Tips for Well Visits
Your child is growing every day, in every way—and there are many ways to continue keeping them healthy.
Your child’s health care team helps keep them healthy so they can play, learn, and grow! Consider these tips to help any visit go smoothly:
Preparing Yourself for the Checkup
- You might write down questions about your child’s health beforehand. It’s a great way to start a conversation that will keep you involved in your child’s care. You might ask about:
- Your child’s height, weight, vision, movement, and overall health
- Milestones your child should be meeting
- Things you can do to help your child stay healthy
- When the next visit will be
Preparing Your Child
- Kids may be scared of the visit. Explain that doctors and nurses keep us healthy and make us better when we’re sick.
- Let your child know what will happen (“The doctor will check different parts of your body to make sure they’re healthy. I will stay with you the whole time.”)
- Before the visit, invite your child to pretend they are the doctor! Let them feel and listen to your heartbeat, or ask them to look into your mouth while you say, “Ahhhhh!”
Children should see a doctor for well visits (checkups):
- eight times in their first year, then at
- 15 months
- 18 months
- 24 months
- 30 months
- Once a year after turning three
Ready for Rest
Watch children around the world wind-down before nap or bedtime.
Elmo’s Exciting Sleep
A storybook about all of the amazing (and exciting!) things that happen when we sleep.
Rethinking Rest
Rest is about more than what happens when we close our eyes at night. Read and learn about the many kinds of rest.
Let’s Move Together
Watch this video about the different ways we can move and groove... children and grown-ups alike!
Dance Dance Dance!
Watch, dance, and sing along with your friends from Sesame Street!
Elmo’s World: Dance Party
Watch and dance along with Elmo, Grover, and friends from around the world!
Our Family Dance Recipe
Find new ways to move together by creating your very own family dance!
