Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

What do doctors and nurses do differently with their children?

50 replies

lingle · 03/10/2008 12:08

I've noticed some things in common in the half dozen or so "medical" parents that I'm acquainted with.

they stand near the swings at the playground and seem more worried than the average parent about swings hitting heads

they don't let their children run while eating and become very alert if they see any child coughing while eating. generally choking seems to be a big concern

conversely, they are, if anything, less strict than other people I know about healthy foods

Coincidence or the results of their common hospital experience? Does this ring a bell with any of you medics or friends of medics?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

VinegarTits · 03/10/2008 12:10

I am like this with ds and i am not a nurse or a doctor

branflake81 · 03/10/2008 12:16

FIL was a surgeon and MIL is a nurse.

I would say the opposite is true.

They are not particularly over-protective re falling etc and if one of the kids has an accident they are quite blase about it.

Food-wise, they are not at all bothered about the kids having crisps and chocolate etc.

McDreamy · 03/10/2008 12:16

I am a nurse married to a Dr. We have 2 small children.

I would stand near swings with my DC's - but they are very small and DS esp has no sense of danger. Yes I have seen head injuries and know how serious they can be but I don't think I am more protective than any other mum in the park.

Choking is generally bad! So I suppose I agree with your second point too, m children don't generally run around while eating - but not sure that's medical.

Point 3 - you might need to expand a bit. Are yo suggesting that we let our children eat more junk food? Not sure what you're getting at there.

My children have a balanced diet. I don't agree with "banning" any food but we try and educate our children about the difference between healthy food and not so healthy food.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General parenting

Janni · 03/10/2008 12:18

Was a nurse and yes, absolutely, head injuries and choking are the things I look out for.

Sadly, my children all confound my wisdom by conspiring to have utterly unpredictable accidents.

Solitaire · 03/10/2008 12:20

I'm a nurse, and quite frankly if limbs aren't hanging off I ain't interested. My Mum was also a nurse and just the same.
Mind you, when I gave in and let the kids have a trampoline I made sure it had a safety net and was well secured into the ground, as I see SO many trampoline injuries and don't want to have to go into work with one of my kids in tow with a trampoline injury

rempy · 03/10/2008 12:21

Both doctors, one of us is a paediatrician.

Rather blase about falling over, stand as far away from swings as possible in order to give biggest possible push!

Only occurred to me that giving food to children in a car seat might not be a good idea (choking then having to cross 3 lanes of traffic) when a friend said she never let hers eat in the car.

Biscuit a day, but only plain ones!

And did the absolute classic of waiting for 10 days before taking DD to docs with "cold" symptoms....cue a week in hospital with pneumonia.

And in fact, in retrospect, DS was probably ill for a day with viral meningitis before I thought to check his temp....

Benign neglect all the way here.

monkeymonkeymonkey · 03/10/2008 12:22

The medical/nursing parents I know are generally blase about minor injuries and illnesses.

They seem to worry far less about the MMR than average.

And dont mention cranial osteopathy/ homeopathy!

lulalullabye · 03/10/2008 12:26

I second remy. I am a nurse, dh a panicker

Story.... dd2 out of bed monday morning , not very responsive. I say, oh I will take dd1 to nursery then go to docs. Dh, go to A&E now. He won, hospital for three days.

Dd1 broken fingers, dd2 pneumonia and weird illness.

So, the opposite I would say.

lulalullabye · 03/10/2008 12:27

p.s a good slap on the back usually cures the old choking thing

Solitaire · 03/10/2008 12:27

Oh yeah, DS2 was unwell and I was just 'treating conservatively' (calpol and rest) and it was my sister who noticed the lump on the side of his neck that turned out to be an abcess on his tonsils . It was OK it went with antibiotics

Anchovy · 03/10/2008 12:28

My DH's father was a doctor and he was, I understand, fairly relaxed when they were children about doses of medicine higher that the stated dose (not multiple amounts, but if you look on the threads on here saying "ooh it says 2 spoonfuls 4 hours apart, can you have 2 spoonfuls 3.5 hours apart" that was the sort of thing he felt able to take a view on).

DH also said they had to be very ill before they were taken to a doctor, but again I suspect more because his father had a reasonable idea of what was serious and what wasn't.

He never formally treated the children though - not sure if you are allowed to?

tiredandgrumpy · 03/10/2008 12:29

I've heard medics are paranoid about swinging kids round by their arms. ds used to love it, but since I learned it could be a problem, poor dd has been deprived.

geogteach · 03/10/2008 12:29

DH is a paed, I agree with the benign neglect! DS1 was admitted from an outpatient appointment with broncilitus. The kids get limited sympathy for coughs, colds, bumps and scrapes but he is insistent that they have their jabs. There is no themometer in the house, if they are hot they get calpol, if that doesn't work they need a doctor.

McDreamy · 03/10/2008 12:33

DH doesn't treat the children - he can't prescribe for them on the NHS (can privately but frowned upon). He says he is unable to treat them as he unable to do it as an objective dr - he is their father.

The children don't get taken to the gp's unless they are very unwell or need medication.

I guess we might manage at home a little longer than other parents - I don't know. I think I am happier to use over the counter medications than my non medical friends. I have friends who will only give calpol etc when there child is really unwell - will hold off for as long as possible IYSWIM

Solitaire · 03/10/2008 12:33

The arm swinging can cause a pulled elbow in children under five, but it goes back in without too much fuss
As you can see benign neglect rules in the Solitaire house

renaldo · 03/10/2008 12:47

all medics i know give their kids all jabs

McDreamy · 03/10/2008 12:48

I think that is generally true renaldo

rookiemater · 03/10/2008 12:48

My Mum is a doctor and one day when I came home from school and was drinking a cup of tea she came at me from nowhere and stuck that 13 jab tester thing in my arm.

LunarSea · 03/10/2008 13:14

The ones I know seem less bothered than average about their kids getting dirty/muddy/cold/wet.

nailpolish · 03/10/2008 13:17

god i am so blase about illness

i dont feed my children unhealthy food tho - im rather offended acutally

SmugColditz · 03/10/2008 13:19

Ex care assistant, someone nearly died in my arms once because he was choking on a sandwich, so NO I don't allow running while eating, I won't have marbles in the house, and if i hear a splutter i am all over my kids like a rash (which ds2 utilises to his immense amusement)

Once bitten, never forgotten.

I don't hover near swings, probably because I'm not medical and have never dealt with a child's head injury

cali · 03/10/2008 13:29

Don't stand too near swings, I don't want to get hurt!

Only common sense imo, not to run whilst eating, trying to dislodge food from a child who is choking is not fun.

We eat healthily so don't necessarily agree, I do not give my dd's chocolate or crisps - if we had them in the house, I would eat them all, serious lack of willpower!!
I do admit to letting dd1 have a Happy Meal once a month, but that is because I like McD's and I want to teach my children, that you can eat fast food as part of a healthy diet and there is nothing wrong with that.

More relaxed than dh about illnesses, although learnt a lesson when dd1 had been ill for a few days. Thought it was viral illness so did the usual calpol, ibruprofen routine. Wasn't until she had a green discharge coming out her right ear and a temp of 41.8c, did I take her to my gp

I'm a nurse.

fondant4000 · 03/10/2008 13:30

My mum was a nurse and you'd have to be in a coma before you got a day off school. Everything was 'just a scratch'.

I'd say she was generally not protective and encouraged risk taking (but she did hate me climbing trees).

She didn't worry about food (I was v. picky) and was less bothered than other parents about cold, wet dirt etc.

She tried to give me an injection once, but I fought her off (iwas 8). She decided it was easier to get the dr to do it after that

She didn't seem to realise that being jabbed by a stranger in authority is completely different from being jabbed by your mum in the front room.

cali · 03/10/2008 13:33

I always maintain that I don't get paid to care when I'm not at work.

This mostly applies to dh when he is suffering from a cold man flu

georgimama · 03/10/2008 13:35

opposite is true, we never had paracetomol/aspirin/plasters/medical equipment in the house when I was a child (mum is a nurse). She was totally un-risk averse. Never had the day off school (unless actually vomiting at breakfast table). She spent too much time with people who were actually ill to worry about childhood ailments.

Flip

1 2