Can I leave 9yo in waiting room while I see Dr?

[INeedNewShoes]

I have an appointment with my doctor that I would rather attend alone but my 9yo daughter will need to come with me.

Do you think I'll be allowed to leave her reading her book in the waiting room? It's a very quiet surgery just with one doctor one nurse so it's unlikely anything unexpected would happen.

Call ahead and ask.

You wouldn't be allowed to in my doctors surgery, there's notices up about unattended children. Others might have different rules though.

I think that would be fine, just say to the receptionist when you go to your appointment that she is just going to.wait on you.

Ofcourse, it’s no problem. Make sure she has a book to read or something quiet to entertain her. I think the unattended children notice a pp mentioned is aimed at people with children who don’t/won’t sit quietly and wait.

I had this dilemma last Christmas, very sensible 8yo, no childcare available (Christmas Eve, I’m a single parent, and planned childcare fell ill!) needed to speak to doctor about the outcome of some scans that had been on the 2wk pathway….asked if DS could sit in reception, or even sit on a chair directly outside of the doctors office. Receptionist said “no” to both and made me feel like I was insane for even suggesting it.

In the end the GP- who is a lovely guy and a parent of a similar aged child - grabbed a fresh Where’s Wally book for DS from his shelf and just worked around DS being in the room with us - thankfully it wasn’t cancer, but it also wasn’t “nothing” so we talked slightly in code, wrote down scary sounding words, and made it all sound terribly jolly. DS still heard more than I’d have liked him to, but we muddled through!

At 9 yes, unless they aren’t well behaved. I reckon a fair few take much younger kids and expect the receptionist to mind them, which has led to a blanket ‘no unattended children’ policy.

Could you take her in with her Ipad and some headphones?

Rather than a book, I'd take headphones and a tablet/phone so they can watch something or play a game instead... simply so block out the conversation. I had to do this a few times over the years with my younger child while attending SEN appointments for my elder child

I left my 6 and 8 year old in the waiting room at the hospital on Monday. They were absolutely fine

Thanks everyone. I'm going to give it a go and see if anyone objects. Hopefully not!