Tips for Parents on How to Incorporate Holistic and Traditional Pediatrics into Your Family’s Life
You only want the best for your child, every parent does. Especially when it comes to your child’s healthcare, feeling good about what is going in, on and around your child is paramount. It’s important to know how to advocate for your child when theory can’t advocate for themselves.
How to speak up and find your voice
You know your child best. You can understand their needs like no one else which means you are their best advocate. This can be daunting though so learning to speak up and find your voice is absolutely necessary. You aren’t being pushy or overbearing if you feel like you are doing what’s best for your child. This can be hard for lots of parents because you feel like you are overstepping your boundaries, but it’s better to overstep than to let someone else make final decisions about your child. Speak up and speak out and know that your child is getting the very best care they can. Listening to your gut is SO important in these situations. You know what’s right for your child so following your intuition will never lead you astray.
Assembling your team
Carefully selecting a team of medical professionals from a variety of backgrounds will lead to your kiddo getting the best care possible. Do your research and ask as many questions as you can think of. Developing a strong sense of who that medical professional is will help you create the best team. Even if you have to go to multiple doctors, finding a team of people who you trust and are comfortable with is the most important .
What questions to ask
It can be overwhelming to figure out what exactly you want to ask. Here we’ve complied a list of questions to help get you started. Be sure to write these down for yourself before your appointment.
- Do you have experience managing ______?
- How often have you dealt with this and what were the results?
- Are you up to date on all current treatments?
- Is my child growing and developing in a healthy way?
- Are you worried about anything?
- How can I continue to help my child lead a healthy life?
- Why are you choosing that specific treatment method?
- What are the side effects of this treatment?
- I’ve tried x,y and z and none of it worked, do you have an out-of-the-box approach we can try?
- What would you do if this was your child?
About Children’s Naturopathic Center of Colorado
Dr. Megan Hammel is a naturopathic doctor who specializes in pediatric care in the Denver, CO area. She offers achievable, sustainable, natural, gentle therapies that enhance your child’s overall physical and mental health. You can reach or make an appointment here.