To leave my 5 year old in a doctors waiting room?

[BarbaraVineFan]

I have to go to the doctor in a couple of weeks- I made an appointment to talk about my mental health/ hormones, as I am really struggling with my emotions at the moment and don’t feel right at all.

The problem is, I’m a lone parent to my 5 year old Dd , and i don’t want her hearing the conversation for obvious reasons. I don’t have any childcare help at all- no local family, friends will all be working- and I am really not sure what to do with DD for those 10-15 mins. I am pretty sure she will be ok reading a book or colouring by herself in the waiting room, but WIBU to leave her? I’m a bit nervous as of course I’ll be behind a closed door.

No not busy at all. We spent all day doing bugger all, just ate cake and drank tea and didn't once answer the phone. The day before it was an ice cream break for 10 hours. What a job eh?

I know the OP has realised it’s not feasible and get why she considered it.

But the lack of respect for Drs receptionists (and nurses by some)really shows here. Do people really think they sit around all day and have nothing better to do that babysit multiple children throughout the day? Ok watching a child in an emergency is one thing but not as a routine thing or where do we draw the line?

They wont let you the dr told me to take my 8 year old out of the drs room with me to the toilet for me to do a urine sample during an appointment. Which at the time I thought was ott but to be fair if something happened they shouldn't be responsible for some random kid. Plus she can be quite irritating and would of talked his ears of

There may be a lack of respect from some, but it's not a routine appointment for the OP and looking after patients seems the whole point of the GP practice - life could get a lot worse for the OP if she can't get the support she needs.
I have heard receptionists can sometimes be asked to act as chaperones during an examination, which must also take them away from their regular duties.

It may not be routine for the OP but it is for the practice. They couldn’t even start to provide childcare for everyone in a similar situation!

chaprones is a different matter because that is needed

Give her headphones and her favourite cartoon on a tablet

Well you're deciding what is "needed". I am not talking about everyone with a child automatically needing supervision, but a single parent with an issue she simply can't discuss in front of her child. I can think of very few times I've had an appointment I couldn't have with a child present, but depression, anxiety, burn out, for example, would be on the short list. And in my case I'd leave the child with its father.

Definitely headphones, I'd say. Hope you manage to get the help you need. I definitely wouldn't leave a 5 year old.

No a chaperone is needed for the protection of all involved. It’s a common safeguarding step.

I am a single parent with mental health issues. I still understand it’s not the receptionists role to provide childcare

@

I'm not sure what it's like at your surgery OP but would you be able to send an email/letter a bit ahead of the appointment to get scanned into your notes so the doctor can have a read of it? Either before the appointment or during it, it might help with making things more discreet if you're worried about your child overhearing anything despite headphones. I work in a GP surgery and it's quite common that we get emails or letters with additional information that patients want us to pass on before their appointments.

What did people do before phones and tablets if they needed to see a GP and didn't have childcare?