Pre-school vaccinations

[SmurfCody]

How did your 3 year old cope with getting their pre-school vaccinations? The 8 week - 12 month ones weren't pleasant but it was easy to restrain them at that age. DS has his next week and I'm not sure what to expect (I know all kids respond differently, just interested to hear the experiences of others).

Absolutely fine. They don’t have any concept of what’s going to happen as have no memory of the previous ones. They’re over very quickly. It’s mostly just about not making a big deal of it and staying relaxed.

We just did these - I explained to my DD that she had to have 2 jabs (1 in each arm!) and that they would hurt for a second but were to stop her getting poorly and she seemed to understand and was very brave. First one she was fine and no reaction at all but second ahe cried and kept saying she didn't like it - not sure if it hurt more the second time or if she was just in shock the first time but it wasn't very pleasant for either of us! I felt even worse as dropped her to pre-school straight after as she was still sobbing! She forgot all about it quite quickly and was very proud of her stickers and being a big, brave girl!

Absolutely fine. I'd explained it to her beforehand (just that she was getting some medicine in both arms, and that it would hurt but only a little. And I think I gave myself a little pinch on the arm to show her "it's just like that, hurts a little but then it's gone") and the nurse was absolutely fab in terms of how she spoke to her and distracted her.

Honestly, both mine were bloody awful. I prepped them as best I could, had bribes ready, all the usual tricks, but as soon as the first needle went in they turned into screaming banshees and I had to properly hold them still for the second. It was over quickly though.

Yours may well be fine, just wanted to give an alternative viewpoint. Sometimes these things just have to get done.

Thank you! Not looking forward to it, I have to say.

My dc are autistic and weren’t happy to have them so we delayed till we could use social stories and keep them calm and prepare them . One hasn’t been able to yet so we are lucky all our friends and family and school friends vaccinate so we can rely on herd immunity till it’s possible to vaccinate dd

My child has only just turned 5 and I literally can't remember pre-school vaccinations so really can't have been a big deal.