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
Connecting & Communicating
Communication and connection with families is key to building a strong, effective healthy team.
Visiting the Doctor: Helping Kids Grow Up Strong & Healthy
Preparation and communication help you get the best care for your child at every medical visit.
Communicating at Doctor’s Visits
Good communication leads to good care for your child.
Rosita’s Favorite
Regular check-ups can be a fun and informative experience for the whole healthy team, kids included!
Brushy Brush: Fun Songs to Inspire Healthy Teeth Brushing Habits in Kids
This curated playlist is perfect for celebrating and inspiring the important routine of tooth brushing! Keeping children’s smiles healthy is an important part of keeping their whole bodies well.
My Whole Healthy Life: Meet Reignen
A video about the different ways a Native American child and his family stay healthy.
My Whole Healthy Life: Meet Wa.Sta.Tse
A video about the different ways a Native American child and her family stay healthy.