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Original poster

4 YO DD having injections tomorrow - any tips for a scaredy cat?

26 replies

circlesquare · 28/07/2008 20:07

DD (4) is due to have her pre-school booster jabs tomorrow. She is notoriously bad at dealing with anything that does or might hurt - I'm not even allowed to wash a scratch without gusty tears and much protesting.

How am I going to get her to let anyone near her with a needle? She'll go into orbit.

Any advice appreciated.

OP posts:
posieflump · 28/07/2008 20:09

she might be different with a stranger
ds was
but the old treat at the end of it might work
our nurse gave ds white choc buttons afterwards
good luck

candyfluff · 28/07/2008 20:10

id say bribery is always a winner in our house or if your scared see if you can get someone else to take her in or go in with you both its really not that bad !

pinkteddy · 28/07/2008 20:12

ooh I shall watch this thread with interest! dd is just the same and is due pre-school boosters - haven't got round to booking them yet

edam · 28/07/2008 20:12

chocolate. give her some seconds ahead of the jab so she's eating it as the needle goes in. VERY distracting/comforting. And then some more afterwards!

(I made the mistake of telling ds he was going for his booster jabs, thinking he was old enough for me to be honest. Had to drag him all the way... so would suggest not being entirely frank until you are in the room.)

edam · 28/07/2008 20:15

the nurse told me the booster jabs at 4 really do sting - something about one component they've added for catch up (can't remember what it was). That may have been her being nice because ds howled the surgery down, of course... oh hell, I'm really not helping here, am I? She WILL be fine, it's a momentary pain for very big gain, etc. etc. etc....

Seona1973 · 28/07/2008 20:15

we took a lollipop for afterwards although dd was very brave. They gave both jabs at the same time i.e. 2 people giving the injections with one going into each arm.

DanJARMouse · 28/07/2008 20:18

Good luck for tomorrow.

We have had our letter for my 4yr old, and now i cant find it.... and i dont know when it is!!! ARGHHHHHHHH

kid · 28/07/2008 20:23

Something to distract might help?
DD was held down by 3 people when she had hers, all that resulted in was her now having a phobia of needles

Original poster
circlesquare · 28/07/2008 20:23

Yes, perhaps chocolate throughout is the answer. I'm not and never have been scared of injections so I don't mind taking her from that point of view, but what I'm a bit apprehensive about is the prospect of having to physically restrain her...

Do HPs have special ways of getting the kids to have their injections?

OP posts:
Original poster
circlesquare · 28/07/2008 20:24

Yes, I'm not sure that holding down is going to help matters...

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Original poster
circlesquare · 28/07/2008 20:26

What would a good distraction be? Chocolate? Books? iPod?

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kid · 28/07/2008 20:37

Music might be good, then she might be concentrating on the song rather than whats going to happen.

I did warn my DC when they were having injections, I gave them a little pinch on their arm to show what it would feel like.

DS actually watches needles, DD is terrified so perhaps it helps sometimes.

Goodluck, if its any consolation, these are the last injections for quite a few years. Do they still do Rubella at 14 or is that no longer needed?

Littlefish · 28/07/2008 20:54

Dd had hers today. I gave her calpol before we went, and let her take her bedtime toy with her to cuddle.

We both still cried. Sorry.

Original poster
circlesquare · 28/07/2008 21:03

Littlefish -

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thegrowlygus · 28/07/2008 21:12

Well it may be a little late for you now, but I have both given the jabs and had my children jabbed. The best children I ever ever had were the twins of a physio - she had been playing "doctors" and "jabs" with them the whole week before and so they came in and told me what to do.

I tried the same with my 3.5 year old - he is a right drip and sobs if I take his t-shirt off "wrong". We played jabs for a couple of days before and he was fab. Didn't even flinch.

Oh - and don't tell her it won't hurt. It'll hurt a bit, but then it will stop.

Good luck!

(PS giving the jabs was/is a horrible job - you have to be all nice and welcome them in, then STAB, then say "see you later!" all smiles...horrid!)

WendyWeber · 28/07/2008 21:16

My line has always been it will hurt a bit, you will want to cry, if you do cry that's fine, and as soon as we're out the door we will go out and buy

ScummyMummy · 28/07/2008 21:18

That sounds good, wendy. And perhaps a special plaster?

hifi · 28/07/2008 21:27

too dd for hers, its now 3 jabs. didnt tell her, dh held her as im such a wuss. i cried she winced, i think it shocked her. she was very pleased with the plasters and kept them on for 5 days.present after.

Hassled · 28/07/2008 21:31

Bribery has always worked for me. Have some chocolate to hand. And explain what it's actually for - that if she ever had the diseases it would feel far far worse, describe the symptoms etc. DOn't let her actually see the nurse approach with the needle - look at a poster on the wall, talk about what's outside the window etc.

This time tomorrow it will all be over

TheMadHouse · 28/07/2008 21:41

DS1 is having to have all his jabs again - he is 3.4. I told him what was going to happen and also we practiced at home

I also gave calpol first and took choc and comforter.

He had to have one in each arm (not at the same time)

He was wondeful. First one his lip quivered and then he sobbed his heart out. I had to hold him for the second and he was really upset, but.......

When he told his daddy later, he also said it didnt hurt for long.

He has also agreed to come back for the next lot.

I think it is imporant to tell them the truth

lizziemun · 28/07/2008 21:43

Do you know how your nurse does them.

At our surgery they have 2 nurses on duty and you sit with your child on your lap holding their arms gently the nurse also hase a animal slide show on her computer to distract asking questions about the slides. Then they have one nurse either side and they count to three and do the injection at the same time so it over and done with quickly.

I have to say i did buy dd1 a present for being good.

BibiThree · 28/07/2008 21:49

Don't lie to her. My dd is a compelte wuss too and had her pre-school booster at 3y4m and was absolutely fine. We told her it would hurt a little but only for a very short time, she had to be brave to show her baby sisters what a big girl she was and she got a trip to Woolies to pick a treat afterwards.

The worst that can happen is it hurts more than she's expecting and you have to distract her with a trip to the park or some chocolate. Good luck.

Original poster
circlesquare · 28/07/2008 22:30

Thanks, everyone! I have a packet of chocolate buttons and a smoothie all set to go. As you say, this time tomorrow it will all be over...

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Littlefish · 28/07/2008 22:56

I agree with wendywebber. We talked about the fact that it would hurt a bit, but then we would have ice-creams and watch Peter Pan and Cinderella when we got home.

Hope it goes ok circlesquare. Luckily dd was crying so much that she didn't notice me wiping my eyes on her hair .

That really doesn't help you, does it. Sorry!

Hope it goes ok.

Original poster
circlesquare · 29/07/2008 11:21

It's all done, now. Had a go at everything, really. We talked about the fact that it would prick but that it was very clever and look at the list of things that it's going to stop you getting.

She chose a book to take, and a smoothie and chocolate biscuit to eat afterwards.

There were lots of tears at the time, but she at least let the nurse give her the three injections, and calmed down pretty quickly afterwards. Smoothie through a straw worked a treat - I think sucking is still comforting even at 4.

I left her at nursery afterwards showing everyone her sticker but looking very sorry for herself!

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