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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Waiting Room Etiquette

It seems as though some people have forgotten what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior for waiting rooms. I would like to provide you with a refresher course...you know...just in case you have forgotten what is ok and what is not. (I'm in a bit of a grumpy mood from my experience in the waiting room this morning as well as a few other recent visits to other doctor's offices.)

1. Unless your child is sick and staying in your lap the entire time, please dress your children in CLOTHES and not footie pajamas, just a diaper, or a swim suit. Letting them run around in pajamas (especially the footie pajamas) is not cute- it shows laziness on your behalf. (especially when your at the OB's office at 10am.) Please. Take a few extra minutes and dress your child appropriately.

2. Just because you forgot to bring anything to entertain your child with, does NOT mean that my child is required to share the personal items that we brought. In fact, the bag that I brought stuffed with toys and coloring books is not public property. If you child decides to try to rummage through my bag looking for something to entertain themselves, I WILL tell them no.

3. Do not give me dirty looks when your little one is trying to climb all over me and my children demanding that we share our snacks or toys. Once again, it's not my problem that you came unprepared. Not to mention, I don't want your child climbing on me, just as you would not want mine climbing on you. Please remove your child from where I am and tell them NO!

4. Please don't try to make small talk with me. It's not that I don't like you, it's just that I really don't want to reveal to you why I'm here, where I live, how old I am, or what I do. Just let me sit and wait in peace. Please.

5. Please wear appropriate clothing No one wants to be stared down by a pair of nipples that are hanging out over the top of your shirt. NO ONE.

6. If you see small children that are within ear shot, can you please refrain from using words like "dick, fuck, and shit." I work hard to keep those words away from my children and I would appreciate not having to explain to them what those words mean.

7. Sometimes doctors run late. It's just the nature of the beast. If you don't like waiting, go to the desk and reschedule your appointment. Please don't sit there and complain for 45 minutes about how late they are and how you are going to chew them out when you get back to your room. We all know you won't do it. If you don't like waiting, just reschedule please.

8. A shower is most helpful in removing body odor. I understand we all get hot and sweaty once in a while, but if you are going to be sitting within close proximity of another, please try to care for yourself.

9. Those chairs that are in that big giant room? They are not meant for climbing or for hurdling. A waiting room is not a play ground. If your children are running around acting like fools, it reflects poorly on you. I understand that sometimes children get rambunctious. I understand that sometimes they start throwing fits. That isn't a problem. The problem is when your 9 and 10 year olds are knocking down old ladies so they can run and jump over the chairs. That is not acceptable behavior.

Do you have anything that should be added to the list?! I'm always amazed at how others act while they are waiting in waiting rooms. I want to hear some of your waiting room horror stories!

21 comments:

Damien's Mom said...

I 100% agree! I truly hate being in a room with misbehaving children. I too am one of those mom's that prepares ahead of time with toys and snacks. Take time to dress your children and have them something to do while waiting!

Kimberli Morrow said...

LOVE THIS POST!!!!!! I would like to add, that I do not want to hear your conversation that you are having on your phone about your baby daddy sleeping someone else, or the std's that he gave you!! Are you really telling me that you absolutely had to have this conversation while waiting at the doctors office?
Ohh and one more thing..... (I have twins) YES I can hear you from across the waiting room discussing my children, YES they are twins, NO they are not boy girl, they are both girls. I know those questions maybe hard to answer considering they are both wearing pink and they are dressed identically ohh yeah and they look exactly alike.
The Pediatrician that I take my children to is wonderful BUT the town that they are in is not the greatest and they have some very fine citizens that also take their children there(very sarcastic) and ohh the things we see!!!

carlasue476 said...

I generally go to the waiting room 1 hour early so that I can complain loudly while encouraging my footy-pajama clad children to use chairs as playground equipment, steal your toys, take your snacks, and crawl all over you. While I allow them to run rampent, I really hope to enjoy a deep conversation between me, you, and my nipples while you take deep breaths of my nasty, stanky body odor and I will woo you with my large vocabulary of curse words. Oh. Yea. And don't give me a dirty look. I know you are giving it to me right now thru the computer screen. :P

The Cox Family said...

Amen!!! Also, at the Pedi's office, keep your hands to yourself. No touching me or anything I own. I will be a germ-a-phob there. Deal with it.

Sarah said...

Agreed! Well said :).

Auntie M said...

OMG!!! Are you kidding me?! What is wrong w/our society that any of the above would ever occur!!
As for the B.O...ummm: if the other patients' sensibilities what about your poor doctor? Especially an OBGYN!!!! GAG!!!!

BlessedMommy said...

Like you, I get so annoyed at the parents who let their kid climb on you, touch your stuff, and touch your children. Firstly, I'm a stranger. I could be a psycho. Get your kid away from me. Second, I'm a germaphobe. I don't think your kid is cute. I want to take my foot and shove him back and then drop kick you for being a lazy parent.

westmetromommy said...

This is the best post I've read all day!

Kelli B said...

Love this! I also LOVE BlessedMommy's line, "I could be a psycho." Hilarious.

The Price Family! said...

Waiting rooms in the pedi's office are awful. Ours has a seperate well baby waiting room but that is only for babies under 6months. So please if you are there with your sick child make him sit down and cover his mouth. I hate to have my child in for a well check up and have to come back the next week with a sick child. Because the week before there was a sick child touching my child, coughing all over them, and sneezing all over the place. AND PLEASE DON't give me an ugly look when I get up and move me and my child to the other side.

Joe said...

One I can add:

The waiting room is not a restaurant. Please don't bring your KFC family meal in to the waiting room and begin feeding your entire family like it is Thanksgiving. Snacks and soda are fine but when you have a whole chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, etc. that is a little overboard...

Joy Starks said...

Just tell them you are highly contagious. They start moving far away.

Krista Phillips said...

Okay, so I totally agree with your list.

However, I'll admit that on some days, we're in a waiting room and I was in a hurry and forgot said goodie bag and my kids are acting like jerks and I'm about at my own brink of insanity because of the morning I've had and some older lady (probably single with no kids) looks down at me for my kids that are fighting and shoots dirty looks. I just want to give her the finger (which I've never done in my life, want does NOT equal do) and tell her that if she doesn't like how I parent, she can dad-gum take my kids home with her and do it herself for all I care.

Obviously I don't say that (nor really mean it...), however I've had bad waiting room experiences where *I* am the culprit, is my only point. That said, I wouldn't have done any of the items on your list, even on my worst days!!!

Jill said...

Krista- I have been in a situation where my kids were the holy terrors as well, but like you, my children would NEVER be allowed to do the stuff that I listed. There is a difference between kids being kids and parents who obviously lack any sort of parenting skills necessary to maintain some sort of sanity!

Jill said...

Joe- that is gross!!!! I would never THINK to bring a full blown meal into a waiting room to eat! Gross!

Michelle said...

ESPECIALLY in pediatrics - if there's a section for sick folks, STAY IN IT if you/your child are ill! and if there isn't, PLEASE, for the love of all that is good, COVER YOUR MOUTH! i do NOT want your puke, snot, and germ-fest of a sneeze on me, my family, or my clothing.

PERIOD.

Amy said...

I was at the pedi office with Sean once and I had brought him some toys to play with (our pedi office doesn't keep toys in the waiting room for germ reasons). There was a girl there, couldn't have been older than 18, with her son. She was on her phone texting while he ran all over the waiting room, climbing ON the tables, taking Sean's truck away from him, taking Sean's hat off his head (!), and the mom didn't do anything except an occasional lazy "no-no." Sean was looking at me like, "Who is this kid and why is he so nuts?" I was livid that I had to not only take care of MY kid, but HER kid as well. I totally know that kids are kids, especially when they're under 5 or 6. But c'mon. There's NO excuse for that. I wanted to tell her to get off her phone and parent her kid already!

Sweetbabybump said...

Ok this seriously made me laugh. I work in a bank, and OMG all of the above and worse, we actually had a kid that came into my office and proceeded to head right over to MY PURSE to rummage through it??? Luckily I was right behind and stopped him first, but they let their kids jump all over the chairs, bang on the office windows, its NUTZ. They expect us to babysit their kids while they are in the teller line haha OK NO!

stardustdawn said...

That's some pretty insane stuff! I always feel like a heel when other people's kids irritate me, but really, this is unacceptable!

I've also been at restaurants where other people's kids have come up to us and start eating off our plates. What the heck!

Anonymous said...

Did the same person commit all of the above atrocities, or were they spread over many people?

Anonymous said...

OK I have everyone beat I work for a low cost veterinary clinic that travels to petcos and a few other pet stores. At our clinic there could be up to 60 dogs and cats waiting in line for up to two hours. People bring there children and let them run up and down the line saying hi to all the dogs,some of which are very fearful and have never seen children before. not to mention the poor reptiles if our lines happen to be near them. Sometimes I find myself being more of a parent to these children then there own parents, teaching them its not EVER safe to just run up to a strange dog and pet it. Or that its mean to hit the reptile cages or that they can't climb on it. I have even heard parents actually TELL there children to go say hi to all the dogs just to get them out of there hair. This could be a life or death situation we see dogs of all breeds sizes and temperments. And the parents always get mad at me when I tell there kids to back off of the terrified dog or stop running back and forth because it could make a dog scared and scared dogs are dangerous dogs. It makes me sick.

 
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