October 16, 2024 | By: Leslie Curtis
Categories: Family Support
Over the last 22 years with my son, I’ve had to learn how to keep him happy and busy when having to wait. Sometimes it’s the waiting room at a doctor’s appointment. Sometimes it’s at a red light on the way to the appointment. If you have a child with disabilities, you’ve probably done your fair share of waiting too.
I keep a backpack ready just for these events. For car trips, I bring a few of his favorite books and a Harry Potter Magazine (now that he’s older). I also bring a small photo album that has recent photos of him to look at and talk about. Lastly, I bring an iPad because something with a screen is a must-have these days.
For doctor’s appointments, I add a latex glove from the exam room. I blow it up like a balloon and we play a game of volleyball by hitting it back and forth. I pack straws so we can blow small pieces of paper back and forth across the exam table. It’s the same game as the glove, only trying to keep the paper from falling off the table.
If we have crayons or colored pencils, we draw on the exam table's paper. Just be very careful your child doesn’t get carried away and draw on the actual table. If we’re waiting on a doctor for more than an hour, Jac will lie on his stomach on a rolling stool and go in circles. I know that’s probably not an adult thing to do. You can only do so much in a small room before you run out of ideas.
Our favorite thing to do is dance. Jac and I always have a dance-off when we’re waiting for doctors. I have his special playlist loaded and ready to go. We cut loose in our little room.
In a hospital setting, I have to be even more creative. When Jac had his spinal fusion surgery, I went around the hospital taking pictures of the places he likes, like the pirate ship, the popcorn machine, the aquarium and the gift shop. Then we had a scavenger hunt. I print the icons and push Jac in his wheelchair around the hospital while we hunt for the treasures.
Jac’s favorite thing to do now is trace his favorite movie titles and names of TV shows. I just have pre-made writing sheets ready to go. I can whip them out at a moment’s notice wherever we are.
Every family has their own bag of tricks. These are just a few of mine! There are many more great tips on the Family Support page of the NLT website.
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