Do you schedule your kids appointments at "off" times because you homeschool?

[3 ladybugs]

I was talking to my children's dentist today and she said that summer is her busy time. I didn't know that. So I told her I would push back my son's appointment till September as she said that it gets "dead" then. It really doesn't effect them, and it could make it easier to reschedule should I need to in the future. :) So I set up my sons' next appointment for March for this reason. 

 

So do you do this? I am thinking I might move my son's well visit to a different time then his birthday as it is ALWAYS busy at the end of September (school sport physicals) when his birthday is. 

[marbel]

Yes, I do.  Well, I can't necessarily avoid appointments in the summer, but I try to, and during the school year I schedule them during school hours.   All our medical providers love us for that. 

 

Edited for clarity.

[GinaPagnato]

I did when they were little. As they grew up and their school work took increasingly longer, or they had co-op or online classes, that became impossible. Well, maybe not IMPOSSIBLE, but way too disruptive to the flow of their studies (and my sanity).

[Spryte]

Yes.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Yes...I love it.  We never wait at the doctor's offices. 

 

 

[lailasmum]

Yes I do. I avoid the school holidays and after school hours. Some kids will have time off school for appointments but they tend to automatically try and schedule kids appointments after 3pm and in school hols and it's great to say no we can do during the daytime easily and take our pick.

[Junie]

I try to wait until the flu shot is available to schedule the well check-ups.  We get the check-up and the flu shot at the same time.  Most of my kids have late summer birthdays, so this works out pretty well.

[happypamama]

Mmm, I can't really say as I think that when I schedule things, whether it's summer or not. But I have several children, so I can only schedule so many of them at a time anyway. My two big boys just had checkups on the same day, one right after another, and my two little boys have back to back appointments next month because their birthdays are in July and August. I schedule doctor appointments for evening hours, so I can leave anyone not seeing the doctor at home with DH, dental appointments two at a time for the afternoon that we are out anyway (martial arts class in the late morning forty minutes away, plus grocery shopping, kills the day, so it is good for dental appointments), and eye doctor appointments two at a time on the day the eye doctor is there. I always ask for afternoons, preferably 2 or 3 pm, even if it means scheduling a few months in advance. Routine checkups for things are generally not time sensitive, so waiting a few weeks is no big deal, but I guard our mornings carefully, year-round.

[Butter]

Yup.  Definite benefit of homeschooling: no waits because the offices are dead!

[lllll]

nm

[Arcadia]

We schedule family dental appointments for after 3pm so that hubby doesn't need to go back to office. We go out for dinner after that.

 

For doctors appointments, we go for the 8am slot because there is less waiting time for lab work if necessary. For TB testing every two years, we just go to urgent care, no appointment required.

 

ETA:

At the pediatrician wing of the medical office we go to, lots of parents schedule their 5 and under during school time while their older kids are in school. So actually it is noisier and more crowded before 3pm.

 

We have to book 3 months in advance for well child appointments.

[Seasider]

I did when they were little. As they grew up and their school work took increasingly longer, or they had co-op or online classes, that became impossible. Well, maybe not IMPOSSIBLE, but way too disruptive to the flow of their studies (and my sanity).

This. No reason my kids should take the ruin-the-middle-of-the-day appointments just because they are home schoolers. But as you have realized, it's often easier not to have to compete for an appointment. I usually ask for the last available appointment time before the after-school rush, typically 2:30-3pm, if there's not a 4pm appointment available.

[edelweiss]

Absolutely! That is a huge benefit of homeschooling IMO.  My older DD is going to a traditional school this fall for the first time ever, and I am already dealing with the issue of trying to find times for her appointments.  Sigh... I'm going to miss that perk for her (younger DD is still going to be homeschooled).

[VeteranMom]

The school year is busy for us- especially as the kids get older.  I have made an effort to not have appointments interrupt school time (mid-August through mid-May).  I had their teeth cleaning in July and am scheduling my son's oral surgery for the week before he returns to school.  The only thing I book for off times is orthodontic appointments.      

[Guest]

I try. But truly, there are enough homeschoolers here that there aren't really off hours :D

[Seasider]

Oh, something I have done in past years and need to reconstitute for this one is to have a certain day of the week blocked out for appointments. As someone above mentioned, I will then stick to that time slot as often as possible even if it means booking a few weeks out.

[lllll]

nm

[Bree]

I do. Also, I found at our Doctor office that if I schedule with the Nurse Practitioners I have like a 5 minute wait time. They are usually more friendly too ;)

[redsquirrel]

absolutely. I can't do it every day, because of other stuff, but if it works for us then yes.  Now that I have one in public high school, I long for the day of the Tuesday at 11am dentist appt.  If he misses a class it is such a pain in the butt that my son begs me to not make him miss anything at school.

 

I was also able to get my kids in with a highly desirable piano teacher because we could come in during school hours. Everyone wants those 2:30-4:30pm slots.  We always take a 1pm spot.

[mamajag]

I do the first appointment of the morning. In and out super quick and still can do homeschool after.

[Pink and Green Mom]

Yes.  And the people making the appointments are always glad a school aged kid can come in at say 10 am.

[Guest]

I do. Also, I found at our Doctor office that if I schedule with the Nurse Practitioners I have like a 5 minute wait time. They are usually more friendly too ;)

ANP's are my favorite. In this state they have the same amount of training as a GP and yet are less expensive and generally more patient, because they're not so booked up.

[kewb]

Yes, whenever possible. It is a perk.

[TechWife]

We did when my son was elementary school aged, but the middle & high school  years are just too hard to interrupt. Now that he is going off to college, he needs the summer and Christmas break appointments just like all of the other college students. His dentist office actually keeps a "college list" so that they can give them preference for appointments when they are out of school. 

[gardenmom5]

yes.  I refuse to do swim lessons in the summer for the same reason.

[LucyStoner]

That's one of the reasons we homeschool.

 

Not only can we schedule appointments on down time, we don't have to wait nearly as long for most of the myriad of services my son with autism has required over the years. Places with 6-12 month waiting lists always were able to get us in in 1 month or less when I explained we were home during the day and could take any appointment time. For a kid who has generally had 3 or more appointments a week at different places, this has been a huge difference.

[DawnM]

For the most part, yes.  However, we did have dentist appts in the summer this year, which was unusual.  

 

Middle son is going to school this year, so things are going to be changing.

[Lisbeth]

Yes, as much as I can, and I can't wait every year for Summer to be over. 

[73349]

I ask for an 11:45 or so time slot so it's during a reasonable lunch break for us if we're not done.

 

Unfortunately, some things are not available when we'd want (such as swim lessons and a particular sports class) because people cater to the PS schedule.

[Mimm]

Yes. I specify that we homeschool and that I'll come in during the day. I'm annoyed with myself that I didn't get my daughter's braces put on till, seriously, days before she started public school.

[itsheresomewhere]

Yes. It works better with our schedule and makes us have a very little wait. We have certain days in the week set up for activities so we schedule then.

[AmandaVT]

First appointment after lunch, Tues, Wed or Thurs is my preference. We have time to get school finished in the morning, and we're out before the after school rush. And avoiding Mondays (everyone coming in after being sick on the weekend) and Fridays (everyone trying to get seen before the weekend when sick), cuts down a lot on wait times.

[Julie Smith]

Thursday the boys have piano lessons at 10:30.

 

I call Thursday reading day since the only scheduled school to do is spent time reading, and for eldest do spelling.

 

I try to schedule all appointments for everyone on Thursday after piano.

[SproutMamaK]

Yes, absolutely. As the kids get older it's more difficult to get time away from school work for appointments, so when we have appointments I tend to set aside a subject or two for each of them to do with we're in the waiting room, etc, so that the time isn't wasted. It also doubles as a way to occupy them in the waiting room, which is always a good thing.

[Cafdog]

I used to...and I LOVED it!  It saved us so much time...and we got to meet other homeschoolers in the "off-hours".  Now my kidlet is back in PS, and scheduling appointments around school hours is such a pain in the behind.  I miss the homeschool flexibility!!!