Pre-school booster vaccinations - how to deal with terrified child?

[Runoutofideas]

Hi,
My dd1 is booked in next week for her pre-school booster injections. She is 3 (nearly 4) and completely terrified of doctors/nurses. This is a bit irrational as apart from normal baby jabs they have never done anything to hurt her. Anyway my dilemma is, do I tell her in advance, explain why she needs it etc etc and expect full-on melt down from that second until the appointment, or do I just turn up with her completely unaware of what's about to happen and restrict the melt-down to the doctors' surgery itself? It seems a bit harsh to spring it on her, but letting her dwell on it would make it worse - sorry for the ramble. Please tell me what you would do. Thanks.

I would tell her on the morning of the jabs, an hour or two before, so she knows why she's going to the Doctors. If you tell her now, she will only get anxious for the next week. I normally give chocolate after a jab, but if she is so anxious, maybe you could go together afterwards and she choose a toy or something that she would like. Good luck. x

Can you prepare her without telling her that she's going? With books, stories etc. Perhaps take her to the surgery with you on a pretext to confirm that appmt or something, but no docs, just to show her that it's OK to go in there etc. Or maybe go for a flu jab yourself first so tht she can see? The curiosity might win her over.

Failing that, try bribery and lots of praise, whether or not she has a meltdown.
Good luck, it's horrible when they're so scared.

run,

I wouldnt tell her tbh. I didnt with dd when she had her's. ds has his next month and Im not going to talk about it until where in the room with the nurse. Dont want him to worry to much.

Does she have a nurses outfit/bag to play with so you could pretend play before she goes.

Good luck.

I had the same problem with dd1, she hated going to the doctors and hated nurses, i told her the morning before and explained what was going to happen and why she needed to have it done. I think i got myself worked up thinking that she would be upset but she was fine, she had one tear and then she got a sticker and was fine.

Good luck.

This might well sound ott, but I did a combination of what kitbit suggests. I dropped into the surgery a couple of days before to normalise going in. Then on the day, I said it was an appointment for me, the nurse was v.into that and pretended to jab me first, then I said we might as well do you too, plus I got out a lollipop - big treat as he never ever gets them. His mouth was so full he forgot to wail. It was so stress free and calm, that I almost wanted to do it all again .

Thanks for all the wise words. I think the problem stems from having to take her with me when her baby sister had her vaccinations and she got really stressed out - shouting at the nurse through her tears "stop hurting my sister. She doesn't like it!". I had an appointment for myself last week which I took her along to, as I knew nothing "nasty" was going to happen and she still sobbed her way through the entire appointment. She does have a nurses kit and understands what injections are for, but it just adamant that she's not going to have them herself. Bribery may soften the blow so I'll definitely give that a go, but apart from that I think I'm just going to have to take a deep breath and deal with it! Hope we have the same story to tell as you Marne!

x post Smee - that sounds like a great plan too!