The Pre-Teen and the Quest to the Doctor’s Office

Ladies and gentleman I have been dealing with what I thought was a hormonal pre-teen in my midst. She stopped listening, was rude when she finally did answer and seemed very reserved and wanting to be alone. I was at the end of the rope, emotionally and physically, because calling someone a dozen times before they answer can do that to you. Can make you almost break.

This past month we have been tackling the little victories as parents–eye doctor visits, buying glasses for the oldest, and finally a doctor’s check-up for the whole family. Do you know what it is like to take a family of six to the doctor’s office?

It starts off with me screaming like a banshee for everyone to leave the house so we are on time. We escape the house like a parade, from the smallest to the biggest, only the smallest shouldn’t be leaving first because he likes to run down the driveway and straight into the road. Commence more screaming from me that someone should be grabbing him and putting him in our car. 

As we are rallying into the car my husband takes a phone call and asks me if I have printed out some forms he needed–I have not. He starts asking me to go in and print them at which point I feel like my head is probably going to explode. T-14 mins until our appointment starts and we still have to pick up the oldest kid from school. The printing will have to wait.

I call the school and ask them to have my son waiting at the front doors–they tell me he is waiting on the bench. When I run into the school to grab him he looks genuinely worried. “I don’t know where Emma is…” I look at him in disbelief because just 3 hours earlier he was dropped off alone because his younger sister had an earache last night and wasn’t feeling well. I tell him she is already in the car and he starts arguing with me that she was in fact dropped off at school with him this morning. My brain implodes a little bit more.

We rush to the doctor’s office where we quickly try to navigate a parking spot closest to the doors. My husband parks, and then upon noticing that someone closer is leaving, backs up and goes into the spot that is 10 feet closer to the door from where we already are. T-2 mins until appointment is to begin.

I grab the youngest and the older girl and start running towards the building. I look back and see my younger daughter and oldest racing in the parking lot. I start screaming again for him to at least hold her hand because you know, she may get hit by a car. They all catch up at the elevator as I am pressing the button like a maniac as if it will come faster. It does not. It is out of service. 

So we start going down the stairs where I remember that my younger daughter is scared of stairs just as she is about to get on her stomach and slide down. I tuck her under my arms like a football player who is running to score the final touchdown in the Super Bowl and run down the stairs. We finally make it into the doctors office where we settle into the waiting area. There are six of us and we are loud. Thankfully we are called quickly and I start the process of giving the doctor the kids health updates. One by one. For two hours.

The last kid up was our older daughter, the pre-teen who I was sure was going through some sort of hormonal change or puberty. After telling my doctor that E has issues answering us, probably selective hearing, and a bad habit of freaking out when she finally does answer the doctor started examining her. The results–she had impacted ear wax in her ears and the tubes they installed a couple years ago were just chilling in her ear canal and not in the drum.

She was deaf. Not hormonal. Not being an asshole to me. Not ignoring us. Just not hearing me.

Aneta Alaei

Aneta is a Toronto-based mom of four that loves a good meal, great company, and learning something new. In her free time, you can find her trying to keep yet another plant alive.

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