Oh, I know. Dr. Sears can be kind of a hot-button for parents. But read this anyway, because however you feel about attachment parenting (and frankly, I'm more of a benign neglect kind of mom myself, although I harbor a little crush on all the Doctors Sears, and maybe even Martha. Don't you judge me!), his medically-related advice is right up my alley. In his capacity as contributor to Parenting.com he offers a really great checklist of things you should know about taking your kids to the pediatrician, reprinted here at CNN.com. A lot of it is common sense, but aren't the common sense things the ones you're most likely to forget about when you're trying to wrangle a nervous toddler?
Both my husband and I grew up in homes where a parent was involved in the medical field, and going to the doctor was never any big shakes for us. We were also not really allowed to be sick unless there was vomit or hurt unless there was blood, but we both turned out okay and neither of us has any residual angst about undergoing medical procedures (don't ask me about my teeth though). But without the inherent confidence that comes from being a doctor or a nurse, it's easy to wonder if your instincts are worth trusting. Dr. Sears always gives me the vibe that my gut is worth trusting, at least with regard to medical issues--I think he'd have hated the marathon bouncy-chair sessions that allowed me to shower regularly.
If you're not hip to AskDrSears.com, it's a great go-to resource for basic questions about illness, feeding, and sleep issues. The medication dosage charts alone are worth the cost of high speed internet service.
