Injections: Did you tell your...

[AllBuggiedOut]

3.5 year old that they were going to the doctor for a jab? DS1 has 2nd MMR tomorrow and looking for advice on how to prepare him. When I was last with our practice nurse she said don't tell him why he's coming, he'll only fret, but won't he be cross with me for not telling him the truth? Is it better to explain that it might hurt for a moment but then be OK? Advice welcome, thanks!

Personally, I would tell them right before. You don't want him fretting about it, but I agree that he should know what's coming.

Perhaps the nurse could give you a moment after you've gone into her room?

Perhaps the nurse could explain?

Nurses here are not big on explanations... they didn't even tell ME that they were going to give DS2 2 injections AT THE SAME TIME! Poor little mite had one nurse on each side

aah, bless the poor little one - still, all over at once though

personally, whern ds1 hasd his measles booster at 2.5 (we had a measles outbreak here) I told him he was going for a lady to prick his arm, then to Woolworths for a bag of SWEETS. Sweets are a rare treat in this house, for parties and jabs only. The whole trip for a jab is over shadowed, in his mind, by the thrill of choosing a bag of pic'n'mix.

Partly because I have a needle phobia, I want him to feel like there are much more important things to get worked up about. Plus his dad takes him.

lol @ "plus his dad takes him"

I told DS2 he was going for his injections and made a big fuss about him being a big boy and going to school etc: I told him the nurse would give him a big sticker for being a good boy, and that it would hurt a little bit but not much. He was fine about it and didn't even wince!
Good luck!

Apparently you shouldn't tell them to be brave - implies there is something to be scared of??!
Told to me by a paediatrician.

yes, prepare them. we have always done that and rewarded them with a little something afterwards too!

I think if you say nothing and then go in, it might make him wary of visiting doc/ nurse in the future, no nasty surprises!

I did this a few weeks ago with my DD's MMR booster. I told her when we went in to the nurses room and it was the right thing to do for her. I think it depends on the child. Sometimes you go by what works for you, not what the text books say. Good luck.

Thanks. I think I will tell him, maybe on the morning, and do the sweets thing afterwards. I really don't like the idea of him being surprised that it hurts.

i did tell ds who is 4.3 when he had them done (last week) and i tol him the truth that they did hurt but falling over hurts more! he was o.k cried a bit afterwards but promised him he ould spend some of his pocket money afterward, fine by the time we got to toysrus!

Good Luck

Yes, I told my dses what would happen and that they'd get a lolly afterwards. They both had tears the first time, but subsequent jabs have been fine.

I think you need to be honest and say that it might hurt a little bit, but it won't last for long. You could show him how to do a pretend injection by giving him a little poke on his leg, and letting him do it to you too, and laughing.

Our nurse is lovely, too, and I know from personal experience that she is very fast and virtually painless with a needle.

My DD has just had her pre-school boosters and I told her in the morning (so maybe 2 hours before). It was actually much, much better than I was expecting - all very quick and the nurse gave her a sweet and a sticker. Then I took her to choose a toy for being so brave. I would say that if it's just 1 injection you'll be fine - our only dodgy moment was in between the two, when she knew the second was coming, and knew it was going to hurt.

I told DS it would sting a bit but that it would stop very quickly. I think he understood that I really did mean it would hurt when I produced a bag of chocolate buttons for him to hold while he got his first jab - sweeties from mummy rare as hens' teeth in our house

Sweets were good distraction but he refused to give one to the nurse afterwards and ostentatiously gave it to me instead!

My son has his pre-school jabs this afternoon. I haven't told him yet.....

Hope all went well for you DumbledoresGirl. Did you tell him?

Yes I told him soon after my last post. I said a nurse was going to put medicine in his arm and it might hurt and would he be brave? And he said (bravely!) yes. Only when we set out did he ask how they put medicine into your arm. I just couldn't bring myself to say with a needle in your arm, so i said they use a syringe which I knew explained nothing, and told him again it might hurt.

In the end, he was OK. He did not cry or particularly seem to feel the needles going in (there were 2 nurses and they did the 2 together in each arm which meant he was not waiting for the second one) but his arms were sore afterwards. I think he was more frightened than hurt, because the nurses insisted I put ds3's legs between mine, and pin down both his arms and then they sort of rushed him, which even I found a bit alarming so I was not surprised when ds3 started to struggle a bit. Still, I suppose they have their methods and it would not be fair of me to criticise them. Plus, I have to say, they were every quick and efficient.

Oh god, I hadn't considered that there might be 2 needles...

One for the triple vaccine and one for the MMR.