Do you take your kids to annual physicals and how throrough is the exam at your clinic? I was just wondering as we have our kids (10-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter) in a well-child program in a private clinic and they have a full head-to-toe physical every year. The exam is very thorough (including also blood and urine tests, genital/rectal exams, etc.) but it's along the recommendations from the clinic and our pediatrician and we know the pediatrician very well and really trust him.

Now that our kids are getting older (especially our daughter who is staring her puberty) they have started shying off and complaining that they don't want to go as their friends do not go either. Of course we don't accept that and will keep on taking them there, but we were just wondering how is this in other families?

Don't your kids get naked for the physical and have things between the legs checked??? For me this sounds more than normal so I was just wondering if we really have the only pediatrician who does that?

Also how long do you continue taking your kids to pediatrician? We have thought to continue at least until they are 15 or so as isn't it the most important time to have all those checkups now that they are developing and all that? Any ideas how to help with this "shyness"?? How have you tackled this kind of stuff with your teens / preteens?

I have never had a physical in my life, neither have my 3 siblings, and we only go if there is something actually wrong. I think all families are different.

well I don't have kids but I remember that I was never completely naked at a physical and they should never be alone in the room there was always a parent and/or a nurse in the room. The doctor never touched my private parts just looked and I was given a robe to wear. I did not get blood work done every year just every few years. At 12 your daughter doesn't need a pap smear or a gyn exam unless she is sexually active or something is wrong. I got my first gyn exam at 18 so 12 is kinda young for that. Also, I refused to see a male doctor after the age of 11. I would say at their age you could give them some control over the situation like maybe let them choose their doctor. You may love the doctor you use but maybe they don't feel comfortable with them, so find someone they do feel comfortable with. That is what my parents did, I told them I hated going to the doctor and I hated my doctor so they said well then you can choose a doctor you like. For me it was that I was more comfortable with a female.

Also, generally you see a pediatrician until your 18, I made the switch earlier because I found a family care doc I like but my brother stayed with his pediatrician until he was 18 which is the norm.

Depending on where you live, most school districts require an annual exam. Where we live, if you don't have one at your own doctor's office you will HAVE to have one in the school by a visiting doctor. Standing in line in the school nurse's office in a paper gown is far more humilating. You may see if that is your option and I bet they will change their minds pretty quick. :D
The "shyness" and unwillingness is a very typical teen reaction. Most pediatrician offices will see your child until they are 18 years old and many do their intial college physicals. A lot of immunization requirements change over the years and your preteen/teen may even need a booster or a whole series that wasn't required when they were younger (Hep B for example)
As far as the exam goes, boys should be checked for a hernia with the "turn you head a cough" routine, whereas girls really shouldn't have a genital/pelvic exam unless they are sexually active. They may jsut be asked questions about their development and/or have a quick peek in their undies. Most teens set their own limits with the doctor and the doctor tends to take what they will get. I wouldn't be too impressed with a doctor who pushed it with my child, so you may want to feel it out with your doctor and ask even the office staff how they handle teenagers.
Good luck, Ihope some of this helps.:angel:

What you described doesn't sound too weird for me. Our kids, 11 and 15, still have their annual physicals not too different from what you described. It's definitely normal to be naked during one and have genitals checked. Our doc doesn't do any rectal exam but I know some clinics have different guidelines.


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Have you asked your kids why they shy off and don't want to go? Maybe you could ask for another doctor? And do you stay in the room for the full head to toe? Maybe they are just embarrased to be naked in front of you and it might help if you step out for that part? Hope this helps.

I don't know if it differs from state to state, but I know in PA only certain grades require physicals - when they start school and again at 6th grade. Growing up, that was all I ever had.

i never had a full physical until i was ready to get married.... in my mid 20's. my doctor said it wasn't necessary unless i was having problems, or until i was sexually active, which didn't happen until after i got married.

unless it's a state requirement, i really think it's a personal choice. none of my friends ever had full physical exams until they were ready to become sexually active (with my circle of friends, most of us waited until marriage....), except for one, who had endometriosis and she had annual physical exams from puberty on.

i think it's different for everyone. i'd ask the doctor what the benefits are of having a full on physical, and weigh it against your childrens' personal feelings. if your kids don't trust their doctor, or just really hate going, forcing them to go might put them off seeing a doctor when something might really be wrong with them....

I also want to say that I can understand how it would be completely uncomfortable for a child to undress in front of a doctor. I am sure none of us particularly enjoy our paps and exams, even though we are mommies. We teach our children from a young age that their bodies are private so having a doctor give them a physical is understandably something that would be uncomfortable to them. Honestly, if your children are healthy and have no major medical issues, I wouldn't worry so much about the yearly physicals.

wow, in England we don't have anything like that..i don't think I've ever had a full check over. What I would say though, being a guy, is that your son might prefer to have a male doctor.

I have two daughters, one will be 2 next month and the other will be 7 in August. Since the age of 2 my older daughter has been having annual physicals (it was every few months for "well baby" checks before that). It is a requirement that she have a physical every school year before the start of school and that all immunizations are up to date.

My daughter is also very modest and gets a little shy with having to take off her clothes. The doctor has never asked her to get completely undressed, but just down to her underwear. Because she was uncomfortable they gave her a paper gown. They will not take my daughter alone under any circumstances, more than likely to keep themselves covered (if you know what I mean). I also wanted to add that my daughter's pediatricial takes children up to 19 years old.

I agree that perhaps you should let your daughter pick a new doctor. I know when I hit puberty I wanted a female doctor. I was just more comfortable asking questions. This may help your daughter a lot with the comfort.

My kids were only required to have the FULL physical for their sports physical. The school requirements for non-athletes is essentially just that they are current on their vaccinations.

These are also only required every other year.

In the UK there is nothing like this, and this sounds scary! Poor kids, no wonder they don't want to go.

In the UK, there are a couple of times when at school you would have a "medical" but they were extremely basic - look at an eye chart and read as far down as you can, look in eyes and ears and that was about it. There was never any nakedness, sometimes just down to a vest and trousers. At 13 there was the BCG test, and a dental exam where they said I had perfect teeth then a few months later a dentist gave me 10 fillings!

The original poster doesnt sound like she really cares about the feelings of her children, or their embarrassment - she says she is asking for opinions but vows to continue to subject her kids to what must be torture for them.