“My child sleeps great!”
“My child doesn’t snore!”
“My child is totally fine!”
…Meanwhile, they’re bouncing off the walls, unable to focus for more than a nanosecond, and their teacher is begging for them to be removed from the classroom.
As parents, we naturally focus on the positives in our children. We want to see more good than bad, and sometimes that means ignoring warning signs—especially when we fear being judged as bad parents. Every parent would like to believe their child is perfect.
Yet, I’ve lost count of how many times a sibling has blurted out the truth during a new patient exam:
“Oh no, Mommy, Johnny does snore!”
If you haven’t had a similar experience, it’s probably because you’re brand new to practice.
I don’t have all the answers, but I’ll share some insights.
First, directly confronting the parent and disagreeing will likely get you nowhere. Most parents will dig in their heels and push back. You lose.
Instead, asking the right questions can open their eyes:
Questions like these can gently help parents recognize that something may be wrong.
Once that door cracks open, you might say:
“Would you like to explore some possible answers to help Johnny?”
Having this conversation privately, without Johnny present, is crucial. It may uncover a world of concerns the parent never even imagined.
When treatment helps Johnny focus better, sleep better, and behave better, the parent may come back with a new question:
“Why didn’t our pediatrician mention this? Shouldn’t they have seen a problem?”
Your next challenge? Keeping up with the referrals—because a grateful parent who has seen their child’s transformation will tell everyone.
