A year ago at this time, we were experiencing one of those things no family ever wants to -- a post-bedtime visit  to urgent care with our then two-year-old. She'd gotten sick out of nowhere a few days before Christmas, spiking a high fever that didn’t respond to ibuprofen. Luckily, our local hospital has a pediatric after-hours urgent care staffed with lovely, kind doctors and nurses.

And it was still awful. My girl was still in that two-year-old mode of doctor nervousness, and this Did Not Help. They had to take urine with a catheter and blood from the teensy  veins in her spindly little arms and hold her down to do so. I was so upset I had to leave the room so as not to freak out my bellowing child any further. The next day, we had to take her back to her regular doctor for follow up and she started weeping piteously the moment we turned into the parking lot – a theme that continued the rest of the year.

So I thought this article in helping a child get over their fear of the doctor was interesting.

Most of it leans more toward the crunchy than the practical, to wit: "Use the power of intention: The intention you carry has a powerful effect. Children naturally sense and respond to a loving intention." But the more we tried to be upbeat, the better things went.

Other things that worked: letting her play with a doctor kit, and watching videos about the doctor (there's one on the Sesame Street site site about Elmo visiting the doctor which she loved).  By her three-year appointment, she did great and could be bribed with stickers and everything. I think it's more a function of her maturity than anything we did, but  it's good to know doctorphobia doesn't last forever if you're the one clutching the screaming kid.

Image: Don Coker, McClatchy Tribune