an injection, the calmness of the mother is very important, because her mood is always transmitted to the baby. Honestly, it will hurt a little, but the pain will pass quickly. Explain the importance of the procedure, explain that it is done for a reason, but in order for the baby to grow up healthy, beautiful and strong. You can play at home, give injections to the bear, take the toy with you. To less traumatize the child's psyche, use an anesthetic cream for injections or painless lancets for taking blood.

Irina Davydova: Hello. My daughter is 4 years old, we are treating otitis media, they prescribed Cefriaxone injections. The nurses warned that the injection was very, very painful. This is normal, I think that the child is afraid of injections. But before and during these injections, we simply begin to have an unimaginable hysteria, our daughter begins to pound even a slight shiver. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help alleviate these pains. Explaining and persuading does not work. I'm very afraid that something else will appear on my daughter's nerves.

Elena Evgenievna Golovina, child psychologist, answers: Hello! The best thing you can do is emotionally support your girl. Hug, hold in your arms, gently stroke! And be sure to explain why this is necessary, that you love your daughter very much, take care of her, and therefore you need to undergo this treatment. In order not to turn into a fear of doctors, try not to focus too much on pain, but, on the contrary, praise your daughter more, how brave she was, that she almost did not cry (even if it was the other way around). At home, you can play in the hospital, treat bears and dolls - this will allow the baby to respond to her emotions.

https://health.mail.ru/consultation/1553053/

The child is afraid of an inhaler or nebulizer

An inhaler is often an incomprehensible and frightening item for a baby. It is necessary to interest the crumbs, introduce them to the device, let them press the buttons, explain that it is not at all scary, but very useful. Show the whole procedure on mom or dad. Older children can turn on a cartoon or tell something interesting during inhalation.

How to help if the child has to go to the hospital for surgery

As for infants, the emotional state of the woman before the operation is very important here. Of course, she is terribly worried and afraid, but she must pull herself together for the sake of the child. A calm mother, confident that everything will end well, will greatly support the baby who does not understand anything. Body contact, gentle voice, comfortable feelings will set it up correctly.

Older children need to be prepared in advance. Here the main psychologists are parents:

• • explain calmly, like an adult, without using scary words;

• • tell us why the operation is needed, how it is done (you will fall asleep, the doctor will treat your stomach, then you will wake up, I will be there);

• • play the whole situation at home with dolls and bears, read the appropriate fairy tales, invite the baby to draw what will happen to him;

• • remember how he hit or broke his knee, she was treated, it hurt a little and passed, and now the same thing;

• • tell that the baby will not be alone, there are children who are undergoing operations, one of the relatives will stay with him in the ward or will often come;

• Take your favorite toy with you to the hospital.

The opinion of the pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky

Injections are one of the most common causes of panic fear of doctors and hospitals, but Dr. Komarovsky believes that their need is exaggerated, and in most cases they can be dispensed with by replacing drugs that are taken orally (swallowed). And the effectiveness of such syrups and tablets is no lower than solutions for intravenous and intramuscular administration. That is, why once again inspire a child with fear and horror, if you can do without it?

The problem of injections is particularly acute in relation to children. It is with injections that they frighten children, and it is about injections that they begin to talk with a doctor in cases where the drugs prescribed orally do not bring instant relief.

Thanks to the children’s “I don’t want”, modern medicines with a pleasant taste have appeared and are appearing - in the form of suspensions, drops, syrups, chewing gum, “sucking” sweets - if only they agreed, if only not to cause unnecessary pain to the child.

Komarovsky E.O.

http://articles.komarovskiy.net/ya-ukolov-ne-boyus.html

A well-known pediatrician believes that injecting drugs is necessary when:

• • need an immediate result (very high temperature, life-threatening);

• • the medicine does not have other forms (insulin for diabetics);

• • the child cannot or does not want to swallow the medicine, but this is necessary;

• the effect of administering the drug intravenously or intramuscularly is higher than that of tablets.

In other situations, competent doctors and parents can cope with more gentle and painless methods, without injuring the child's psyche unnecessarily.

Doctor Komarovsky talks about the mutual understanding of parents, children and medical personnel - video

The child must be confident in his relatives, know that he is loved, wished well, will not be deceived or betrayed. Then it will become easier to cope with the problem and teach the baby not to be afraid of hospitals and doctors.

Children are afraid of everything indefinite, unexpected and unknown, so the fear of medical workers who seriously examine the baby, using various devices and instruments, is a completely adequate reaction of a small person. The task of parents is to help the child overcome his fear of doctors and procedures, and not to cultivate it, otherwise in adulthood it can turn into a phobia, which threatens with a complete rejection of qualified medical care in case of a serious illness.

It is not unusual for a child to feel some fear before visiting a doctor. After all, you must admit that long queues, crying children, unknown and frightening objects in a specialist’s office - all this can cause negative emotions and even fear, especially if the baby has already had a negative experience of communicating with people in white coats, for example, during vaccination, or at a preventive examination at the dentist. Therefore, such behavior as isolation, reluctance to open the mouth at the request of the pediatrician, or even tears in the crumbs, can be considered the norm. It depends only on the correct behavior of the parents, and understanding the whole situation, whether the baby will cope with his fears, or whether they will develop into a phobia.

The problem, namely fear, real and panicky, in front of people in white coats, is expressed in a complete refusal to visit the clinic. The child falls into hysterics even at the mention of doctors, hospitals, and examination by a pediatrician, sobs even on the threshold of the office and does not want to cooperate with a specialist in any way, hiding in a corner or fighting off with his hands and feet.

If you do not help the child at this stage, ignore the baby's tears, mistaking them for a whim, children's fears develop into opiophobia - this is the medical name for a mental disorder associated with fear of doctors, hospitals and medical procedures. Signs of a true phobia are:

• dizziness;
• loss of consciousness;
• feeling of incomplete inspiration;
• weakness in the limbs;
• nausea;
• incoherent speech;
• increased sweating;
• cardiopalmus.

Children under one year of age often encounter health workers, as this is a prerequisite for proper infant care. A baby may cry at a pediatrician's appointment for several reasons that are not at all related to the fear of the hospital, for example, the baby is hot, cold, hungry or sleepy. As a rule, babies do not remember the first experience of communicating with people in white coats, even if they had to undergo treatment in a hospital. A fear bordering on a phobia can form at the age of 1.5–2 years, when the child develops his own idea of ​​​​the world and fears are integral companions of the self-preservation instinct.

Common causes of children's fear of hospitals, doctors, and medical procedures include:

1. Fear of strangers. Children at the age of 2 years have a limited circle of communication with family and friends and are wary of strangers, especially when they show attempts at tactile communication, for example, take them in their arms, try to stroke their heads. It is quite natural that the doctor examining the baby will not cause him positive emotions trying to examine the throat with a spatula or listen to breathing with a cold phonendoscope. If the pediatrician is not determined to establish contact with the baby before the physical examination, and despite the tears and protests, does his job, then, most likely, at the next meeting, the baby will throw a tantrum at the sight of the doctor.
2. Fear of the unknown. Often, parents do not tell the child about the upcoming vaccination procedure or blood sampling from a finger, so as not to listen to preliminary tantrums. An unexpected injection can frighten the baby, and subsequently the child will beware of any communication with the medical staff.
3. Negative emotions. A long wait in line, surrounded by nervous parents and sick children, can piss anyone off. The child, being in such an environment for the first time, feels the tension of adults and can also be capricious and ask to go home. If we add to this an unpleasant examination procedure and the subsequent intake of “tasteless” drugs prescribed by a doctor, then the baby’s first impression of the hospital will be negative.
4. Unprofessional behavior of a doctor. The little man perceives others and accepts them into his social circle only by looking at their attitude towards their parents. If a situation arose in which the doctor severely reprimanded the mother for late treatment or improper treatment, this may alert the child. At subsequent visits to the doctor, the baby will expect that a stranger in a white coat will again scold his parents.
5. Incorrect reaction of parents. Often, unwillingly, parents themselves turn their children against the doctor. For example, after an injection or other unpleasant or frightening procedure, a mother takes pity on her child, saying: “Evil aunts, offended the baby, I will regret it and everything will pass! We won't come here again." Thus, the mother, who brought the child to the procedure and herself held him in her arms during it, tries to transfer all the blame for the suffering caused to the medical staff, while she herself remains a defender. As a result: the child calms down, the mother is good, the doctor is bad.
6. Doctor instead of "granny". Knowing about the completely natural children's fears of medical procedures and doctors, parents use them as a lever of control in moments of disobedience. For example: “If you don’t eat, they will put you in the hospital,” or “If you don’t obey, I’ll call the doctor now, he will give you an injection from harm.” With such pedagogical methods, parents themselves cherish and nurture in the soul of the baby the fear of doctors. Subsequently, children perceive illness as a sign of misconduct, and treatment as a punishment for it. The baby will try to hide any ailment from you, endure pain in the abdomen or not show signs of weakness at a temperature, and this is fraught with consequences.

Psychologists say that the reason for the development of opiophobia is just the same children's fear of doctors, which was ignored by parents or aggravated by their incorrect attitude to the situation. To prevent this from happening to your child, you should analyze his behavior and listen to the advice of specialists.

It is important that the baby has confidence in the attending physician, so the first appointment should be introductory. Warn the pediatrician so that he does not use his tools, but simply talks with the child, asks about his well-being, and, if possible, talks about an abstract topic. Babies at 1.5–2 years old can be invited to take their favorite toy for inspection, inventing a story that the teddy bear has lost its appetite or has a tummy ache. An experienced children's doctor will gladly play along with you, spending quite a bit of working time on this and preventing possible episodes of tantrums in the future.

It is important for children aged 3 and over to know what to expect from any event in order to be mentally prepared. Therefore, before going to the clinic, you should tell the baby the purpose of your visit, who the doctor is, what the examination is and how it happens. During the story, you should not say the phrases: “It doesn’t hurt at all” or “the doctor is fearless.” Do not focus on this, because this way the baby, on the contrary, will begin to be afraid. You can read a fairy tale to your child about the good Aibolit or watch a cartoon about Dr. Plusheva, who helps her toys. After such stories, children begin to look with admiration at people in white coats and with pleasure make contact with them.

Before going to the doctor, it is important to properly set up the child, explain to him the need for such an examination. If you have to undergo a medical procedure, for example, an x-ray, a blood test from a finger or a smear on a worm egg, you should describe to the baby what exactly the doctor will do, how unpleasant it can be, and why such manipulations are needed. Only in this case, the child will completely trust you and will not expect a dirty trick from a subsequent visit.

If a child has already developed a persistent fear of doctors, it should be overcome in a playful way. Involve other household members in the game, let the kid cure his grandmother of a headache by putting a gauze compress on her, and bandage his finger or prescribe a sweet cough mixture for his grandfather. In the arsenal of a young doctor, you can add multi-colored lozenges in a transparent vial, an electronic thermometer, mother's hand cream, instead of an ointment. As a reward for curing the whole family, you can present the baby with a doctor's toy set, with which you can easily cure all dolls or ivy animals. In addition, these sets contain replicas of medical equipment that so often scares children. In a playful way, you can explain what these items are and why the doctor needs them.

Children tend to be afraid and it is not forbidden to cry at all. With the help of tears, the baby receives an emotional release, so shaming the baby or setting him up as an example of other guys who behave differently will be a betrayal of the child. Thus, having heard censure instead of support, the baby will be even more upset and tears will develop into hysteria.

If the child was prescribed an unpleasant procedure or it is necessary to undergo an examination by a specialist, involving the use of devices, for example, ultrasound, cardiogram, fluoroscopy, you should not show your excitement. While waiting in front of the office, talk to the baby, look at the pictures or tell in accessible words about the upcoming procedure. You should not discuss your worries with other parents or voice a diagnosis, complain about doctors or express any negative emotions. After visiting the hospital, please the baby with a new toy, visit a children's cafe or go to the carousels. A joyful event will completely overshadow all the experiences and fears of the child, and in the future he will remember how interestingly he spent time on the day when he went to the doctor.

First of all, support is needed for parents, on whose emotional state the mood of the child depends. In situations that you do not control, and their outcome does not depend on you, you should calm down as much as possible and try to provide moral assistance to your child.

Before hospitalization, you should ask the medical staff which of the toys and necessary things you can take with you to the ward in order to create maximum comfort and a homely atmosphere. During the gathering, give the child the right to choose personal things, let the baby at least control the situation in this.

While in the hospital, you should not show anxiety or vice versa, give the child too much attention, constantly hold the hand or feel sorry, stroking the head. So the baby will feel something is wrong, it is better to try to behave naturally, talk on abstract topics.

On the day of the operation, it is necessary to prepare the child for the fact that you will have to leave for some time. Explain to the baby that parents should not be where the doctor will treat, but as soon as he wakes up, mom will be there.

Preschool children can be told about the upcoming procedure without going into details, and without using the terms: “cut”, “sew”. You can tell that they will put you on a special bed, put on a mask and you will fall asleep, but while you are sleeping, the doctor will treat you. At this age, children are very afraid of not waking up, so if possible, introduce the child to other patients who have already had surgery and are on the mend.

Children's fears are a wake-up call for parents, indicating their pedagogical omissions. It is important to admit your mistakes in time and try to help the baby cope with anxieties and fears.

Going to the clinic is a common and even mundane thing for parents of young children. From the first days of life, the local doctor and nurse monitor the health of the newborn - this is a necessary procedure. Later - vaccinations, colds, testing for admission to kindergarten. All this is part of the habit of adults, but not all children meekly dress and go to the hospital, wait for their turn and follow the requirements and recommendations of doctors. Often parents are faced with a situation where the child is afraid of doctors, even if he has never received painful injections and bitter medicine in his life. So why the child is afraid of doctors, you ask? Let's figure out together the reasons for such, and also determine how to behave with the kids before going to the clinic and at the doctor's office.

Why is the child afraid of doctors?

Many adults are secretly afraid of going to the dentist or getting any injections, let alone children. But if a person over twenty is afraid of the hospital, then he has unpleasant associations and memories associated with this institution. So why don't little kids want to go to the hospital?

First, with age, children begin to understand much more than their parents think. The kid could see a negative and even evil image of a doctor in a cartoon, a book, or accidentally hear mom and dad talking about this topic. In addition, children are more afraid of the unknown than you might imagine. That is why your stories about hospitals and what to expect at the doctor's appointment are so important. The kid needs to be told everything, while showing the importance of the profession of a doctor, focusing on the fact that he helps people, even when he gives injections and prescribes pills.

What to do if the child is afraid of doctors?

Firstly, you should not scold the baby if he is afraid to go to the clinic or get vaccinated. Negativity and aggression is the worst way to help overcome the fear of white coats. Keep calm and be sure that your mood will be transferred to the child, he will feel protected behind your back.

Sometimes it happens that children in the hospital fall into a stupor and flatly refuse to go to the office and comply with the doctor's requirements. In such a situation, set an example for your child, enter the office and calmly go through all the necessary procedures (of course, you should not be vaccinated). Usually, children, seeing that there is nothing wrong with the stethoscope and the doctor himself, are happy to repeat after the parent.

You can resort to the method of encouragement to give the child a certain incentive for good behavior and obedience. Promise to buy him some kind of treat or toy for the fact that he will courageously accept all the doctor's instructions. It is important to understand that your promise should not be empty words - if the baby really behaved well in the hospital, be sure to keep your word, and vice versa - if he behaved badly, do not buy him what was promised. This will make it clear to your child that you are serious, that you can be trusted.

You can prepare in advance for going to the hospital. First, tell your child about the need and purpose of visiting the clinic - he must know exactly what to expect and for what purpose. Secondly, set it up in a positive way, putting the doctor in a good light - do not focus on medicines and injections, explain to the baby that the doctor is always ready to help.

A great idea would be to turn the preparation for going to the hospital into an exciting game. Buy a set of a young doctor, a white coat - let your child experience the role of a good doctor himself. Having become acquainted with toy thermometers and a stethoscope, the child will not be afraid of doctors, but, on the contrary, will perform all procedures with interest.

Bring your baby's favorite toys with you to the hospital. Child at the doctor's office will feel more calm and confident if, in addition to a loving parent, he will be surrounded by small familiar plush animals or a favorite car.

In addition, children in the hospital usually feel more relaxed in the environment of their own kind. Let your child talk to the kids in line, unless, of course, none of you are sick, and you only came for an examination or vaccination.