While we're on the topic of pediatricians...

[becca_commutes]

I've been dying to ask this question ever since I joined the booj

Comments

[moonlitdorian]

How old is the kid in this hypothetical?

[becca_commutes]

the situations that it was loosely based on were a 16 year old and a 17 year old, but I'm also curious how young you would let the kid stop?

[thrifty917]

Is there an age that is young enough not to deserve body autonomy?

[jadesymb]

Age would matter to some extent, but most likely I would push the child to have the treatments.
I don't know that I would force them, but I would begin explaining all the reasons for the surgery in the hope that I could convince them to submit.

The older the child was, the more of a discussion we would have about it and the more weight I would give their choices.

I would assure my child that I did not find them to be ugly and that I loved them no matter what, but that these treatments would make their lives much easier as they got older, and I would rather they had the surgery over with as soon as possible.

[lady_alyria]

I hate to say it but I'd probably make my kid get the surgeries, especially if it were about summer break, I'd feel HORRID if it was because they feared the pain. But I'd rather them hate me for a very long time then suffer for the rest of their life because the world is a hard enough place to live in as is.

[misshapen_fro]

I'd probably push the surgery hard. I'm not sure if I'd outright force it on them, but I might. I'd definitely have to be in the situation to know what I'd do.

[blosmbee]

I'd make my kid get the surgery, but I'm secretly proud she has enough self confidence and self esteem to want to decline a surgery she sees as mostly cosmetic.