Our Union’s Families Loved Kids Days 2016!

There were thousands of medical and dental visits recorded at the Union’s Health and Dental Centers for Kids Days 2016, in another display of the mounting popularity of this annual event.

Kids Days is clearly one of the most anticipated events on the union’s annual calendar, not only because of the great fun it provides to parents and kids alike but also because of the extremely valuable health education it offers. 

The staff members at each of these facilities went all out to make Kids Days 2016 really special. This year’s theme was—what else?—the Olympics, and the facilities were decorated accordingly. This kind of themed, festive atmosphere is only one reason the event has become so successful. Another reason is that parents recognize that Kids Days is probably the best possible way to introduce their young children to doctors and dentists. In addition, it does a superb job of teaching children the importance of taking care of themselves, while doing so in a very relaxed and very entertaining atmosphere.

Games, displays, magic acts, face painting, and other entertainment kept children thoroughly entertained throughout the three-day event. The Health Centers and the Midtown Dental Center also offered gift bags and other specialty items while conducting health screenings and providing health education to children at a time in their lives when it is sure to make a large and permanent impact.

As always, staff members at the Health and Dental Centers contributed greatly to making the event a huge success, coordinating dozens of activities that kept children (and, yes, parents, too) happily occupied. But the fun festivities did not deter from the most important goal of the event, which is to make children feel comfortable and secure with doctors and dentists.

That goal is particularly helpful for children who are using Kids Days to visit one of the Health Centers for the first time. The feeling of trust that develops between children and medical and/or dental personnel on Kids Days has benefits that can last a lifetime. Too often, adults are reluctant to have medical or dental check-ups because they remember that they found these experiences painful or uncomfortable when they were children. Kids Days helps ensure that our members’ children will view visits to doctors and dentists far differently, both now and in the future.

And once again young children were not the only visitors to Kids Days that found the experience both fun and educational. More than a few parents said they were having a great time at the event.

Some familiar favorites returned this year, including firefighters who were on hand to give safety tips.

Children could get their heights and weights measured, their eyesight and hearing checked, and other tests performed. There were opportunities to learn important nutrition information. There were visits with doctors for health screening exams and visits with dentists for cleanings and oral hygiene lessons.

Many parents found Kids Days to be the perfect event to have their children’s school health papers filled out. As always, all of these things were accomplished without any appointments being necessary.

Members spoke highly about this year’s Kids Days, with many using it as an opportunity to register their children for Health Center services or to make future appointments. It’s certainly no surprise this happy event drew so many parents and children to the Health and Dental Centers.