Parents of Preschoolers  Discussion Forum

Are you scared of a needle? What do you do to make shots less painful for your child? Do you think adults are as scared of shots as children? Nisha replied. My baby got her first shot. I was feeling so scared for her. When she started crying I was feeling terrible pain. After her shots I did calm her down by patting on her back. Later I gave her a pacifier. She kept crying for about five minutes and then stopped crying. Kids are more terrified of shots than babies. My elder daughter who is 11 years old is afraid of needles a lot. I promise her that I will buy her a gift or will take her to the amusement park. When I promise her a treat, she did not make long drama before taking an injection which she used to do before. Shots make children go mad but they have to take them anyway to counter diseases. Jeevan replied. It is best to try to relax while receiving your shots. You may try meditation just before going to visit your doctor. This is applicable for children too. Children too can do breathing exercises and meditation. Deep breathe and hold the breath for 5 counts and then slowly release. Do this for four to five times few minutes before taking your shots. You will feel less pain. Do not look at the needle. It is all in the mind. It is true that injections hurt like hell. But if we can divert our mind then we can easily bear the pain. The pain is all psychological. With hypnotism it is possible to make shots less painful. suman replied. From childhood I am very much scared of taking shots. Do not look at the shots at all. Try to engage yourself with some thoughts or else look outside the window. When I go to take my shot my mom comes with me. I hold her hand in my hand. This helps me to calm down. When I received my tetanus shot I did not look at the needle. I diverted my attention by listening to music on my ipod. My favorite singer’s song was going on. I hardly felt any pain. Deep breathing too helps a lot to ease the pain while taking shot. Babies do not understand that they are going to get a shot but adults become conscious and thus feel more pain.