Originally posted on Mar 18, 2018
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends reading regularly with young children to stimulate optimal patterns of brain development and to strengthen parent-child relationships at a critical time in child development. Reading not only builds language, literacy, and social-emotional skills that make a life-long positive impact on children, reading encourages young minds to seek out knowledge and can help them deal with common childhood concerns.
One such concern that children can potentially develop revolves around visiting the doctor. While not all children fear visiting the doctor, here at TLC Pediatrics, we encourage you to incorporate the following books into your child’s reading rotation before he or she is faced with an injury, hospital stay, or surgery, or before he or she develops a fear of going to the doctor.
Ages 1 to 4
Clifford Visits the Hospital, By Norman Bridwell
Clifford the Puppy accidentally finds his way into a hospital and is soon entertaining the patients, meeting the hospital staff, and getting into all types of fun-filled mischief.
Doctor Maisy, By Lucy Cousins
It’s Doctor Maisy and Nurse Tallulah, and they’re playing hospital. Poor Panda is sick, but Maisy takes good care of him. Then it’s Maisy’s turn to need help and Nurse Tallulah comes to the rescue!
Ages 3 to 6
The Berenstain Bears Go to the Doctor, by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Join Mama, Papa, Brother, and Sister, as they head to Doctor Grizzly’s office for their important check-ups where they will have their temperatures taken, their eyes examined, and their ears looked in. This beloved story is the perfect way to introduce children to what happens when they go to the doctor.
What to Expect When You Go to the Doctor, By Heidi Murkoff
Everyone needs to go to the doctor for checkups. But for a child, a visit to the doctor can be a bewildering experience. This guide aims to help you answer your child’s questions about who doctors are, what they do, and why we go to them for checkups.
Ages 4 to 8
Going to the Doctor, By T. Berry Brazelton
A pediatrician tells what happens when a child goes to the doctor for a check-up, with explanations of the instruments and procedures that will be encountered.
