Taking your child for a doctor’s appointment, a check-up, a vaccination, or a paediatric ultrasound scan, raises a familiar question for any parent: how much should you tell them beforehand?
Too little, and they can feel blindsided. Too much, too far in advance, and they can worry needlessly. There’s no single right answer, but a few simple principles help most families get it right.
- Before you leave home10 min
- In the waiting room10 min
- The appointment15 min
- A treat afterwards10 min
View as table
| Part of the visit | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Before you leave home | about 10 minutes |
| In the waiting room | about 10 minutes |
| The appointment | about 15 minutes |
| A treat afterwards | about 10 minutes |
01Every child is different
There’s no hard and fast rule for how much to say, or when. It depends on your child. If they aren’t good at judging time, or tend to get anxious, you might choose not to mention the appointment until shortly before, or even on the day. Older children can often cope with, and appreciate: a bit more notice and detail.
02Use age-appropriate language
Talk to your child in a way that fits how they understand the world. Books you read together, relevant TV programmes or child-friendly videos can all help, and showing them the clinic’s website, especially any photos of the building or the team, can make the unfamiliar feel a little more familiar.
03Show them what will happen
For younger children, role-play works well. If the appointment is for a paediatric ultrasound, you could pretend to be the sonographer, with your child, or their favourite toy: as the patient. Ask them to lie back, lift their top, and gently press on the area that will be examined, just as though you were scanning them with a handheld probe.
04Stick to what you know
Avoid promising things you can’t guarantee. That a particular test won’t be needed, or that something won’t hurt. It’s usually better to say less and keep it accurate than to guess, especially if you’re not a specialist in the area yourself. Getting a detail wrong can dent your child’s trust next time.
05Choose the right time to talk
If your child is likely to worry, timing matters. Avoid mentioning the appointment at bedtime the night before, a tired, anxious child sleeps badly, and copes even less well the next day. Pick a calm moment when you have time to answer their questions, explain why the appointment is happening, and check they’ve understood.
06Getting ready on the day
Where you can, plan around your child’s usual nap and mealtimes so they’re not tired or hungry for the appointment. A drink, a snack, and something to do while you wait, a book, a small toy: all help.
- Follow any specific instructions for the scan, some paediatric ultrasounds ask your child to fast for a few hours, or drink water 45 minutes to an hour beforehand
- We’ll email any preparation instructions in advance, it’s worth checking our website too, just in case
- Bring a favourite toy or comforter, especially for younger children
- A parent or carer stays with your child throughout the appointment
07Afterwards
If your child is anxious beforehand, encourage them to talk about it, saying worries out loud tends to make them feel smaller, for children just as much as adults. Reassure them gently, without over-dramatising; children pick up on our reactions, and a big build-up can make a routine appointment feel like a much bigger deal than it is. Asking, “Would you like me to hold your hand?” can go a long way.
Afterwards, a small treat: the playground, an ice cream, whatever they enjoy, helps end things on a positive note. Just try not to make it conditional on “good behaviour”: if your child struggled through a blood test, for example, that’s not the moment for a lesson, it’s the moment for reassurance.
Every child is different, and you know yours best. With a little preparation, most children cope very well, and often surprise themselves with how well they did.