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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Pre-school boosters - how to survive?

12 replies

Leo35 · 09/05/2009 21:51

My DS1 has his pre-school booster vaccinations booked for later this week. DH has day off to help as I have a 10wk old DS2 also.

I am basically fearing the worst as DS has kicked off badly about visits to dentist/doctor and hairdresser in recent past.

Does anyone have any sage advice on whether I give him some idea of the appointment in advance? How to survive the appointement and how to cope with visits to doctor afterwards? Any advice gratefully appreicated - I am dreading it really. And we have the dentist appointment hte day before. I am not going to be his favourite person by Friday afternoon!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

thisisyesterday · 09/05/2009 21:54

bribery? not my fave form of parenting, but it worked on me when I was a child.
we got to go to the sweet shop and get a quarter of whatever we wanted if we were good at the doctors lol

i remember having my pre-school jabs and the doctor putting this thing on the end of the needle and saying "i'll just do a practice one, see, i've put the lid on"
then he jabbed me with it and did it and I didn't even realise it was done lol

onepieceofcremeegg · 09/05/2009 21:59

Do not mention the injections until about 30 minutes before. En route to surgery go to sweet shop/local shop. Explain to dc that it will hurt but they can choose a sweetie to have afterwards.

Put aforementioned sweetie in handbag - leave handbag open and "flash" it at dc regularly. (this works well if dc hasn't had sweets for a long time ime)

At surgery be fairly bright and breezy right up until moment of impact. Don't have any discussions about crying/not crying/being brave etc. (it does hurt a bit so don't lie to child but also don't go on and on about being brave)

That worked for us anyway.

onepieceofcremeegg · 09/05/2009 22:01

p.s. don't go to sweetshop on way to dentist, if your dc is like mine he will dob you in to the dentist. At the dentist I allow the dc to look at the novelty toothbrushes on display and buy one if necessary.

ommmwardandupward · 10/05/2009 09:39

portable DVD player with either favourite or exciting new dvd depending on temperament of child

EMLA cream applied beforehand with the explanation that it will stop the prick of the needle

chocolate buttons in industrial quantities

make sure you have a practice nurse who will be very kindly and child-focused (they can be old bags...)

if the circs seem wrong in any way, then delay the vacc for a month or two.

ommmwardandupward · 10/05/2009 09:41

ps i wouldn't attempt both in the same week if your son has had anxieties about them.

And make sure the dentist appointment is on his terms - at this age, dentists are usually perfectly happy for a child to whizz up and down on the chair without actually opening their mouths there's a useful Wiggles song on Top of the Tots btw, although you'd end up all wearing sunglasses for the dentist trip!

tribpot · 10/05/2009 10:01

We did more or less the same as onepiece with the slightly complicating factor of I got the day wrong initially so took him there, told him it was going to happen, he got mightily upset and then I had to tell him it wasn't for a week and

He was very upset and mentioned it a number of times in the weeks after so it clearly had had an impact on him, poor little mite. We praised him afterwards for being very brave and, again like onepiece, didn't pretend it wasn't going to hurt because it did. Ds was insistent he hadn't been brave because he had cried.

Best of luck - it's by far the worst injection experience I've had so far! (Barring the first one ever which nearly finished me off, I guess, as a new parent)

screamingabdab · 10/05/2009 19:00

One trick that can work with needle phobics is to get them to blow bubbles while they are having the injection. It means they are looking away from the nurse, and they have to modulate their breathing, which helps calm them.

If you need to, have a practice beforehand (in the bath is good as the bubbles don't burst so quickly in moist air)

I'd try and work out how long beforehand to tell him. My DS1 is quite a worrier, and lots of preparation and practice helps him with things he's scared of (balloons, people singing Happy Birthday to him lol etc.) . This isn't the case with all kids though, as others here have said.

Lastly, try and stay as calm as you can yourself. Try and give him the (NON VERBAL) message that you know he can cope.

Original poster

Leo35 · 10/05/2009 21:11

thanks for messages. yping 1 handed with sleeping baby on lap. have decided to delay boosters as I only booked them when DH had some time off to help. some great tips here., although DS is not bribeable always! cadburys will do well when we go for it!

OP posts:

npg1 · 10/05/2009 21:24

At my doc surgery they are very good and have 2 nurses and do the jabs together in both arms. My DD2 will be due these soon, personally I think it is something very important, yes it hurts but it's for their health.

I know jabs are not nice but my 2 DD's aged 6yrs and 2 yrs have just had the TB jab, 6yr old had to have the skin test aswell and i think by far this is the worst jab I have ever come across. They had it done in jan and there is still a sore 5pence piece sized mark on their arms, poor things. I was on my own when i had to take them (and I didnt even know what the appointment was for!)

DUGGLES4 · 28/07/2009 11:59

Can anyone help..

I am known to be a very calm person however on this occassion not sure how to deal with this. My wee girl due for pre school boosters and was advised by the practice nurse to inform and prepare her for her appointemnt and what to expect. I was told this by the nurse. I had the big pressie ready in the car for after the event and had prepared her with the Elma cream, done the sweetie in the bag thing at the ready and the distraction method all was well and her firend had all had thier boosters and told her it was fine got her into the surgery sat her on my knee nurse stupidly said you will feel a small prick in both arms and then a sting and it will be all over and that is when she went hysterical this is not her nature, kicking screaming I could not hold her. We tried for half an hour to calm her down when eventually the other nurse who was helping to do the other injection said I refuse to put any child through this it is so cruel and advised us to make an appointment at a later date. My husband said I should have just held her tighter and got on with it but she was struggling too hard. I'm at my wits end as the appt is due next week and not sure what best to do. Do doctors give the little souls something that may calm them down before going through this again. It is her pre school boosters so both arms by two nurses. Any advice?

She is telling me again she does not want them done!
Not usually anxious mum but I am for this!

UniS · 28/07/2009 16:05

Just had our boys today.

We walked into nurses room, she asked him to sit on my knee, told him she would be giving him a sting in both arms and then he could have picture plasters and a sticker. He held his arms out. got him organised on my lap cuddled in sideways and held tight. quick jab and picture plaster, lots of exclamation about the picture while I re shuffled him to other way round and held on again. quick jab, 2nd plaster and then onto choosing a sticker and a lollipop. 10 mins playing with bead frame in waiting room, then off to playground.
No tears.

I had told him this morning that we would be going to see the nurse for vaccinations, two stings that would stop him getting sick from some nasty diseases, and then we would go to the playground. I had dressed him in short sleeve T so no hassle "finding" his upper arms.

Its the least tearfull he has been of any of his jabs, but I think he understood more of WHY he would having them.

FimbleHobbs · 28/07/2009 16:25

Ours were fairly disastrous - had had a letter from HV with appt at GP surgery for 'pre school developmental check' - no mention of injections whatsover.

So I was totally unprepared. DS is a bit phobic of doctors, nurses, medicine etc (understandable given our trip to A&E last year, ambulance transfer, and overnight in hospital with a suspected - but not - broken neck!) - I told him we were going for a check to make sure he was getting big and strong ready for Big School. Then the nurse pulls out needle and says 'yes and we need to give you some injections'. Cue screaming. Lots of screaming.

I am still cross that I wasn't told what was going to happen in advance. I could have ensured he had a short sleeved t shirt on, and had some sweets ready.

Good luck

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