Family Road Map Guide

Waiting Room Survival Tactics
For families with younger children, a 30-minute wait in the outer office
can seem endless. Plan to bring some favorite books or small toys to keep
youngsters occupied. Check out the room on the first appointment so you can get
prepared for next time. Is there somewhere your child can have a healthy snack
while waiting? Is it possible for your child to play a little outside before going in? Is
there a convenient restroom to visit before you enter?
If waiting is a big problem, discuss this with the provider. Finding
ways for your child to improve “waiting” behavior can sometimes become part of
the treatment plan. Two ideas:
1. One parent who worked long hours made a deal with her six-year-old that waiting-room
minutes would be their “special time” to read, color, play a game, or
talk together. The child started to look forward to these times, and waiting-room
behavior improved.
2. Many offices that cater to children play animated (cartoon) movies in the waiting
room. This can be a good way to keep kids occupied UNLESS your child is
very unhappy about being interrupted when it’s time to go into an examining
room. One family’s tip: Ask the reception staff to shut off the player until your
child leaves the room. They can be very helpful about this. Nobody wants a
noisy meltdown, any more than you do!
Rehearsing the proper waiting-room behavior with your child can
make a difference. (“In the waiting room, we keep an inside voice. You need
to sit quietly in a chair and look at your book. When the nurse calls us, you’ll put
the toys away. Then we’ll walk into the doctor’s office, and you’ll go sit in the brown
chair.”) Rehearse the same behavior every time you visit the office. Possibly offer a
small reward or privilege for following your rules. Again, try to get paperwork done
ahead of time so you won’t need to fill it out while keeping an eye on your child.
Bear in mind that a waiting room is not a good place for a “showdown”
with your child. Yelling at, swatting, or spanking your child will not do
much good. Also, it may not give the providers in that office a positive view of your
parenting skills. Try to stay cool.
Cell Updates
One mother of a child with
severe ADHD would sometimes
call ahead to see how
late the doctor was running
that day. If he was 30
minutes behind schedule, the
receptionist gave the mother
permission to arrive a bit
later. The father of a child
with autism would wait in
the car with his son, letting
him play with a favorite toy.
The receptionist would call
the father’s cell phone when
the doctor was ready, so
they were able to walk right
in. A good relationship with
office staff made their lives
much easier!
Be honest with the provider and staff about difficulties. Mention
what works in other situations. They see this kind of thing all the time, and your conversation
may spark some good ideas. Remember, this is just one more problem to
be solved by cooperation between you and your team.
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