TIPS AND TRICKS

The Key to Helping a Child Who’s Scared of Shots
 
To a kid — and even many adults — a needle can be scary. Because of course it can. A needle is a pointy tool that causes pain. Parents often accidentally exacerbate kids’ fear of needles, making things worse by preparing kids in ways that make them more anxious — or not preparing them at all. When parents try to handle understandable fears by not telling kids about shots, the kids panic at the last second. When parents give their kids too much warning or add threats on top of needle anxiety, they also exacerbate the problem. Hell, even dismissing a child’s fear can make things worse because it gives them both a reason to overact and a reason not to trust parents in the future if, in fact, it does hurt.
 
So, what to do? Don Shifrin, a clinical professor pediatrics at the University of Washington and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommends parents respond to children’s needle phobia empathetically and directly. Ask children if they remember their last shot and if it hurt a lot. Let them know that getting shots is painful for grownups as well. Then, empower them by explaining that there are ways to make it hurt less like taking deep breaths, squeezing mom or dad’s hand, or singing a song. Since distraction can genuinely ameliorate kids’ pain, this has the rare virtue of truth.

Here are some more tips on how to calm a child who may be scared of getting a shot.