Curb your kid when visiting the vet

The Animal Crazy blog at the Orlando paper recently highlighted a Web site by Dr. Roger Welton, a Melbourne veterinarian. At Web-DVM, pet owners can get the good doctor's updates on animal health and pet news, and participate in polls (I was quite sorry to see one recently where dogs won out over cats as preferred family companions.)

Here is one posting that may be a little controversial. It's Welton's take on what he views as an encroaching occupational hazard: children who are far more out of control during a vet visit than their pets. Parents, put these unruly kids on a leash or in a carrier, please. This includes when you bring them into my neighborhood supermarket.
Click here for more adventures in parenting, at our transParent blog.

PET OWNERS, CONTROL YOUR CHILDREN!
Posted on Web-DVM, Thur, March 20, 2008.

Before I begin this brief venting session, please let me be clear that I love [good]children and truly see them as a miracle, a notion that is substantiated in the fact that my wife is expecting our first child in what has been a very planned pregnancy. That aside, one of the biggest aggravations I have to deal with as a veterinarian in recent years is children that are out of control in my waiting room and in my exam room!

On a daily basis, often multiple times a day, I have to contend with much more than the interpretation of a non-talking patient's history, clinical signs, occasional unwillingness, and the release of unexpected gas or excrement. In addition to this challenging work, I often find myself confronted with a far more sinister problem: the little devil children of the clients!

While their parents sit by idly, these children tamper with my valuable and fragile scopes, go through exam room drawers, harass the already scared or even aggressive patient, jump all over my extremely expensive lift tables, and even crawl over my back as I examine the patient. As I try to explain the potential problems the animal may have, necessary diagnostics, and potential treatments, I find myself frequently having to yell over their screams, or blatant interruptions as they ask me their own pointless questions or babble nonsensical stories. In my waiting room, children often are allowed to damage food and treat bags for sale, throw magazines all over the place, scream at the top of their lungs, and run around like they are in some kind of playground.
In order to get the job done, I sometimes find myself in the awkward and uncomfortable position where I have to correct the children myself and order them to leave the equipment alone, step away from the pet that they are upsetting, or allow me the space I need to perform my examination. In some cases, I even have to tell the parent that I cannot continue the examination unless the children are either restrained or made to wait out in the waiting room. Just yesterday, a child even stole an item from the waiting room, and when the receptionist ran outside to inform the parent of the theft, rather than reprimand the child and make the child give the item back, the parent simply paid for it!

Having graduated veterinary school in 2001, I have seen this trend of unruly children get increasingly more prevalent with each year of practice. This tells me that as time goes on, an ever increasing number of parents seem to be losing the ability to raise disciplined, well adjusted, respectful children, a fact that is rather alarming. Not only are these unruly children very unpleasant to be around, but what kind of adults will they one day make? How do they treat the animals at home? Well, regardless of whatever kinds of future criminals they want to raise, here is a message from me to all parents with children like this: I WENT MANY YEARS OF SCHOOL TO PRACTICE VETERINARY MEDICINE, NOT TO BABYSIT YOUR LITTLE MONSTERS!

What in the world happened to the principles that I was raised with: do not interrupt adults when they are talking, respect your elders, do not tamper with or damage other people's property, do not steal, etc., etc., etc.? When I went to the vet with one of my parents, I would not dare act in the manner in which many children of today behave. I would not interrupt the vet when he spoke, in fact, I would not speak at all unless the vet spoke to me directly.

Is this because I was a special child? Well, maybe a little (just kidding!). It because my parents demanded that I respect them, and my respect for them meant that my embarrassing them in public would ultimately be just as embarrassing to me.

Roger L. Welton, DVM
Founder, Web-DVM

Comments

I feel the same way as you do Dr. Im starting to hate little kids, why? because they have idiot mothers who dont discipline them. Its not just at the vets office its everywhere. I have walked out of many places because of rude screaming climbing little fucking brats.

So I know what you mean about your sensitive and expensive equipment being used as play toys

I own a restaurant and if you think the brats are bad at your place of business, I could write a book.!!

Posted by: ann | April 21, 2008 5:33 AM

The doctor is 100% correct. Furthermore, I think the lack of discipline in kids early years is why you end up with stories in the news like the 6 girls that jumped and videotaped the cheerleader.

I'm not afraid to voice my opinion in public either. I have told restaurant employees to move me to another table because of misbehaving brats - and loud enough for the parents to hear.

I've asked parents in Publix why they can't control their brats and the funny thing is most will answer you with some 4 letter tirade. Go figure.

Posted by: KCK | April 21, 2008 8:58 AM

Amen! - no wonder this world has gone crazy with moms and dads thinking their screaming, kicking, temper throwing brats are so cute and they do not want to hurt them mentally if they say NO and mean it or give them a swat on the tush. No beating is necessary, just a well timed swat. Isn't it amazing when you ask a child a question, they don't answer or speak so low, you can't hear them but let them want something the next county can hear them!

Posted by: Chris | April 21, 2008 9:02 AM

Even the most well behaved children have tantrums from time to time, but I agree that it seems too many children are not being disciplined properly. However, the doctor needs to be careful about his ranting. He is about to find out how truly difficult it is to rear respectful children. As I see it, many well meaning adults are spoiling children with too many toys and diversions. As a result, we are setting them up to feel like they must constantly be entertained, and each generation seems to have a reduced capacity to pay attention. Actually getting children to settle down and pay attention requires a lot of energy, because it requires vigilance and repetition. It also requires that the parents give the children appropriate times and places to play and run wild. After all, movement is health. Most young parents, as the vet is about to find out, are overwhelmed with the pressures of modern life and find it easier to babysit the kids with television and portable DVD players. I wonder if the doctor and his wife will have the energy to say the many "No's" to their own child that will be needed in order to do the job right.

Posted by: Kinesthesia | April 21, 2008 8:00 PM

Its the PARENTS fault...Children only imitate and or get away with what the parents allow. And Doctor Vet is in for a rude awakening when he finally has a child or children..Your life will NEVER be the same again..Disciplining your child in a spirit of mildness is important as well. But remember, telling others what they should do and then actually becoming a parent and doing it with your child is where the real challenge lies..Talk is cheap..

Posted by: joe | April 21, 2008 8:44 PM

It's about time someone had the nerve to speak up regarding the way children are allowed to act in public. It's a shame these unruly creatures are allowed to disrupt everyone around them because their parents don't have a clue about social etiquette.

Posted by: lfdbytes | April 22, 2008 9:19 AM

Amen brother!

Can't you request that children under the age of 12 not be allowed in your waiting room? My spa kindly requests that children not be brought into the establishment. (And that cell phones be turned off.)

Posted by: Leigh | April 22, 2008 9:29 AM

I agree with the doctor. Most parents just let their children run amuck. And if you ask the kid to be quiet or hold down the noise they yell at you "Dont tell my kid to be quiet".

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