It's just so scary these days with the respiratory viruses that are going, well, viral. LOL My poor mom has a suppressed immune system and she was basically told to stay away from small children. She teaches art lessons from her studio, and most of her students are small children. Ha! She said she was just praying and using wipes and hand sanitizer.
I'm glad someone else thought of the germs on the magazines. My time in waiting rooms is usually related to hubster's V.A. visits, so I take my laptop. Those waits can be long and involve 2-3 waiting rooms. I started using the wipes at Walmart a few years ago. I swear I can pinpoint the moment I inhaled the pneumonia virus at Walmart a couple years back, lol! I suddenly felt funny. Since then I used the wipes. Not sure how much it helps, so it may be just reassuring.
I play on my phone or people-watch. Sometimes I make up stories about the other people in the waiting room in my head .
lately, every doctor I go, the magazines are so old that it's not an option - so I save myself from viruses! LOL I usually carry my kindle, or if the place is too busy, I just use my phone, play some games or visit the Lilypad for a chat!
Take your ear buds with you next time. Even if you aren't "listening" to your Kindle, it might block out some of the noise. I carry ear plugs with me at ALL times - even if I'm shopping and some kids are screaming, I put them in.
I can't believe the horrible selection of magazines that doctors have available. "Field and Stream" and "Golf Digest"????? What the heck?????
I usually take my iPad mini with me to read. As I’ve gotten older I have stopped touching magazines in communal areas and wash my hands as soon as I leave. I miss reading People Magazine!
I’ve been in a lot of doctors surgeries and specialist suites over the past 18months and can on occasion be waiting for up to 2 hours to see the doc, so I've mastered the art of engaging conversation. So many interesting stories, it always amazes me how much people share or are willing to interact with you. I especially love it when a mum and bub come in, I love a good baby chatter, it makes me happy.
I DO THIS TOO! hehe I reckon its so much fun working out the couple dynamics or watch how the staff engage with customers.
Fortunately our library has all those trashy magazines to borrow digitally even News of the World (or Weird) as we used to call it when my children were young. I can read through one or two in 30 mins. I'm really fortunate that my gp and my dentist are really good about sticking to the time scheduled. It helps that ...knock on wood...I'm rarely sick so it's just checkups and blood work. I sit down after checking in and as soon as I have my phone out, I'm almost always called. However, when lot of our time was seeing dh's Oncologist etc last year, the waits were l o n g. I always took a book but he just hemmed and hawed and got fidgety. I too often ended up talking to fellow patients or their spouse etc. When you've cheated death or are fighting your way through a disease, people are ready to just share what's going on. I have seen so many people coming in for appointments alone and it makes me sad. I'm always ready to listen and connect. (but no not with germs kids! LOL btdt.)
I would also be on my phone, love my kindle app, Township game, Fb or Insta. The tv in our Dr's rooms are always on a kindie channel and all the chairs face away from that so makes no sense to me. I like it when they stream something like Just for gags, jokes etc.
I try to keep a few Kindle books on my phone. (that reminds me I haven't downloaded any on my new phone...better go do that). I try to model being patient, a quality I am lacking, by not fidgeting or getting huffy about the wait, even if it's super long. If my child/children are still with me in the waiting room, then I try not to use my phone but instead engage with them. They're basically forced to talk with me because where can they go or what else can they do lol.
I always have my latest book ready to read on my phone. If there are too many distracting people I will play solitaire on my phone instead.
If I'm kidless, I just... sit there and daydream. It's heavenly. If I have one or both kiddos in tow (usually the case), I'm attempting to keep the 5yo semi-entertained and semi-quiet.
I thumb through the magazines, watch whatever DVD is playing (grandson's dentist's office), think about the stuff I need to do, while trying to keep myself from falling sleep b/c if I do I'm likely to tumble out of the horrid waiting room chairs and land on the floor. I rarely have to wait for my doctor or dentist, but I do sit and wait while Chase (grandson) is getting his teeth cleaned ... and that waiting room doesn't have chairs ... just a shared upholstered 10-12' long bench.