Heads up: This post is 13 years old. My thinking may have evolved since then — read it with that in mind.
My son Luc was hospitalized a few days ago because of a recurring cough that has gone on for over a month. We’re lucky to have found a very good pediatrician at the Union Hospital so even though it’s a bit far we travel to see him. He ordered an X-ray for Luc on the 2nd day to make sure that there wasn’t a simultaneous bacteria infection along with the virus.
When we went to the X-ray department, the young radiologist briefed us on the procedure. He said one of us will need to hold and restrain Luc because we only had one shot. Never once did he considered to even speak to my son. This alarmed me, and I started to explain to Luc about what we’re about to do, that he needs to lay on the cold metal table and stay still to take a picture. He understood everything but was still reluctant to do it, he cried and said he wanted to go.
When the radiologist was ready, he called us in and proceed to teach us how to restraint our boy on that table. I ignored him and talked to Luc about the procedure again, but when I put him on the table, he began to cry. I told the radiologist to step out for a minute so I could talk to Luc to calm him down. The radiologist wasn’t pleased about that. I tried to slow things down for Luc but I mustn’t have done it enough. I got Luc to lay out for just a few seconds and he began to cry and got up.
The radiologist was out of the room for less than 3 minutes, seeing that I clearly couldn’t get my son to cooperate by verbal communication, he came back in and “helped” me pin my son down on the table, tsk-ing in annoyance when my son tried to turn his hip over to get up. Both my wife and I quickly moved in to hold Luc as he cried and took the x-ray. It was a terrible experience.
Why is it so normal for adults to mistreat children as if they’re not human? Especially in Asian countries where obedience is equated to good children and are expected of them. I believe that, as a culture, if we want to produce a new generation of confident, capable young adults, then we need to educate the adults about this whole mistreating children attitude.