If you’ve been putting off vaccinations, a well-baby visit or other medical care for your child during the pandemic, you may wonder what to expect. Here’s what the experience is like — and how to prepare your child.

Story by: Kim Huston on July 30, 2020

Keeping healthy during this time is crucial — when was the last time your child saw their doctor? Norton Children’s practices and facilities have resumed all services as before the coronavirus outbreak, while taking extra precautions to keep you and your child safer. If you’ve been putting off vaccinations, a well-baby visit or other medical care for your child during the pandemic, you may wonder what to expect. Here’s what the experience is like — and how to prepare your child.

Norton Children’s wants every child to be a “Super Kid.” Being a Norton Children’s Super Kid means doing activities that prevent spread of the coronavirus. Super Kids wash their hands, wear a mask, cough into their elbow, don’t touch their face and practice social distancing by keeping their hands to themselves.

Another key measure for kids to stay healthy during this time is to get their checkups, including vaccinations. Things may have changed since the last time your child saw their pediatrician or specialty physician.

What to expect at a provider’s office or facility

Waiting rooms aren’t for waiting anymore. You can check in from the parking lot via cellphone to maintain social distancing. After your visit, you and your child will leave the office right away. An electronic checkout will be performed through MyNortonChart, or the office will call you. For office visits, children may be accompanied by one parent or guardian.

You can explain to your child that just like Super Kids wear masks to keep themselves and their families healthy, so do health care providers such as doctors and nurses. Norton Children’s providers wear personal protective equipment such as masks and face shields to keep you, themselves and others safer. You’ll be required to wear a mask as well: All adults and children age 2 and older visiting a Norton Children’s facility must wear a surgical mask or cloth face covering.

While Norton Children’s facilities and offices always have had thorough cleaning policies, we are taking extra precautions and have expanded the use of disinfectant foggers in common areas.

Should your child need surgery or another invasive procedure, a COVID-19 test would be required beforehand. We also are providing testing by appointment for children over age 2 who want a test.

How to prepare your child for a doctor’s visit

When the kids feel in control and are able to see and understand what’s going to happen, it can help make their experience better. To help children prepare for the experience, you can role-play what a visit may be like. You can explain that they will see everyone wearing masks at their provider’s office. You can have your child practice wearing their mask at home while you and family members also wear their masks — it can make wearing masks feel more normal and less scary.

You also can practice the other parts of the Super Kid pledge to help your child understand what they will see when they visit a doctor’s office.