Admit it, you’ve wondered – what does the pediatrician say about your kid when you’re not around? Is he or she a “thank God, this will be easy” kid or is there a “demon child” note somewhere in your kid’s file?
Even though the time they spend with you and your kids might be somewhat short, pediatricians form opinions about the manners, or lack thereof, that their little patients exhibit. Perri Klass, a well-known pediatrician and writer, says in this New York Times column: “I don’t describe my patients as rude or polite in the medical record. But I do pass judgment, and so does every pediatrician I know.”
Those discussions your pediatrician has with you about setting limits, or your child’s social skills, are coded conversations about manners. It is possible to teach social skills, and the lack of them makes life a lot more difficult for people. We all know those kids –or those adults – who just don’t get it and they all seem to have a tougher time in school or at work.
Essentially, little children are completely self-involved creatures, and it’s our job as parents to teach them to be polite — to make them understand that just like them, other people have feelings. It’s probably, I think, one of the hardest challenges of parenting, but one of our more important jobs. And getting this from the pediatrician’s perspective is really interesting.
