Well-Child Appointments Are Important - Even For Your Older Child

Life is busy for parents! Between school and hockey practice and dance classes and birthday parties, it can be hard to find the time to squeeze one more thing into the schedule. But one appointment each year that you should never skip is your child’s well-child appointment with his/her regular medical provider. These visits are important not just for infants, but for your children all the way through their teen years.

Routine well-child visits are an important way to keep track of your child's physical, social, and emotional health and development. When illness and injuries arise, we rush into the emergency room or urgent care to handle the immediate problem, often seeing a medical provider you have never met before. This cannot replace the importance of regular visits with a medical provider who knows your child and provides care year-after-year.

Well-child visits are a time for important health screenings, to check your child’s development to make sure it is on track, a chance to answer any questions you or your child have, and a time to stay-on-track for recommended routine vaccinations. This is also a perfect time to talk about topics like healthy eating, sleep, physical activity, and how your child is doing in school, at home, and in other activities. Sometimes a child or teen needs to hear the same advice from someone besides a parent before it sinks in!

This is also a perfect time for both yourself and your child to get to know the medical provider better. As your child grows up and enters the teen years, these visits are a chance for your teen to become more comfortable talking about his/her health and learn to ask questions and voice any concerns. This is very important as your teen prepares to someday be an adult and manage his/her own medical care.

To make the most out of your visit, come prepared. Take the time to consider your child’s health, any recent behavior changes, or concerns you have as your child grows and develops. Write down any questions to discuss with your child’s provider, so you don’t leave the appointment wishing you had remembered to ask. Engage in conversation with your child’s medical provider. This is a great way to stay on top of your child’s health while modeling for your child how to ask questions and be in charge of their health. Take the time today to schedule your child's next well-child appointment.

Life is an Adventure. Take Charge of Your Health.

Jackson County: Healthy People, Strong Community