The plural of mouse are his friends!

I've told a dozen people that I was starting my specialty year today, and the reaction was, in unison, "aww, so adorable! I could never do that". And you know what? I know you couldn't. It's funny, you know, most people say pediatrics is an the "easy" specialty. I just want to remind those who abide by these statements of a few different things that are crawling through the blurs of my head (no! not lice. I'm in peds now, so I feel obligated to make that clear). 

Anyway... here they are:

1. Being a pediatrician is a lot like being at a thrift store. You came for the antique table you saw on craigslist and ended up taking the entire colonial tea set, the ornamental bird cage (small), a few oil paintings that you'll never hang, and who knows what else... for free! Great deal,right? Sure, until the ornamental bird cage (small), aka Aunt Yvonne, tells you to make sure you check that bump on her niece's back because her sister is irresponsible and never takes her kids to the doctor and so on and so forth. Do you see where I'm going with this? My patients come with parents, and aunties, and adopted aunties and friends, and sisters, and grandmas... and everyone has an opinion (which is good, you know, we're free to think what we want to think... for now).
   
2. Have you ever had to chase a patient down the hall and drag them back to the exam table as they scream at the top of their lungs and mom finds it hilarious and wants to put it on youtube so could you please drag her daughter again? Of course you haven't. No reasonable adult would behave like this and no reasonable adult would tolerate it. Unless you're you're dealing with tiny humans.
   
3. Children tell it like it is. If you look like you don't know what you're doing, they'll call you out on it. And rightfully so. But the thing is... it's cute. THERE I SAID IT. So while you may get an older man complaining about your technique, my 6-year-old is cuter - which is HOW THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS, PEOPLE!

So, I'm concerned because I've been stressed out/frustrated over the past few days (years). I realized I've been doing this all wrong, and I now know the answer to the million dollar question. So here it goes, I'm going to share it with you. Because in peds, we share. Psst! Sharing is caring. 

How to relieve stress in 3 simple steps:

1. Watch the movie "Babies" qdaily at bedtime and PRN for excessive stress that copious amounts of chocolate cake won't cure. 
2. Change the horrifying alarm ringtone on my blackberry to one of a cute baby laughing/cooing. 
3. Princesses, buttercups, fairies and magic sprinkles. 

DO NOT FORGET THE SPRINKLES

So I'm all set with the sprinkles and my movie is waiting. 

Until next time kids!