How do you attend appts. for you?

[mamato2boys]

I was with a group of WOHMs yesterday and they were talking about not having any time for themselves. One said " I have to use my sick/vacation days at work to attend my doctor/dentist appts., get my hair cut etc." another replied with " yes, I do the same and I take a whole day off 2x a year to go to the spa" Now I'm not someone who would have a spa day, but I do occasionally need to attend dr./dentist appointments and I haven't had a haircut since DS #3 was born. Of course being a SAHM I don't get paid vacation and sick time and currently I don't know any other SAHMs well enough to trade childcare with (we just moved) so right now DH has to take time off work when I need to attend a appt. I guess it wouldn't be too bad of an arrangement except DH only gets 40hours vacation time and 24 hours of sick time each year and I currently have several dr. appts. due to a immune system disorder which is quickly eating up all DHs paid time off. So I'm wondering; how do you find a way to attend appts. etc. w/out your kids; or do you (gasp!) bring them with you?

[thistle]

Someone let me know too. I am lucky that my pt job lets me take dd to the quarterly planning meetings.

[Throkmorton]

I take him with me.
Yes, even to the infertility specialist, I just keep him distracted with a cool toy. Haircuts are the only difficult one, but that is why the budget haircare place is open until 8PM some nights.
Toys, toys, toys. New ones, if necessary, or at least special "doctor's office only" toys.

[Copper]

She goes everywhere with me (keep in mind she is newly 4 so easier than taking a baby). We pack a small bag with some books, a writing pad, stickers, whatever I think will interest her. She likes to go.

Not too long ago I had a pretty nasty asthma flare-up and had to go the doctor's office twice in one week and she does sit patiently in the chair and watch (this office is good about not making you wait-there is not much of a waiting time). Then she comes home and dh and I are subjected to her doctor kit everyday for the next two weeks.

When she needed to go in to the doctor and as we were approaching her doctor's office she sat up really straight "mommy I want to go to YOUR doctor's office". Sorry honey it doesn't work that way!

Also for two weeks I had to attend the chioropractor's office 3 x a week and I was just so proud of her. She did soooo well. Though the first time after I got off of the table and the doctor left the room she told me "that is NEVER going to work" with arms crossed and head shaking. I told her it had better work (major back spasm) and it sure did!

[Copper]

Oh I forgot we make our hair appointments together too, she lets me know if she wants to go first or if I am going first.

[virgo mommy]

i take them with me, my oldest is in 1st grade so, i'll usually make appts for when she's in school, so i only have to take my 2 yo with me, but i agree toy toys are the way to go and snacks and drinks, she usually is very good, my dh is active duty in the Navy so he's gone A LOT so i have to rely on myself to make it work the best i can, and it usually works out just fine

[Finch]

He goes with me. Ever had a pap smear and a yearly breast exam with a 10 mo. old sitting on your tummy? :LOL He kept pushing the midwife's hands off my breasts as if to say, "hands off lady, those are MINE!!" :LOL Ugh. I usually have to take him along, and that requires me taking the sling and a slew of toys. As long as it's not him being poked and prodded, he's usually fine. LOL. I did manage to get an 8:15am appt. once, which was great, because then dh stayed with ds and I got to go ALONE (dh has flex time...God bless flextime...lol).

As for the haircuts, well, they either happen on weekends or after dh gets home in the evenings. I don't do anything fancy, just trims at the local super cheapie haircut chain.

Yanno what's REALLY fun? Taking your child with you to YOUR counseling session. :LOL That's just a blast.

ETA: "spa day??" what's a "SPA DAY??!!" those don't exist on my planet...lmao.

[Elphaba]

...

[elmh23]

My dh takes time off work so I can go to appts. His work is very flexiable (he just needs to make forty hours, but it doesn't matter when) so we are lucky in that way. If he couldn't get the time, I'd just take Sarah with me (not as easy when you have 3, I know.)

[my2girlsmama]

I take my kids with me everywhere, you just manage to. Part of life. I sometimes get my mom or sister who live in city to watch them but that isn't a constant thing as they have full time jobs. My hubby is a 12 hour shiftworker so I try to work around him BUT if he isn't at work all day he is sleeping off night shift....................

[Mummoth]

Up until last time they both came with me, but NO MORE!!! DS was very well behaved as far as sitting in his seat, but he sure found other ways to make a scene in the packed but almost silent waiting room.
First, he asked me to pull his finger (you know, that farting game) I said no, and he proceeded to hound me to. I explained to him that thats a funny game for daddies & boys, but I didn't like it one bit. So he pulled his own finger, and was disappointed when it 'didn't work' and asked me why not. I said I didn't know.
Then he noticed the man sitting next to him had a paper bag. He asked me what was in it ....my best guess would be that theres a sample of some kind in there... so I just said "What people keep in their bags is private and I'm not going to talk about that with you anymore" and looked away. I was surprised at the lack of resistance to my response, so after a few moments I looked back. There he was, looking back at me with a big grin on his face, his finger extended & hovering in the air an inch from the paper bag So I was like "You got over here & sit on the other side of me!!"
It was awful!! The wait was about 45 minutes long and, only about 3 of those minutes I was NOT embarrased. From now on, we're waiting until DH gets home unless absolutely necessary.

[hlkm2e]

I usually take her with me. I have found the nurses and receptionist at drs. offices enjoy playing with her. I had to get an xray and the nurse walked around with her while I was in the room. At the gyn, I had to have an emergency little mini procedure and an exta nurse came in the room to entertain her. So, luckily I have had nice people at my appts. to help out. I do get nervous before hand, though, wondering how big of a scene we will make.

[Doodlebugsmom]

I'm extremely lucky that dh's job allows employees' kids to be there anytime. So, I usually drop them off at his office. They have a huge kids' playroom there with all kinds of toys and bean bag chairs. I have done the pap smears with a babe on my chest! That was when they were too little for me to leave for a couple of hours.

[Pukka]

Since my doc is dd's doc too, I just take her w/ me. That makes it soooo nice! The good news is I rarely have to go. As far as haircuts and such I can just leave her w/ dh. We are fortunate enough now that dh WAH so, providing he doesn't have a client appt., I can just go.

[sunnmama]

I take dd to most appts, but she is now 4. I have always taken her, however. When she was a toddler, I would take her for (quick) haircuts. She would sit in her stroller, and I would give her a lollipop :. Eventually, I decided I didn't want her in the smelly salon, period, so I just grew out my hair.....

The exception is when I am getting dental work (not a cleaning). I had some cavities filled yesterday, and I left dd with another mama. Dd was thrilled . I don't want to freak her out by my dental fear! :LOL

[L.J.]

I take my kids to almost every appointment.
When I absolutely need to be alone, I ask a friend.
I get my haircut from a mom who works in her basement & she lets the kids play while she cuts. I also know a woman who does a mobile hairdressing shop - so she'll come to you.

[Finch]

Originally Posted by L.J.

I get my haircut from a mom who works in her basement & she lets the kids play while she cuts. I also know a woman who does a mobile hairdressing shop - so she'll come to you.

Good Lord, woman, where do you live? :LOL I would totally pay for services like that. Wow.

[heldt123]

My son goes everywhere with my: doctor's appts., chiropractor appts., hair appts., etc... The only exception would be the dentist and that first prenatal visit where they dig around "you know where." I then make appointments on my hubby's day off (usually Mondays). However, I only have one child, so that makes things easier.

[CountryMom2e]

I usually take DS with me unless I'm someplace where I can't keep an eye on him (dentist, haircut).... then I either go on a Saturday (haircut) or beg MIL to babysit (dentist).

Unfortunately MIL goes to Cape Cod for the summer.... so I try to schedule appts around that.

[cjr]

Dh puts in a lot of overtime and being on salary does not get paid for it. He rarely get the time back either. So, I have put my foot down and said that when I have an appointment he must take time off so I can go to that appointment. Usually it's only for a few hours and he goes back to work. Yesturday I had a root canal and asked him to take the whole afternoon off to give me a hand. His employer is very good about it, but he has to be because dh does ALOT of extra work and most of the time it consists of him going into the states on no notice. I know I'm very lucky and once I did have to take ds to a "woman" doctor's visit.