injections at school (jnr infants)

Greystoner

Little boy is restarting school on the 9th and then just as he settles back in, on Fri 13th (!) he will be getting 2 injections; 1 in each arm. Poor little guy doesn't even know(waiting for the school to mention it, or if I say anything he will not want to go to school!). I will talk to the teacher at the start of term about how they handle it as they do it every year.Parents are allowed in, but I will also have a very active toddler with me too.

The problem is that he totally freaks out about anything 'doctorish' for a start (has never had a bad experience with a dr that I can recollect) and will not let anyone other than people he knows touch him. Therefore, I am not really looking forward to the day.

Any tips from other parents? We don't like handing our kids over for injections at the best of times, but the thought that he will (almost guaranteed) freak out on top, is not helping!

thanks.

January

Is there any way you can get someone to mind the toddler for a little while, especially if your son is a bit freaked out anyway? You can reassure him with your full attention then.

byhookorbycrook

Very often children seem to mind less if they DON'T have a parent with them for the injections, we find at school. That said, you know your own child best.

Morag

you could opt him out and taking him to the dr yourself and just get a note from the dr to the school to say it's done.

Penny Dreadful

Sharrow wrote: »

you could opt him out and taking him to the dr yourself and just get a note from the dr to the school to say it's done.

Do you mean get him the vaccinations in the GPs office or not at all? If its not at all the school need to be aware of children that are not vaccinated I would think?
Personally I think vaccinations, while temporarily unpleasent, are very important.

Morag

Get him vaccinated at the GPs office, who are used to him and that he makes a fuss.

implausible

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Very often children seem to mind less if they DON'T have a parent with them for the injections, we find at school. That said, you know your own child best.

+1 on this. Children will often do things for their teacher that they would not do for their parents. Perhaps with every child doing the same thing and it being in the school, the atmosphere might be less clinical or 'doctorish'

Sharrow wrote: »

Get him vaccinated at the GPs office, who are used to him and that he makes a fuss.

But if he freaks out at anything doctorish, this might not help.

OP, why don't you speak to the teacher. Arrange to be near the school, not in the classroom, and if there's a problem, you can be there without making him anxious beforehand.

Greystoner

Thanks implausible; they are exactly the thoughts that have been going through my head! I think I will do that as a plan a and then play it by ear on the day if he is aware of it and upset about it.I will talk to the teacher about it, she is aware that he is a sensitive child.

Anyone else out there- how was your child about it, and were you with them or not?


The doctor is not an option, I think he would be worse there;at least at school they are all in the same boat, so that might help.

RubyGirl

+1 agree on just sending him to school as normal, don't say anything to him u about getting an injection. His teacher will have told them a day or two ahead so he would be aware of it.

My lad got his done before christmas and would scream the house down on a little fall, but the teacher said there was'nt a flinch out of him when he got it done.

I would also take him to the doctor's surgery any day your going yourself or his little brother just to show him there is nothing to be afraid of.

afkasurfjunkie

you would be surprised how children cope with injections in school. most of them come back into the classroom with a big sticker, a clolurful plaster and a lollipop and are proud as punch of themselves. the nurses who give the jabs usually travel round to lots of schools and are well able to deal with the children.

Greystoner

Is the general consensus then that it is better to not go in with them? I don't want him to pick up on any anxiety that I have (no matter how well hidden, he is pretty aware of any changes in me), but at the same time, I don't want to seem heartless if most of the other parents are going in!

I think if I don't go in, and give the teacher my phone num to let me know any probs, would it be silly of me to be waiting in the carpark like a neurotic Mum?!

I am assuming that the teacher will say something to them at school in such a way that it won't bother them too much.

Thanks for all the replies, I will probably laugh off my worries when it is all over. I wish I could take the shots for him!

nesf

I think you being there might worry the child more than you not being there. It makes a bigger deal of it and they might react worse for this. If they refuse to have the injections at school you can take him to the GP yourself later. I dare say the nurse doing the injections probably has more experience of dealing with skittish 5 year olds than your GP does though.

Morag

I made a point of being in the school when mine were getting thier's done.
I wouldn't go to the class or to the room were it was being done but was by the school office were I could be gotten if needed. That way I was there if either of mine got very distressed, and if they didn't need me then I'd head home and they never knew I was there.

Sleepy

I honestly think standing by their side as they face every little unpleasant thing in life hinders their development of coping skills or leaves them "pampered".

up for anything

In my children's primary school they always send out a note asking if you want to come into the school to be with your child for the vaccination. Some of my children were/are very skittish about such things and I found that being there did help them. It's quite alarming for a child to be sitting in class anticipating the injection and then to be sitting outside the room waiting for their turn.

You can also arrange with the school for your child to be put to the head of the queue regardless of what way they have arranged it and the nurses who come in from the health board appreciate knowing that they might have a 'runner' on their hands. That way he won't have to listen to the tales that other children tell about the 'horrors' of the vaccination if they are done first. Some of the children can be quite mean in their relief to those still waiting. The HSE nurses are very good with the children and there is usually a lolly for the child afterwards.

I don't believe in this concept of hardening children up to the harsh realities of life. They get that often enough and in ways we don't know about when we are not with them, especially in school.

I know adults who were brought up to face things on their own with the result that now they have control over their own lives they don't go for smear tests because they're too embarrassed, it's yucky or whatever. Lots of adults avoid dentists like the plague because they are too frightened. How many men avoid prostate tests? The list goes on and on. Being there for your child does not handicap them in future life. In fact, I would hazard a guess that it gives them the confidence to deal with things that life throws at them.

guppy

In my son's school they dont allow parents in when they get injections, and only tell the boys on the day. There were no issues with any of the boys when they got the injections in november. Mind you, I dont think any of them had a fear of needles particularly.

Shellygoose

Oh boy do I remember the day my daughter was to get her injections in school. She has a thing with needles (dont know where she got it from tho!).

The school had set up a spare room for the vaccinations, so each child had to be collected from their classrooms by a parent and brought down. The minute I walked into the classroom my daughter started to cry :eek:....i thought this aint going to be easy!! I brought my childminder with me for a bit of backup. To say that my daughter had a breakdown would be an under-statement. She bolted twice and no amount of talking (even from her classmates) would calm her down.
But the most upsetting part of the day was the way the nurse handled the whole situation. She told me to "remove THE child immediately as she was causing distress to other pupils" (she wasnt!! Her friends were trying to pursuade her it didnt hurt) and to "stop acting like a baby!" I was so upset by the whole situation that I was kinda lost for words.

I later booked an appointment with the nurse based in our GP's surgery, my Mam brought her down as I was at work. She got the injections not a bother as the nurse explained everything to her and didnt give out to her or make a scene!! Thinking back on it I probably should have complained the nurse that came to the school....but that was 3 years ago...oh well!

OP do whatever you think your child will be comfortable with

RubyGirl

How did today go op?

lynski

my son has his on monday and i am not sure if i should tell him beforehand or not. what are you experiences?
I only remember the rubella shot from primary school, not sure there was a junior infants one it was that long ago.

Greystoner

RubyGirl wrote: »

How did today go op?

Thanks for all the replies.

My little one came out of school in tears on the Thurs (the teacher told them jabs on Fri) and was very anxious all afternoon, even though I didn't make a big deal out of it and reassured him and then just diverted his attention. He woke up in the morning with the first wet bed in over 2 years. Then he was upset in the line at school and 'working himself up'. I had a word with the teacher, and she advised to come in. She also said that she would get him done first.

He was a bit nervous and did alot of 'waffling talk' beforehand and then was fantastic, not a cry out of him and fine after. He went back to the classroom and did an announcement to all the worried little faces there that "I had my injections and they didn't hurt a bit and I did colouring and got sweets"!!!!

Kids after him though did cry and he was a bit distressed for them and he asked them if they were ok after!!! So glad that he went first.

Most of the parents were there, and the nurse said that it was better that way.

He was a bit sore the next day- the tetanus dose does that, but bit of Calpol and he was great.

I guess some children are more sensitive and think/worry about things more than others, but in the end it was ok. I was glad that I went though.

Good luck to anyone else with it all ahead of them!

paperclip2

We have ours on Thursday. The School has asked parents to come in which is great like but I'm dreading it as Cillian hates needles. Haven't said anything to him and don't think I will.

cynder

My guy got his yesterday, he didnt even know he had them. They asked to see his muscles and wanted to test them, next thing he said was that hurt and they gave him sweets and he left a happy chappy. No crying.

paperclip2

All went really well in ours yesterday too. Two doctors, both great with children, lots of distraction and positive attention. Very quick and simple. Not a bother on the little man.