why do parents feel they cant go to appts with children with them? its just life, surely???????

[nailpolish]

when i go to the dentist, for a smear, getting my bikini line waxed, whatever, i just take dd's with me

there ARE a couple of folk i could ask to watch them while go alone, but i dont bother

maybe if i had a 3hr appt at the hairdressers, but thats because they would get bored. in that case i would have appt on a saturday so dh could watch them

but some of us dont have a choice dsw, and actually, its no big deal.

I took ds to all my antenatal appointments, he loved them.
But I do tend to make appointments when dp can watch the kids.

i love taking my dh to appointments, it turns into a big family day out, as we all have to actually go in qwith him to teh GP room.

i dont like taking all mine to the GP on my own but do if i have to, if i can alternative arrnagments to make life just a little bit easier then why not?

Took DS to the dentist with me yesterday. Quite difficult having teeth cleaned while 8 months pg with DS (2.10) bouncing around on my knee. I am glad that it was a positive experience for him and he was fairly enthusiastic about the dentist looking at his teeth afterwards. However, I think I would think twice about having him rampaging around the surgery if I had been having any thing more complicated done.

It depends on how many children you have and how exuberant they are - i can imagine a couple of dd's sitting quietly, but my 4 Ds's particularly when younger all used to wind themselves and each other up - just used to manage without haircuts etc mostly as no-one to leave them with, and dentist would request that if i was having work done i came without them.

If I have to I do, if I can avoid it I will !

I took DD to a smear test, shortly after she had had her jabs. She was most put out that I didn't get given a chocolate button afterwards, like she did!

I'm not making any assumptions about your children np, but this is the sort of question normally asked by parents of well-behaved girls (not saying boys cannot be well behaved but most people with boys will know what I mean....)

I can just imagine the scene now:

"D! D! They're stickin a metal winker up Mummy's fanny"
"wow J, that's sick! Wait till i tell my friends"

both boys roll around on floor ptsl while i turn puce with embarrassment and rage.

No thanks!

lol scummy

there is a big difference between boys and girls isnt there?!?!?!?!

well next week I have:
a hair apt whihc involves scissors and dangerous chemicals
a job seekers appointment which invovles a large room full of strangers and computers
a Sexual health appointment in which I need to talk about fairly personal stuff to do with relaitonshpi issues

Can't imagine how DS (17 mo) or my life would be at all enhanced if i took him to any of them!

By thursday he would have chemical burns, cut off a finger, have spnet two hours screaming hte place down bored stiff at the clinc and probably managed to crash the entire job centres computer network!

A 5 month old baby fine, maybe an older child (as long as there is something for them to do/read) but no way do I take an active toddler with no concept of NO or DANGER to appointments if I can possibly avoid it.

I think it depends on the age of your child / nature of the appointment. Obviously young babies are going to be fairly oblivious to what's going on and what you're talking to the doctor about, but I have to say I do find it slightly irritating that our doctor's surgery only schedules same day appointments between 8.20 and 9.00 am or after 4.00 - ie when ds isn't going to be at school so I'd have to take him along. And tbh I think it's quite inappropriate for an shcool-age child to be sitting in on my medical appointments ? for his sake more than mine.

Depends on the appointment and on teh child...saying that, if I can arrange an appointment when I am Kid free or just have 1 instead of 2 or 3 to take with me, then I will do so

Agree with Flamesparrow, riab and others -- toddler DS bounces and has no sense of fear or self-preservation. And he can open doors and sprint out of them in the blink of an eye. He's done it out of shops before when, fortunately, I've been in a position to retrieve him. Some appointments I would take him to (routine doctor's appointments, chiropractor) but I wouldn't take him to anything that would result in his being out of immediate grabbing range.

Blimey, If I'd taken ds to the docs when I had a smear, I'g have been leaping off the couch, speculum in place, to try to stop him killing himself!

There is no way I could take DS to a smear test and expect him to stay behind the curtain, he'd be far to curious to have a look and I don't think it's appropriate for him to see quite so much anatomical detail at 5.

my toddler has to come to my appts unless I can get a Saturday one, I don't have anyone to watch him
he stays strapped in the buggy

TheBlonde, wow your Toddler stays in buggy? well okay mine stays in cos he is strapped in but after 10 minutes he starts bellowing and works up to full on screaming with tears pouring down his face - call me a coward but I can't bear that going on while I'm trying to relax and have my hair done or have a smear test.

Today I had to let him out in art shop for 10 minutes - thankfully he was more interested in playing hide and seek with a nice granny type than taking things off the shelves but we did get thrown out of storytime at the library cos he was playing with all the other childrens drawings and trying to take the book.

Is it just me who has an insanely curiuos and active 17 month old?

riab - he is happy in the buggy provided he has a soft toy. We had tears at swimming today as the soft toy had to go in the locker

I ain't taking ds to the drs for ceratin things- IUD/smear etc or dentist for anything but a check up. hes WAY to distracting. Receptionsits at both are fine with me arranging an appt and then if need be cancelling if I can't arrange childcare.
Hairdresser- I swap kids with a friend, we use same hairdressser.
Site vists to sports halls in advance of booking them for events- I take him with me in a sling.

I only take her to appointments if she's having an appointment straight before or after mine. Quite often I end up going on the way home from work so can't really take her.

I wouldn't take her to the DRs (think you're entitled to some privacy even from your children!) or hairdressers when having highlights (takes 3 hours so she'd get bored).

Hair appt = 3 hours relaxation, reading mags/papers and being served coffee. Whyever would I take them?
doctors: hmm, half an hour sitting in a waiting room reading mags then possibly personal conversation involvnig taking my clothes off: why would I take them?
Dentist: haven't been for 3 years but have no fillings (am 39) and good teeth but anyway, wouldn't take them, they would be bored and I would have to watch them
bikin line: I am the only woman on mumsnet who doesn't do this torture so n/a

btw lol at scummy's boys hypothetical conversation!