It’s really not that surprising that even small children learn to fear shots and the needles used to deliver them. After all, you take them to a cold and sterile doctor’s office, set them on a tall table where they can’t get away, and allow doctors and nurses to poke and prod them. Of course, kids will never know how painful this experience is for you, how hard it is for you to watch them suffer and be virtually powerless to help. After all, vaccinations are an essential part of preserving your children’s health – you can’t skip them just because your kids are opposed. What you might not realize is that you actually have several options when it comes to reducing the trauma your kids undergo when they have to get shots. You can make the experience a lot easier on everyone involved and in the process, help your kids to overcome their fears. Here are just a few tips to get you started.

The first thing you need to know is that you can be a big part of the cure. Whether you have infants, toddlers, or school-age children, your offspring look to you for comfort and support. Just having you near is often enough to calm and soothe them. So you should start by holding them on your lap when it’s time for a shot instead of handing them over to the doctor to be perched on an examining table. It might also be a good idea to breast or bottle feed small children while they’re getting a shot.
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