Visiting the Doctor or Dentist
Doctors and dentists can help us stay well or help us feel better when we are sick. Pediatricians or family doctors can help to make sure children are growing properly and provide medicine when someone is sick. Dentists make sure our teeth stay clean and healthy.
Sometimes, children (and adults) can be nervous about going to the doctor or dentist. Knowing what to expect in advance can help ease some of that anxiety.
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Printables
Jamming on the Job: Nurse Practitioner
How can Nurse Marco help Andrés feel better? Color this picture from Jamming on the Job.
Daniel Tiger Visits the Dentist
Let's talk about going to the dentist with Daniel Tiger and your young child.
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Help prepare your child for a trip to the hospital with these tips.
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Go through this activity book with your child to see Daniel's trip to the hospital.
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Write down and draw a time when someone helped take care of you or someone you love.
Games
At the Dentist
Prepare your child for a positive trip to the dentist by exploring the sights and sounds of dental instruments and processes. Bonus: The game also includes a timer for everyday brushing.
Doctor Daniel
Going to the doctor can be scary for young children. You can help your child prepare for an upcoming checkup by exploring tools a doctor uses such as a stethoscope and an otoscope.
One way to help your child prepare for a visit is to talk about or role-play what might happen at each step of the visit:
How will we get to the doctor’s office? Car, bus, walk?
Do we want to bring anything with us such as a stuffie to hug?
What happens when we first get there? We check in at the receptionist’s desk and then wait in the waiting room.
What are some ways that we can greet the nurse or doctor? For example, we can say ‘hi’ or give a high five.
What are some tools that the doctor or dentist might use to check our health? A doctor might use a stethoscope to listen to our lungs and heart. A dentist might use a special kind of toothbrush to clean our teeth.
After the visit, talk about what happened. How did the doctor or dentist help your child? What tools did they use? Did you meet any other health professionals such as a nurse or dental hygienist?