We are frequent visitors of our PO office. I like to joke that we need a “Fast Pass” like they have at Disney! As a parent, I struggle with how to not only make our eye appointments survivable, but fun. I bring my normal “bag of tricks” including books, crayons, puzzles, and other fun little things to keep them occupied. As you all know, most visits are at least 1 hour, much longer if they need to dilate eyes and cooperation is really essential. I just read an article that stated you only have on average 12 minutes with the DR and need to make the most of this time. Well, my kids are usually a little board and not so cooperative by the time we are called back into the exam room. When Elliana was younger, we would bring a bag of M&M’s (the only time she got sweets) every time she answered the PO’s questions (didn’t matter if the answer was right or wrong) or read the letters, she got an M&M. This worked fantastic. But then we needed to change it up to keep things exciting. So, we planned a trip to get a slushie through the drive through on the way home from the visits. Again, this worked out well, but I didn’t like the fact that I was rewarding good behavior with food again. So, back to the drawing board. When I stopped at a consignment shop and found a gigantic bag of My Little Ponies for $3.00, I knew I had hit the jackpot. Now, for the last year, I bring a new pony to each visit. I give my daughter the pony when the eye exam begins and the pony helps her read the letters. Elliana can then add the pony to her collection. It is a WIN- WIN situation. She looks forward to her eye visits and meeting the new pony, the PO can get her testing in, and I am glad to find a non-sugar food way to make the appointments fun!
Love this! I’m sure Zoe would, too. We usually pack one of Z’s bags with whichever toy she wants, but I love the idea of the toy helping to read the letters.
I read a post about a dad get his son to cooperate by telling him the exam was like a video ga e. I’ll have to see if I can find that one
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