What do you moms think?

Hello. i was talking with my mom yesterday, and she mentioned that after my 6-week well-baby checkup,she didn't take me back to the Dr. unless i was sick.She also took me for my vaccines at the public health clinic, which is evidently much cheaper.

!!!!!

i didn't know you didn't have to take your kid to the doctor all the time. i've faithfully been taking David all the times they said, even if he wasn't sick and i wasn't worried about him. We pay 20% of our health bills after the deductible, so if we could avoid some of the well-child checkups, and only pay for his occasional vaccines much less expensively than at the doctor, we'd save quite a bit of money. (i think we paid about $600 for him to see the doctor his first year of life.)

It was comforting, taking him to the Dr.and getting him weighed and getting his "percentiles". The Dr.would tell us when we could give him solid foods, and when we could start him on milk, etc. The thing is, did i really need her to tell us those things? This information is easily available online and in books. Was it worth the $80/visit to have a Dr. tell us those things?

i will definitely take Cadence to the Dr. until she's for sure settled in with at least a couple good weigh-ins, a good eating routine, and all those things you worry about with the new babies. But when we're all comfortable, it might be nice to avoid the less necessary checkups, if she isn't sick.

i know David well enough to know when something is wrong, so i feel confident that my kids wouldn't be suffering from some disease because i failed to take them to their well checkup.

What do you all think? Should i continue to take them to the Dr. for well checkups, or should i save the money, and only take them when they're sick or need vaccinations? The medical bills will only get worse with two kids: i just don't want to waste money, but also don't want to be irresponsible with my kids' health in the name of frugality.

What do you think?

Question for moms

Hello, moms out there! i need advice, and i figured i'd take from your experience, if you'll be so kind as to share.

i realized that when Cadence is born, there will be times where out in public, i won't be able to fully control David. There will be times when i need him to stand still, or not run around and instead stick close by me. 

He doesn't "get" that, yet. He doesn't come when i call, and if i am not holding him or if he is not strapped in a stroller or cart, he runs around and doesn't stay by me at all. He's got too much to see, i guess!

Anyway, i've been considering training him like i once did my dog: maybe keeping a box of those dollar store mini nilla wafers on hand, and calling him at intervals throughout the day. When he comes, he gets a cookie. then, then after he is coming every time for a few days, maybe only giving him a cookie 1/3 of the time, until he just comes when i call. 

Do any of you have better ideas? Also, what advice could you give me on how to make him stay close to me in public while he's on his feet? i know it would be easier to just hold him or keep him in a stroller, but he's gotta learn sometime, right? Or do you think 16 months is a little early?

i just need to get to a point where he understands "stay" or "come", and obeys me without my having to run out after him all the time. 

Please let me know what you think!