If you don't want your kids to catch an illness they didn't already have when they came in, do not let your kids play with the toys or unneccessarily touch things like the chairs in the doctor's office. Don't let your kids play with the other kids in the office even if you have to be a big meany and tell other kids to stay away.

No one ever warned me, I think that's where ds #1 caught RSV when he was 7 months old because I let him pull up and walk around furniture. My friend's child got hand, foot, and moth disease from another child whose mommy let her come over and play. Yet another friend's baby got sick because while he was there for a well baby checkup a grandma told her sick grandchild to go play with the well baby.

If anyone has any other advice or comments feel free to add it here.

My doctor also suggests that kids and parents wash their hands as soon as they are shown to the examining room. Each room has a sink where the doctors wash and the patients can do the same.

At the doctor's office, I've noticed how disgusting the toys look. I wish they would throw them out. We don't really have a "sick" or "well" area in our office but when David was a newborn they had me sit in an office while we waited, which was nice. I'll remember next time not to let him touch anything!

Now in a doctor's office, that's a challenge. I remember taking my children to the ped. when they were younger and keeping them away from obviously sick children. It's so frustrating to take your children for "well-checks" and then they get "unwell" a few days later!