Share your tips on how you prepare your child for a flu vaccination with Public Health England - £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

[EllieMumsnet]

Flu season is fast approaching, which also means flu vaccinations have arrived. Getting a flu vaccination can be a daunting experience for anyone, especially for young children, click here to find out everything you need to know about the children's flu vaccination. Public Health England (PHE) want to know your tips on how you prepare your child to get vaccinated against flu.

Here’s what PHE have to say: “The nasal spray is a quick, easy and painless way to help prevent young children catching flu. Flu can be horrible for little children, and if they get it, they can spread it around the whole family. PHE encourages all parents of children who are eligible to get their children vaccinated. ”

Do you tell them in advance or wait until they get there? Perhaps you let them take their favourite toy to school to use as a distraction? Or do you plan a treat for afterwards so they have something to look forward to?

Whatever your tips, share them on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Have to admit that I haven't heard anything about it for the past 2 years. If school have done it without my knowledge/consent, I will be furious!

With my daughter I just told her what they do, what the vaccination does and asked her what she thought about it. I find Cbeebies Get Well Soon is a great program to show kids as well who are worried about the doctors, injections or vaccinations

My youngest is 4 and has never been offered this ? She is quite good with things so i think she would be fine with taking the spray too

Just never say 'It won't hurt!' Never use the H word or suggest that you're going to see the nurse or doctor for anything other than an interesting check up. Prepare by explaining that it us ok for them to touch your DC and you'll be right there with them.

I tell them in advance which i think is a fairer way to do it. To suddenly have it sprung on them on the day makes it much scarier.

I let mine know it might tickle their nose and that was it. And they both had them at school.

DD2 had to have the jab for a couple of years so the nasal spray is a doddle!

We use bribery. I usually find chocolate works!

I always tell my daughter in advance. She's thankfully not scared of needles so its never an issue. She knows it can be a little painful but its beneficial for her

win them over with a treat! Chocolate!!

When mine where small, I did what I do for my patients, I think it is important not to lie. Talk about the benefits so they understand why and tell them it might sting for a moment but it goes of quickly. Plain sailing, I think if you are all tense as parents about it your kids pick up on this, and it all makes it worse, make it matter of fact and casual.

Talk to them beforehand and explain the medicine will help them not get ill. Make a big deal of going to see the nurse - make it an exiting trip out.

I told the dds (5 and 8) it was just like the kennel cough vaccine they watched the dog have recently. Also a nasal spray. They thought this was hilarious and totally accepted it. Apparently it makes you sneeze a bit which is also hilarious when you are little

Get the child to go along with a grandparent. Grandparent first.
No grandparent - so be brave, don't worry mum/dad will be with you.
Jim

In our house, everything is just fitted in as normal.
We have role play at home, shopping, doctors, nurses, hospital, dentists and so on.
All these people have jobs to do and help us.
As new experiences become necessary they are included in the role play. They have the opportunity to ask, we have the opportunity to explain WHY, WHAT WILL HAPPEN, .................
Always be ready to answer questions truthfully without scaring them

It was quite tricky to prepare my daughter as this year she had it at school but I wasn't told when it would be! I just talked about the process generally and that she should avoid touching her nose too much afterwards! She has had it before so wasn't phased. The first time she had the nasal spray, I remember explaining how they would gently pop something up her nose and we practised sniffing together! We made it a little game :)

I think it's important and responsible to get it done, not all children and adults have good immune systems which also puts them at risk if you don't get it done. We have a matter of fact discussion with my son, explaining that it will stop him or others getting poorly. When he was younger, he used to get a small treat afterwards for being 'brave'.

Nope!
Not for us - various reasons, the data isn't strong enough for me to consider it and with multiple allergies, vaccines just trigger allergic reactions and I have to really weigh up the pro's and con's, especially after my little one had full blown Rubella after the MMR and 3 GP's came to examine her and all were shocked....... PHE were involved, not nice at all

My boy is still very young, I will tell him that we are going to the gp's but he does not understand.

I will always hold him close, he's such a good boy with injections. Then I hold him close and speak softly and him whilst rubbing the injection site to soothe him.

I'm just honest with the kids and say it might be uncomfortable and they might be poorly afterwards. I went with them to the doctor's rather than them having it at school though.

Explain that me & daddy have both had it, not making much deal about it and reward them afterwards!

Explain why they need it and why it is important to have it, and give them a reward for being brave afterwards

All children are different and most parents know the best approach for their child - I found that being honest, open and informative worked but as I said I appreciate that this is not the same for everyone

I think it's good they know it's coming, as if it is a surprise/shock to them you may not know how they will react. Working in a school I've seen some absolute meltdowns and lots of questions why they have to, so getting parents to support in this would help I think. Of course, everyone knows their own children so as long as you consider the best approach and plan how to manage it, that is only a good thing

I explained it before because I was worried she would be scared otherwise. I did also try a nasal spray on her myself so she knew how it might feel - funnily enough she preferred the doctor doing it!

I explain beforehand and the reasoning but i dont make much of a fuss about so not to worry. As all his friends did too he wasnt worried