Children always do best when they know what to expect and what’s expected of them. It is easier for them to stay calm and behave well when they know this than when they are surprised by things or when we throw them into a new situation where they just don’t know what the rules are or how things work.

If you’ll be taking your child to a doctor’s appointment, or they’ll be having medical tests done, or getting a vaccine, it’s worth taking the time to prepare them well. Here are some helpful tips:

• Preparing Your Child for Visits to the Doctor
• Nine Things You Can Do to Make Shots Less Stressful
• Preparing Your Child for a Shot
• Preparing Your Child for Testing: blood, urine, stool, and throat swabs
• Daniel Tiger episode on going to the hospital: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQR0HkJK4lY
• This article on preparing for a doctor visit includes specific tips, like what positions to hold your child in for their comfort, children’s books and videos about going to the doctor, details on preparing for a blood draw and Flash cards that illustrate medical equipment and procedures. Some of it is presented as for autistic children but I believe most children benefit from this sort of preparation
• Sanford Health offers a free printable on Preparing Your Child for their Doctor Visit, with connect the dot, matching and other activities.
• Preparing for their first dental visit