Have you ever noticed that doctor’s office waiting rooms can be more silent than libraries? Perfect, I suppose, for quality time to catch up on magazines you would never ordinarily read.
You’ll occasionally come across a waiting room without magazines leaving you with nothing better than to do than people-watch. The plan backfires when you lock eyes with some other bored patient who’s doing the same thing. Busted! You flash an awkward smile and reach for the nearest object to distract yourself with; a loose thread on your sweater, a speck of dust on the chair, a smudge on the floor. Anything to tide you over for a few seconds.
Nowadays, if you have a smart phone, you’ll grab it and stare at it like it’s the most amazing thing ever, which, let’s face it, it pretty much is. However, to kill time, you’ll find yourself re-reading emails you’ve already read or playing a game you lost interest in months ago, while silently praying for your name to be the next one called.
And then you have kids. Taking a child to the doctors office changes the game. When they are newborns, you can distract yourself with them much like you would the smartphone. The newborn that was just fed before you entered the waiting room, suddenly must be fed again, or tickled, or rocked. They are a great distraction.
They don’t stay that age for long. Now a visit to a doctor’s office is less about using the child as a distraction, and more about not distracting everyone around you. It’s more like herding cattle. And it’s not quiet either. That whole library-esque feel to a waiting room? Gone.
Sammy and I went to get caught up on his vaccinations a few days ago. Our doctor’s office is well designed and has two child-friendly waiting rooms. They differentiate between a sick-child and a well-child. I’m thankful for this on so many levels.
At first, we were the only people in the room so I let Sammy, who’s now walking, explore the room.
The room, ha! He stayed in the room for about 10 seconds. The busy hallway with nurses and other patients moving around was far more interesting. This is when I started to resemble a human yo-yo.
As he made a beeline for the hallway, I swept him up.
And directed his attention away from the door.
It didn’t work.
I tried to hold him on my lap after that, but he wasn’t happy with that. Forcing a squirming child to sit still on your lap, as any mother knows, is futile. At this time, another mom and baby entered the room.
When I was a kid, I remember being shy. There wasn’t no chance that I was going to run over to a stranger to check them out. My son has not picked up this trait.
The other mom seemed somewhat amused by my son’s energy and enthusiasm for her daughter. The little girl, on the other hand, wasn’t sure what to make of him.
Now, part of me just wanted to let my son play with the little girl to give me a break, but that wasn’t really fair and I didn’t know the mother at all. I will admit I did delay just a little before picking him back up. I’m not proud.
The next trick I tried was teaching him to sit in a chair all by himself.
I knew it was going to fail before I started, but it gave us something to do for a minute or so.
By now some time had gone by. The other woman and her daughter had already been called in. I was beginning to feel forgotten. And desperate.
At least someone got to play with the smart phone in the waiting room.
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I am always paranoid that we will pick up germs! The last time we went in a little girl kept trying to give HJ food, yuck. I wish we had a well/sick seperation.
SingleMama recently posted..First Crush
The well/sick separation is pretty awesome, but I’m still always convinced my son is going to get sick after we go in for a well-baby visit. So far though, nobody has tried to give him food. Hahaha!
Haha so true! I just got back from my 24-week OB-GYN checkup and brought my 2-year old along. And the husband as back up. After 30 minutes of waiting, and him banging on the coffee table with his hand and sitting on the floor, he was finally taken out for a walk.
And that’s well-behaved for him!
Alison@Mama Wants This recently posted..Purple Leaves, Red Cherries: A Review
I can believe it. I didn’t draw it, but my son was also standing on the chair and banging and shouting on the wall for a while too. Good planning on your part for bringing back-up!
Great cartoons, I make a special effort never to instinctivly reach for my phone and fiddle with it, I cant stand people who use their phone to avoid interaction.
Sasha recently posted..PC TV Tuner
Thanks, Sasha! I feel the same way about the smart phones. My husband is so addicted to his phone that I’m frequently asking him to put it down to actually talk to me, the human being, in the same room as him. Not to say I’m not guilty of doing the same thing on occasion, but sometimes too much is too much.
lol. I can relate to this too. Thanks for the laugh. I just mentioned your blog on a post I just wrote. Your blog is one of my favorits.
Jaye recently posted..What’s Your Favorite?
Aww, thank you, Jaye! That’s really sweet.
Loved this post…and LOVED the drawings. Ha ha ha!
Okay…now try this….times 4…all boys. Yeah…that’s me at the doctor’s office. Truthfully, I would take the sitting room over the actual office. It’s me…in a room with 4 kids…two chairs…a paper covered table (who knows WHAT has been on it)…lots of drawers…a sink (again, who knows WHAT has been on it)…one of those garbage cans with the toxic sign on it…a swivel chair, etc.
I usually end up hoarse, and dripping in sweat by the time the doctor finally shows up.
Thankfully I have a lot of friends that take pity on me and are willing to watch any of the kids that don’t actually HAVE to be there. Phew.
You blog is a HOOT!
Melanie recently posted..Laundry Updates PLUS How To: Deodorize your washing machine
4 boys? You’re a brave soul. Having one running around the doctors office, trying to raid the trash can or licking the mirror on the door was plenty to keep me occupied. I think you’d need octopus arms to contain 4 of them. I’m impressed!
Thanks for the nice words, Melanie!
As aways, hilarious and sooo true!!! We have learned to take a fully charged iPhone wherever we go now, especially the doctor’s office… Our daughter is pretty well behaved, but she does get bored sometimes and likes to venture and explore what’s behind the sign-up window, for example “oooh, there are people back there! let’s go look!”
Anna recently posted..Get Your Coupon For Whole Grain Cereal from General Mills!
Aww, thanks. The iPhone has been my life saver on many occasions, although I do tend to bring a plethora of backup toys first. It’s really for my own selfish reasons; the iPhone is my toy! Hehe.