First Experiences: Going to the Doctor

Date: 1987
Author: Fred Rogers
Photographs: Jim Judkis
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Series: First Experiences
ISBN: 0399213856
Purchase: Amazon (Paperback)

Text and photographs copyright © 1987 by Family Communications, Inc.

Summary

Going to the Doctor  is a publication from the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood First Experiences series (originally published in 1987). In this book, real life photos are used to help young people feel more comfortable with interacting with other children and making new friends.

A Note From Fred Rogers

A child's first visit with a pediatrician usually comes soon after birth. It may be months or even years later, though, that a child first shows fear about going to see a doctor.

The worry of an injection or some other unfamiliar medical procedure can trigger that fear. It can also appear because another family member may be feeling medical anxieties. And, of course, new body awareness and needs for privacy develop naturally in chidren's early years, so all these feelings can make it very hard for them to let doctors investigate the workings of their bodies.

Whatever the reasons, honest talk about a visit to the doctor can help lessen a child's worries. Being prepared for something that might hurt a little is easier than being surprised when it does -- or wondering whether everything will hurt.

We can't anticipate all that will happen in a doctor's office, but we can encourage our children to voice their concerns, and we can tell them what we do know. As they learn to trust us with their questions, they can learn to trust doctors, too, as well as other important people outside the family.

Honest talk is a cornerstone of healthy trust, and with a loving trustworthy caregiver, a child can learn to cope with many of life's new or difficult experiences.