explaining innoculations to 3 yr old

[smellen]

My 3.5yr old is due to have his next set of innoculations this month. He is articulate and knowing, and is well aware that it's going to hurt. What inducements and explanations worked with your children?

I didn't pre-warn DS - I told him we were going to the nurse so she could check his eczema (which we were) and then when we were in the nurse's office I said "while we're here, the nurse is going to give you a couple of injections, it will hurt but you'll get a sticker for each injection and then we'll go to the patisserie for hot chocolate and a croissant". A few tears, a lot of congratulations for being a brave boy, voila, job done. No point in telling them about it beforehand at that age, it just gets them (and you) all upset about something that has to be done.

I explained the day before the injections. I said that you need to have an injection which is to help you not get ill, and I said that it would hurt a bit, but not too much.
I decided to tell them in advance, as I thought that if I didnt then everytime we went to the GPs they might worry that they would be about to get an injection.

I take your point, Tigger, and I would explain beforehand now that DS is five, but I don't think a 3.5 year old needs to know in advance. The nurse talked about preventing nasty diseases, and I've reinforced that. I think it might have helped that he had been with me a couple of months beforehand when I'd had two injections - I'm completely unbothered by needles so he had seen that I was calm about the process.

When my dd had her pre school jabs I told her beforehand that the nurse was going to give her a little pinch but to look at something else and it would be fine. She was absolutely fine as although she has some notion that there would be some pain she had no pre concieved ideas of needles etc and wasnt worried. She is slightly older now so I might not get away with that , but at the time it worked for her.

i'm with tigger that I will need to say something prior to the visit, as he has a really good memory and will just never trust me if I spring the injections on him without any warning. But I think distraction at the moment of truth might work - and chocolate always helps. Am just a bit worried about his reaction though - when we tried to cut his hair (up until recently) he acted as if we were trying to murder him, and it was sooo stressful.

Other than that he is a really good kid and very rarely does temper tantrums, it's just that he knows his own mind (already!) and it might be quite difficult to get him to stand still for a second jab...

I explained to DD way in advance so that she would have time to forget about it again and not worry about it approaching. I also wanted to avoid springing it on her - I remember my dad doing that to me once at the dentists and I never forgave him!

As for sitting still, DD sat on my lap and I held onto her really firmly, arm around the front of her body and holding the arm to be injected still.

I always tell in advance, but my ds1 is someone who likes to know what's going to happen so he can think about it and ask questions. If I didn't warn about injections, he'd always remember and be scared of going to the doc's, I think.

Agree with Tigger about the telling them that it's to stop them getting ill.

Took him today. Had not mentioned it for the last week or so, then told him he had to go to the doctor's for a check up. He pondered this, then asked if he was going to have an innoculation. I decided to come clean(ish) and said yes, if the doctor thought he needed one. I said that afterwards every child was allowed to go to the supermarket and choose a chocolate bar. He asked if it was going to hurt, and I said yes - for a second only.

We went with his dad, who took him in. Apparently he was dead brave, said it hurt a bit and did flinch a bit, but was chuffed with the stickers he got and even said thanks to the nurse

Then it was off to the shops for chocolate buttons all round.

Am v proud and v relieved!

oh my, I was going to post a similar question

My dd is having her mmr in a few months time, and I am terrified of needles, so did not want to guve her my insecurities.

Is the general consensus to give them a warning but make it gentle?

Depends on the child I guess, but I think honesty is probably the best policy. Don't want them thinking you're giong to spring a needle on them every time they go to the surgery.