Parents know their kids best

After a class in our co-op, a few moms and I were discussing how frustrating it can be to find a good doctor for your family who listens to your concerns and really takes the time to get to know your child. Obviously all doctors are busy people with lots of patients to see, but at the same time a good doctor knows that you know your child best and will listen to you.

Some of us talking mentioned that we had switched doctors several times. My family is on our fifth pediatrician. I really like him; although he is a bit old-fashioned, he takes the time to listen to us, asks all of us questions and takes everything into consideration. I doubt he’d ever tell me to let my daughter cry it out as an infant until she pukes, as our second pediatrician advised me to do. I still cringe, thinking of that horrible advice.

It really is important to remember that we know our kids best not just in these situations, but in all situations. So many parents are too quick to value a so-called expert’s opinion over their own instincts when they don’t realize that the expert’s opinion is just that—his or her own beliefs based on a very small amount of information. While that can be helpful in making diagnoses—such as when obtaining a referral for allergy or blood tests, for example—it is not the end-all, be-all when it comes to our kids.

Just because someone says that your child might be better on, say, ADHD drugs, that doesn’t mean that it’s the truth. Get another opinion. Trust your instincts. Find someone willing to help you pursue behavior modification or a different diet before they want to make your seven-year-old down pills. We all want what’s best for our children, and we owe it to them to explore every option available to us without automatically resorting to something that could end up inflicting even more damage.

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