Pediatric doctors who are not available when children are available.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Um, yes, you take them out of school to go to the dentist and doctor. That's how it works.

Then when do your kids GO TO SCHOOL? My kids see pediatrician, dentist, orthodontist, ENT, and speech therapist (weekly). A kid can NOT miss this much school.

The speech therapist is the only weekly appt, no?

Two kids, two speech appointments per week.

Are those during school hours or are they after school/weekends?

Are you a single parent?

I am not a single parents but my husband has a 1.5 hour commute, so once he has left early in the morning, I am the only one within distance to handle these things.

Speech is only during school hours or after school. They are not weekends. That would be nice.

I'm confused. Doesn't this solve the problem?

Yes, speech is not my problem at the moment. My problem at the moment is the pediatric dentist who just called me to say she's going on vacation the week of March 28-April 1 so she has to reschedule my app.t which was originally scheduled 6 months ago for that Monday afternoon. As you can imagine, all of the kids' parents want the after-school hours I practically now have to wait another 6 months for the next one available.

For a cleaning? It will be fine. And why does a dentist appt have to take an entire day? Why would you use a vacation day on the dentist? And why doesn't your husband use any of his days or half days to help?

We are getting into the weeds here, but this child, who was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate, had a bone graft on her gum line last summer to take bone from her hip and put it up into her gumline. The graft is pending review now by the plastic surgeon b/c he is not sure if it "took" or not or if we'll have to repeat it this summer. One of the most imperative things is scrupulous dental hygiene (for example, she has to brush floss and use mouthwash after every lunch in the nurse's office in school) b/c it is much more at risk for anything which would not be as damaging to someone with intact gumline bone, etc. Sorry, this is all built upon a house of cards basically and yes, having two children with this special need (which is a lot more than most people think it is-- you don't just have the one operation and then everything is fixed, like Operation Smile and Smile Train make it seem like on their infomercials -- though giving to those organizations IS fine and yes probably does a lot of good to children in third world countries who have no chance of even the first surgery without it). The kids were adopted from a third world country and both were born with cl/cp. Anyway, this is all more than everyone wanted to know and maybe the original fault is not with the providers and I'll just continue sucking it up and trudging forward. Also will probably look for a dentist and/or pediatrician who can do regularly scheduled things (well child visits, cleanings) on the weekends. That sure would help a lot.

With all due respect, you adopted 2 children with special needs and your husband thinks this is all on you?
He needs to use his days and help you, block out times when he can go into work late and stay late or whatever,
or leave early and work longer. Something has to give and being mad at the health care providers is not where to place your (very valid) frustration at your children's needs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um, yes, you take them out of school to go to the dentist and doctor. That's how it works.

Then when do your kids GO TO SCHOOL? My kids see pediatrician, dentist, orthodontist, ENT, and speech therapist (weekly). A kid can NOT miss this much school.

The speech therapist is the only weekly appt, no?

Two kids, two speech appointments per week.

Are those during school hours or are they after school/weekends?

Are you a single parent?

I am not a single parents but my husband has a 1.5 hour commute, so once he has left early in the morning, I am the only one within distance to handle these things.

Speech is only during school hours or after school. They are not weekends. That would be nice.

I'm confused. Doesn't this solve the problem?

Yes, speech is not my problem at the moment. My problem at the moment is the pediatric dentist who just called me to say she's going on vacation the week of March 28-April 1 so she has to reschedule my app.t which was originally scheduled 6 months ago for that Monday afternoon. As you can imagine, all of the kids' parents want the after-school hours I practically now have to wait another 6 months for the next one available.

You are being ridiculous and overly rigid. First, it is no big deal if you push back a routine cleaning. Second, just ask them for the next available after school appointment and ask them to call you if they have an earlier cancellation, which I promise you they will. Don't be so rigid. And stop giving your husband a pass. He can do a morning appointment and then go to work, come on.

You seem more interested in arguing with successful working parents than in finding solutions.

Ok just read your follow up post. Your circumstances are unusual. You should be asking for advice on the kids with special needs board. And next time explain your particular circumstances because absent context you sound ridiculous. If you had just come on and asked for providers with good hours you wouldn't have gotten reamed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um, yes, you take them out of school to go to the dentist and doctor. That's how it works.

Then when do your kids GO TO SCHOOL? My kids see pediatrician, dentist, orthodontist, ENT, and speech therapist (weekly). A kid can NOT miss this much school.

The speech therapist is the only weekly appt, no?

Two kids, two speech appointments per week.

Are those during school hours or are they after school/weekends?

Are you a single parent?

I am not a single parents but my husband has a 1.5 hour commute, so once he has left early in the morning, I am the only one within distance to handle these things.

Speech is only during school hours or after school. They are not weekends. That would be nice.

I'm confused. Doesn't this solve the problem?

Yes, speech is not my problem at the moment. My problem at the moment is the pediatric dentist who just called me to say she's going on vacation the week of March 28-April 1 so she has to reschedule my app.t which was originally scheduled 6 months ago for that Monday afternoon. As you can imagine, all of the kids' parents want the after-school hours I practically now have to wait another 6 months for the next one available.

You are being ridiculous and overly rigid. First, it is no big deal if you push back a routine cleaning. Second, just ask them for the next available after school appointment and ask them to call you if they have an earlier cancellation, which I promise you they will. Don't be so rigid. And stop giving your husband a pass. He can do a morning appointment and then go to work, come on.

You seem more interested in arguing with successful working parents than in finding solutions.

Ok just read your follow up post. Your circumstances are unusual. You should be asking for advice on the kids with special needs board. And next time explain your particular circumstances because absent context you sound ridiculous. If you had just come on and asked for providers with good hours you wouldn't have gotten reamed.

Sorry, I didn't really think it was a SN issue but I guess maybe now that you point it out to me this way, I guess it is. Sorry everyone and thanks for the help. Adios.

[Anonymous]

I'm a pediatrician (specialist), and my schedule is completely full for months without adding off-hours. It would be prohibitively expensive (and extremely difficult) to find nurses and office staff to keep an office open in evenings and/or weekends. Plus, I kind of want to have dinner/weekends with my family once in a while. I don't get to do that often enough, as is.

I am getting sick of patients/parents who feel entitled to tell me how to do my job.

[Anonymous]

Maybe if you have limited PTO and a husband who don't help out YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ADOPTED TWO KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS! It's not like you had them randomly, you CHOSE THIS!

[Anonymous]

pp--sorry for the blaring grammar mistake.

I'm married to a physician and this stuff makes me crazy. OP is in over her head with special needs kids that she chose to adopt despite having a worthless husband and she wants MY husband to take time away from his kids because of her choice.

[Anonymous]

OP- I get it, I really do. I have 3 kids- 2 of whom have significant special needs. For just one child we have weekly speech therapy, play therapy, and OT. I am considering dropping back to part-time work.
I think you are frustrated and at your limit, which is why you are reacting this way to your dentist cancelling an appointment more than a month in advance.

Is your actual concern that you are missing work time or that your child is missing school? Those are different concerns (both potentially legitimate) with different proposed answers.
I agree with others who say your husband needs to step up. Both mine and DH's careers have taken a big hit for our kids.

[Anonymous]

OP, you are full of drama. You take the ST spot and ask for when another later spot open that you get it. We were with our ST for several years before getting a 4 PM spot. Deal with it like the rest of us do. Yes, I have pulled my kid out weekly for ST. Its life. Don't like it, switch therapists but few have PM slots. They run a business with regular work hours. They should not have to work at 6-7-8 just because you demand it.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the dentist is taking spring break to spend time with his/her kids?

Maybe the dentist has SN kids on his/her own and wants to be with them?

I know it's hard to think of doctors as people - but they are. Some even have families.

[Anonymous]

OP, I schedule appointments for any of the following:

1. Before school
2. After school
3. On half days
4. On teacher workdays, holidays, and spring break

I know the commitment of a weekly appointment. I had 1 child simultaneously in therapy and PT. Thankfully, both were able to accommodate after school hours.

Our orthodontist doesn't open until 10 AM, but he sees patients until 6 PM most days.

It sucks that the dentist cancelled an appointment set up several months ago.

I hope your DH or someone else can assist and you don't have to burn through all your PTO. I am lucky that I have a lot of PTO and also work at home at least 2 days a week.

[Anonymous]

Is this Amy Light? That business about seeing little kids only during morning hours was beyond presumptuous. Hello? I know when my kid will be alert and rested, not you. This was a problem for us was that my kid was in early intervention special education and I refused to cancel that for a dental checkup as they would not see us in the afternoon. The speech thing you can't do much about other than stick with the provider for a long time to eventually get a good time slot. The sudden cancellation for a vacation would have sent me over the rails. I must be like you, OP. Very aware of the schedule, do long range planning so as not to miss school. I think your feelings are probably not something parents with typical kids understand. We also have a lot of other therapy and medical appointments and juggling the calendar is something I spend a lot of time on.

[Anonymous]

This is the pp. also one thing we do is to schedule multiple appts on the same day.

[Anonymous]

can you schedule several Speech Therapy appointments at the same time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this Amy Light? That business about seeing little kids only during morning hours was beyond presumptuous. Hello? I know when my kid will be alert and rested, not you. This was a problem for us was that my kid was in early intervention special education and I refused to cancel that for a dental checkup as they would not see us in the afternoon. The speech thing you can't do much about other than stick with the provider for a long time to eventually get a good time slot. The sudden cancellation for a vacation would have sent me over the rails. I must be like you, OP. Very aware of the schedule, do long range planning so as not to miss school. I think your feelings are probably not something parents with typical kids understand. We also have a lot of other therapy and medical appointments and juggling the calendar is something I spend a lot of time on.

Yes but providers do not shape their policies based on one child. They base the policy on the behavior of the majority of kids that they see. Many pediatric dentists are like this because most kids behave better at morning appointments. I am a dentist (not a pediatric dentist), but I do see kids. I agree with this policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this Amy Light? That business about seeing little kids only during morning hours was beyond presumptuous. Hello? I know when my kid will be alert and rested, not you. This was a problem for us was that my kid was in early intervention special education and I refused to cancel that for a dental checkup as they would not see us in the afternoon. The speech thing you can't do much about other than stick with the provider for a long time to eventually get a good time slot. The sudden cancellation for a vacation would have sent me over the rails. I must be like you, OP. Very aware of the schedule, do long range planning so as not to miss school. I think your feelings are probably not something parents with typical kids understand. We also have a lot of other therapy and medical appointments and juggling the calendar is something I spend a lot of time on.

Yes but providers do not shape their policies based on one child. They base the policy on the behavior of the majority of kids that they see. Many pediatric dentists are like this because most kids behave better at morning appointments. I am a dentist (not a pediatric dentist), but I do see kids. I agree with this policy.

So when do pediatric dentists have hours? 6AM - noon?