I can vividly recall a number of consultations when I was a callow youth and I was harangued by parents. The standard line being: 'you can't possibly understand because you are not a parent'. Reassuring these people (with their inevitably viral but otherwise well progeny) was a trial.I resisted the temptation to say I had already seen several hundred sick children more than they ever would and I went on to get quite involved with paediatrics. I even went through some mild pain and got a nice piece of paper from the Royal College - a Diploma in Child Health to prove my worthiness.
But it means nothing. I now have children and I have achieved the ultimate badge of honour. We have finally finished a tub of Sudocrem. This is not an easy process and involves more babies nappies than I care to recall. I may have to add it to my appraisal folder. It is probably a more useful bit of evidence than 360 degree appraisal. Or I am thinking of nailing it to the surgery wall (the empty pot that is, not the appraisal folder).
It is a cheap shot but I always try to drop my children into the conversation with other parents. GPs don't have pictures of their children on their desk or wall because they want to gaze longingly at their offspring. They are there to aid the process of reassuring neurotic parents and currying favour with little old ladies.
2 comments:
In the spirit of competitive parenting I feel I should mention(in the same breath as congratulating you on your undoubted achievement) that we've gone through a few pots. I'll admit that on one occasion it was the child in question who found and finished the pot on one memorable morning. He greeted his horrified parents covered head to toe in sudocrem looking like a channel swimmer or pierrot. Not only his body but most of his bedroom and the bathroom were similarly covered. As you're no doubt aware sudocrem beats even dried on weetabix in its ability to permanently mark any surface. There are scientists out there looking for a truly indelible greasy substance - they need only look in the nappy change back for inspiration.
When I worked in GP land I had similar woes, with folk not feeling advice was credible when offered by someone without kids.
It was unusual to see similar the dynamics in child and adolescent psychiatry, from both sides. If a Consultant Psychiatrist had kids, well theirs were perfect and didn't have all the woes of the patients, so they didn't understand or appreciate the parents predicament. If a Consultant Psychiatrist didn't have kids, they couldn't understand the implications and reality of it all, so they didn't understand or appreciate the parents predicament. A lose:lose situation.
Even Sudocrem tubs couldn't help that one.
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