Wwyd | Imamother

SplitPea

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 12:26 pm

Dd has an infected cut so we went to the drs office today. The waiting room was full and my daughter wanted me to read her a book. When I started 4 other kids (very sick looking) crowded around to hear the story. I tried to give hints to the moms like loudly telling my daughter "stay away from the other kids right now we don't want you to get sick" and "come over here so you are close to me remember we can't play with friends at the drs office" etc but the kids kept crowding us/her to hear the story.

I eventually put my daughter in a corner where no other kid could be by her and gave her my phone but was/am pretty upset that they would not leave us alone and would not realize that I did not want my daughter near their sick kids!

Would have outright saying something to the mothers been okay? What would you have done?

seeker

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 12:36 pm

Some doctor offices have separate waiting areas for sick and well kids. I would have asked the receptionist if we could wait somewhere more private if there were a lot of sick looking kids and yours isn't sick. Sometimes they'll let you into an exam room earlier on that kind of circumstance, but oy if y ask assertively for it because obviously teny can't offer that to everyone.

SplitPea

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 1:23 pm

maze wrote:

I would stop reading the story if the mothers and other kids don't get the hint.

It's just sad that MY child who was in pain and crying for books got punished because other mothers don't respect containing their kids germs!

maze

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 2:26 pm

SplitPea wrote:

It's just sad that MY child who was in pain and crying for books got punished because other mothers don't respect containing their kids germs!

It is annoying that some people don't seem to care.

amother

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 2:40 pm

Honestly, I don't think you can complain that other kids wanted to hear the story too. You take risks when you go to the doctor and that includes being exposed to other infections. I have it all the time in my ER. Patients come in for things that don't necessarily warrant an ER visit (ok, slightly different than an infection which does need to be seen) and complain if they come in contact with someone who is coughing or vomiting or whatever. It's particularly annoying when they come in with their non sick children (because who wouldn't want to expose them to unnecessary germs) and then complain about that. Honestly, not to sound unsympathetic or anything, but get a life. There are germs in the world and we have an immune system to deal with it. And there were be some circumstances you can't control and this is one of them.

greenfire

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 3:04 pm

reality speaking - you can't go outside of your home & expect kids to stay away from you with their germs ... most especially in a doctor's office

perhaps you could have compromised by putting dd on your lap & told all the kids to sit down on the floor & read the book a little louder & showed the pictures - sort of maintaining them like a library story teller or kindergarten teacher

watergirl

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 3:08 pm

amother wrote:

I take issue with your post, esp the first line. Op CAN complain that the other kidswere crowding around her. Its not her job to entertain other kids. Especially at the dr office! Its not like she was a volunteer who came to read to all of the children. She was reading to her own kid. If the other kids wanted a story, their parent is also capable.

amother

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 3:16 pm

watergirl wrote:

You're in public and don't own the space so can't tell others not to be there. If you don't want them crowding around you don't read it out loud. Do it at home later in your own private space where you can control that. Do you really expect kids not to listen to a story being read in the doctors office? I mean get real.

rosehill

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 3:18 pm

amother wrote:

I agree with this.
Had your story taken place at school or in a restaurant or at the gym or on the train, I would be on your side, OP. But who did you expect to see at the doctor's office if not sick kids? Scratching Head

Rather than take issue with other mothers, perhaps a word with the doctor is in order. What does he/she suggest be done in a situation where sick and well kids are sharing a waiting room?

SplitPea

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 3:38 pm

So I am suppose to be okay with kids crowding around my dd who is sitting one chair over from me just because I am reading her a story? Am I the only one who when I take my sick child to the dr who tries to keep them close and would not let them crowd other children?

I see I am the minority.... I guess I just figured that if you KNOW your child is sick you would not let them push in around other kids (I don't allow my child to play with the toys either because we dont have a sick and well room and I don't want my kid playing with the same toy a kid with the flu played with 2 minutes before. I sit her quietly down beside me and read her a story so she is NOT near the other children.

I guess I Just expect common sense from parents and now I know not to.

ElTam

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 3:44 pm

I think you are totally right to be offended. When we go to the doctor's office for a sick visit, I make my child stay by me and touch as little a possible so they won't infect other kids. That's basic mentschlichkeit.

penguin

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 3:45 pm

Split Pea, I am with you. I disagree with the other posters.

Crowding around you means invading your personal space. I would definitely have asked the other mothers to keep their children with them and not on top of you.

But I suppose it is true that once you are out in public, you have to deal with other people's opinions or standards being different than yours.

Or, as we used to say about a local doctor, you will always leave his office with a prescription for antibiotics, because even if your child didn't need them when you arrived, by the time you leave, he will need them!

SplitPea

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 4:09 pm

greenfire wrote:

you have to control the crowding along with the other mothers ...

however you are reading a story aloud - the other kids are presumable not deaf & want to hear

I think there's a balance to be found

It's not my problem that every other mother was on her phone or texting and not paying attention to their child. There is a Stack of children's books they are more than able to put down their phone and interact with their child themselves

Lady Godiva

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 4:16 pm

The mothers should have kept their children away from other children. That's really rude. I would ask the children to take a big step back.

While it's true that when visiting the pediatrician you put your child at risk of catching other children's germs, it's also true that each parent is responsible to keep their contagious child away from other children. Really rude.

(Maybe it's best to read your child a story very quietly, so as not to pique the interest of other children.)

greenfire

Sun, Apr 20 2014, 4:25 pm

SplitPea wrote:

parent's not parenting their children is always a problem ...