What should I get to keep toddlers amused?

Here, 'PPM' - Private Practice Manager offers support for the backbone of your practice with this essential advice lifeline for you, your secretary or admin professional. The advice is from our experienced management team and the question comes from one of our clients in private practice. This is the third in a series of blog posts aiming to help improve the relationship between consultants and their admin teams. 

Entertaining toddlers in a private practice

Q: I work for a private GP practice and sometimes sit on reception during busy periods. One thing I have noticed is that the toy box needs updating. What sort of thing should I buy?

A: This is again a fun task.One would naturally think that the toys have to reflect a wide age-range. But, in actual fact, if you watch the visiting children, they are strangely drawn to toys designed for the younger child. This is probably because it provides an excuse to play with things normally no longer available to them, which makes it a bit easier for you. I would concentrate on toddlers,pre-school and children up to aged six years old.
 
Anyone older than this usually has a hand-held electronic game of some description with which to annoy one and all. Go for one central large toy, such as a small table with attached game. I mean one of those tubular sorters made of durable wood that not even the most determined young darling can destroy. Get a couple of wooden chairs to go with it. Then I would choose durable, traditional, parent-pleasing toys like a brio-style train set, for instance, just a few pieces, maybe a teddy or two, indestructible tea set, building blocks and shape-sorters. Books are always a hit with parents, so get a good selection of these, but don’t get anything that takes too long to read, as when it comes time to go and see the doctor, the story will be half-finished and the child will kick up a fuss.

There is one thing all children are good at and that is ‘posting’ toys and books into mummy’s bag while she is not looking. Therefore, try to keep everything fairly big or at least not small enough to disappear into the average designer handbag. Do not buy things with anything that can be chewed or pulled off. This could cause problems for small, exploring mouths.

Storage is your next stop. Get a really nice stand-alone shelf unit, but not too high, so that little hands can reach for themselves. Get a couple of storage baskets to go on the shelves, so that the children can spend time emptying and filling these.

Finally, if you have the space, try a wooden dolls house with large pieces to sit on the floor, which should go own well with anyone named Lilly or Zara. Ensure there is someone tasked with tidying and maintaining the toy corner.

Keeping them clean is a must. If there is one thing a parent hates about waiting rooms, it is when the toys provided are dirty or broken. My last piece of advice is to get as big a budget out of the boss as possible, as a happy child is a happy parent, who turns into a happy bill-payer. The alternative is constantly dealing with bored toddlers and grumpy mums.

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