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Original poster

Explaining jabs to pre-schooler - help!

15 replies

Picklesmummy · 01/08/2010 22:01

I am soon to take my daughter for her pre-school vaccination. As this is the first one she will be aware of I am not sure how to prep her for it!! Does anyone have any advice? What to say/what not to say? Any tips, tricks and advice gratefully received!

Thanks!

OP posts:
ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 01/08/2010 22:17

I don't mention it until the day before/morning of the jab, then mention it lightly and say it's needed to stop child getting sick, it will hurt a little bit but only for a moment, and they can have some Smarties afterwards.

cece · 01/08/2010 22:18

I told mine the nurse wa going to give him some n=medicine to keep him well and healthy and he was to be brave. I then gave him the small toy that I had bought with him the day before.

RambleOn · 01/08/2010 22:19

My HVs advice was great:

  • Tell them that morning that they will be having a vacc at the docs that day. At this stage, they won't understand what that is, so they won't worry themselves all day.
  • 15 mins before your name is called, explain exactly what'll happen. ie the nurse will inject you, it will hurt but only for a very short time, it will stop you getting ill, etc.
  • Give them a sugary lolly before they go in. It's common practise for the nurse to offer a lolly as a reward/to stop them crying afterwards. There have been studies though, to suggest that pain is actually perceived as less when sugar is being consumed at the time.
  • Do not let them look! Hold tightly onto limbs and tuch head into chest to prevent them seeing the needle approach! You don't want a wriggler.
  • Do something nice afterwards, and tell them how brave they were (even if they weren't)

When I went with mine, I was the only mum who'd explained exactly what was happening. The nurses took me in first, jumping the queue, and told the other mums that they needed to explain to their DCs what was going to happen before they would be able to go in.

She was fine btw, and I had been very worried.

HTH

TheOldestCat · 01/08/2010 22:20

Much the same as the Prof. Told DD (lightly) we were off to see the nurse for a special check-up, then when in the waiting room I said that she'd have a very swift 'vaccination' to stop her getting ill, and once over she could have some Maltesers. It worked a treat.

Haliborange · 01/08/2010 22:22

I told my DD the morning of the jab that:

  • she was going to have an injection to stop her getting very ill
  • it would sting a bit but not for long
  • afterwards she could have an entire pack of dolly mixtures.

All I can say is "whoops". Poor love grinned the whole way to the GPs, saying "hurry up mummy, I don't want to miss my injection", smiled brightly as she sat on my knee... then howled like a drama queen for 2 HOURS afterwards. Not sure what I was meant to tell her, but I suspect the "it'll sting" got lost in the "dollymixtures" part of the message.

RambleOn · 01/08/2010 22:24

halib

cece · 01/08/2010 22:29

No way could I spring it onto DS1 15 mins before he went to appointment! He needs to be told well in advance so that he can be prepared! He would have freaked if I had left it till we were in the waiting room...

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 01/08/2010 22:47

Yes, DS needs time to process stuff too. He doesn't cope well with change even when it doesn't involve people sticking sharp objects into him. But then I know other children who would be fine with 15 minutes' notice, so it's about knowing your individual child, I think.

DD (2, so a bit younger than we're talking about here) had two injections in successive weeks recently and for several weeks afterwards was very grumpy that I wouldn't take her back for another injection/plaster/sticker/sweetie

Original poster
Picklesmummy · 04/08/2010 10:33

Thanks for your tips

OP posts:
SurreyDad · 08/08/2010 07:28

Told mine the day before, explained what would happen - needle, and what its for. On the day he was quite happy to sit there and watch the nurse put the needles in (two jabs), and no fuss whatsoever.

CheerfulYank · 08/08/2010 07:34

I told him the morning of. Just said the doctor would give him a little poke to keep him from getting sick. He told evvvvveryone in the waiting room, "I'm here for a little poke!" He got a little teary but was fine. The doctor and I told him he was a brave boy, he got a chocolate, and we went home. :)

PavlovtheCat · 08/08/2010 07:35

same as others, told her that morning that she would be seeing the doctor as he wanted to get her to do some games (pre school check) and then the nurse would give her an injection in her arm with a needle, which had medicine in it to stop her getting poorly when she goes to school now she is a big girl. She asked lots of questions, why might she get sick, will the other children as her big school have them, will it hurt etc and Shock was actually quite excited !

Again, she was one of the most prepared, although I did not know that she was going to have two of them, so did not prepare her for that. She was very matter of fact about it, and the nurse commented on how she was the 'bravest' of all of them so far. When I went in to see a gp a few days later, the receptionist asked how she was and said the nurse was telling them how impressed they were at her calmness, and knowledge of what was going on.

She watched as the needles went in. She did have the swine flu jab before xmas though, just as calm and matter of fact about it then too.

Fel1x · 08/08/2010 07:49

Similar here. On the morning I told ds that he would have some medicine in his arm today. It would hurt a little bit but he could have chocolate afterwards.
He was fine. Choosing the chocolate himself in the shop next to the drs surgery helped.
I wouldn't advise telling them any earlier than the morning of the appt as they may worry about it if it's too far ahead

llareggub · 08/08/2010 08:17

My DS needs lots of preparation for these sorts of things as each new experience generates around 174728 questions.

What worked really well for the swine flu jab was to take his toy medical kit. He was so preoccupied spotting the real version of his toys he barely registered that he was there for the jab.

It certainly isn't common practice for our nurse to offer a lolly after the appointment. No freebies on our local NHS!

moajab · 15/08/2010 22:35

I explained about the jab in the morning and told them that it would hurt a bit, but that it could stop them being very poorly. Also took the opportunity for a quick science lesson on the immune system! (very basic based on idea of white blood cells being soldiers who could use the jab to work out how to defeat the bad germs!) I also promised them a treat for afterwards. My eldest didn't cry at all for his first jab, but got a bit upset when he realised he would have to have another. My second didn't cry for either. Both got a small toy for ebing so brave.

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