Delaware Valley Pediatric
Associates in Lawrence, New
Jersey, offers patients counseling
through the COPE program,
a cognitive behavioral therapy
program focused on reducing
negative or unhelpful thoughts
and increasing healthy behaviors.

Education LAURA FARMER
Pediatricians also make it a point
to hear parents’ concerns and
provide resources and education
to support them. They offer
anticipatory guidance, which
includes a rundown of milestones
the child should be meeting
in the next few months,
and general health educa-
tion, such as the importance
of sleep, exercise, good nutrition
and limited screen time.

Say ah! Dr. David Sulkowski of Bright Oaks Pediatric Center
examines Gloria Farmer while her sister Camille looks on.

stickers can also be helpful. It’s
extremely important for chil-
dren to not miss their scheduled
vaccines. This is probably the
Vaccines For many kids, perhaps the most most important way to keep
infamous part of the wellness children safe from a lot of differ-
ent diseases.”
visit is “getting a shot.”
“I really don’t like nee-
dles!” says Macie*, a vivacious Preparing for Your
sixth grader from Abingdon. “I Child’s Checkup
remember when I was 6 years Your child’s pediatrician needs
old, and I literally ran out of the to cover a lot of ground during
room into the lobby. My mom the wellness visit. You can make
had to come and pin me down the most of your time together
so that they could give me a by preparing ahead of time.

Experts say the following five
shot. Now I’m a little more rea-
sonable, but I still don’t like activities will help you make the
most of your visit:
getting shots!”
1. Arrive early. Parents often
According to Dr. Sulkowski,
parents can use a few tricks to need to attend to insurance
help kids like Macie relax before forms, wellness assessments
and other administrative tasks
their vaccine.

“There are some kids we can before the visit.

2. Write down your questions
talk through it,” says Sulkowski.

“Bribing with toys, lollipops or in advance. “If you have specific
questions or concerns, make a
list to bring to your visit,” advises
Burns. “If you have a lot of con-
cerns or ‘big concerns,’ such as
depression, autism, or ADHD,
you may want to speak with your
pediatrician’s office staff prior to
the visit so that adequate time is
available for the visit.”
3. Practice! Younger kids espe-
cially love imaginative role play
games. Playing doctor is the
perfect way to introduce them
to what will happen during
their well visit.

4. Talk about it. Talk to your
kids about what to expect
and why each part of the visit
is important. Books or car-
toons about doctor’s visits
could be a helpful tool to help
them understand.

5. Bring a book, toy or screen.

Dr. Susan Henrikson, M.D., a
pediatrician with Northern
Virginia Pediatric Associates,
advises, “I find some of the kids
who are having a hard time, if
they have a book or toy or some-
thing to distract them from just
sitting there, it usually goes bet-
ter.” She adds that bringing a
phone to entertain your child
can sometimes be helpful, but
not always. “I think there are
certain cases where showing a
video on your phone is OK, such
as for an older child who is wait-
ing for a sibling or who is bored,”
explains Henrikson, “but it is not
my favorite for younger children.

Parents get distracted trying to
find the right video, instead of
attending to their child.”
Well On Your Way
Finally, regular wellness visits
with your child’s pediatrician
offer the opportunity to build
a relationship with a knowl-
edgeable expert who cares
about your child.

Henrikson says she gets a lot
of joy from seeing her patients
develop and grow.

“It can be the little 6-month-
(old) baby who’s just smiling and
drooling all over the place. I love
seeing the pride in a parent who
wants to show how well their
toddler is walking. I love being
able to talk to a teenager and
know that they feel comfortable
to admit stuff to me that they
haven’t told anyone before,” she
says. “It can be a really special
relationship. T
*Last name has been withheld per
parent’s request
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