Waiting Room Research Paper

1293 Words6 Pages
Types of Families and Parents Found in Waiting Rooms We all hate going to the doctor’s office. When reluctantly trudging into the office for my yearly check-up, the sterile smell of sanitizing wipes hits me, and so does the anxious feeling which always accompanies the visit. But there is something worse than having to see a doctor, something worse even than getting a shot: sitting in the waiting room. The awkward and uncomfortable boredom and dread can become almost tangible. Waiting rooms account for the gathering of many different types of people and families. Whether in a doctor’s office, at the dentist, or in a hair salon, the different types of people found in the waiting room form distinct categories of behavior, despite all coming from…show more content…
However, in all waiting rooms there is also always the small group of parents who continue to chat loudly amongst themselves even after the polite “Hello” or “How are you?”. These social butterflies often are the only ones except for the receptionists who hold continuing conversation, which means that the rest of the waiting room can clearly hear all of the loud and flamboyant stories they tell. These parents share everything from recent life experiences to their children’s interests, accomplishments, and worries with complete strangers. The first example that immediately pops into my mind occurred in my orthodontist’s waiting room while I sat quietly waiting for my sister’s appointment to finish so we could leave. The majority of the people present played games on their phones, scrolled through a social media site, read magazines, or watched the news on the television that played in the corner. However, these two moms chattered on incessantly, ceaselessly, and very obnoxiously about their talented children. They droned on forever about their children’s sporting accomplishments and they bonded by complaining loudly about the far-away games and the unending amount of practices that club sports require. I find that it seems easier for these people to continue a conversation if they can complain about something. Usually they will share a personal experience in which they have to moan about their work, the expensive prices of a specific product, their boss, or any other recent inconvenience or dilemma to get a point across. These stories can become very entertaining, and once while waiting at the doctor’s, the receptionists were the ones loudly chatting and socializing. One of them whined about how she and her family had to spend Thanksgiving at a relative’s house, and in contrast the other offered her story about how much easier cooking a small turkey

More about Waiting Room Research Paper

Open Document