All children are afraid of injections! This is a normal reaction of the body, because from a very early age, kids know that injections are painful. But do not skip treatment because you need to do something with childhood fears. No one except parents can help the baby stop being afraid of aunt in white coats with syringes in their hands. This article contains the advice of pediatricians and psychologists who will help to cope with children's fears of doctors and injections.
Do not fool a child
Fear of injections in children begins with the very first vaccination (which he is given at an early age, when he already had the ability to remember this moment) and is accompanied at a subconscious level. A negative factor is that parents also begin to worry when it is time to take their child for the next vaccination to the clinic, or they are prescribed by the doctor to treat injections.
Try not to be nervous yourself, calm down, going to the clinic should be your usual walk. If you are very worried, do not show this to the child.
Do not deceive the baby, you do not need to tell him that you just go to the store for sweets. Tell directly what you need to see a doctor to get a vaccine.
If the injection is done at home, it is best if a person close to the child acts as a doctor , for example, a grandmother. If there are none, and a nurse is called to your home, first introduce her to the baby, let her talk, drink tea together. The child must understand that the doctor who came to the house is not evil, and only wishes him good and health.
Do not tell the crumbs that the injection will be painless, the next time you simply will not catch it to make an injection, the treatment procedure will be hysterical.
Promise the baby that buy him something tasty, or a long-desired toy, if he calmly gives an injection. But do not be fooled, they have given your word - buy.
Game "Hospital"
Now in all toy stores sold children's first-aid kits for games. They contain a variety of tools and devices, including toy syringes. Buy such a kit, and the game "Hospital" will help your child realize that doctors with syringes in their hands are not so scary.
Play the roles. Let the baby be a doctor, and his favorite toys - patients. Mom or Dad - medical staff. Ask the baby what the doctors are doing. He must answer: they treat, give medicines, write, give injections and so on. Prompt and correct. For example, if a child says that doctors are hurting, you need to answer that they would never do so if it were not for the need to treat. The child needs to understand that health workers give vaccinations so that we do not get sick, are healthy and happy.
Try injecting a teddy bear or your favorite doll. At the same time, persuade the toy, explain that it hurts, but you can endure everything in order to recover. After the injection is delivered, praise the toy, tell me how brave it is. Ask the baby if he can also cope heroically as well. Basically, the children answer, yes, they can.
When you need to be vaccinated or injected, let the baby hold the toy with which you performed the “indicative treatment”. Say so: "Bear could, almost did not cry, and he is less than you." Or explain that the bear will need an injection, but he is afraid. It may sound something like this: "Let's show the bear that everything is not so scary."
Support the baby
When children are afraid of injections, they need to be supported as much as possible, not scolded, not blackmailed. Say that you understand him perfectly, but he is strong and courageous, and you will be close by.
How to persuade a child to give an injection if he is afraid? Do not leave alone with a doctor in an office or room. Stay close, keep it on your lap, if still very small, or by the hand when the child is older.
Let the baby know that only a few seconds will hurt. But an injection is needed at the moment for good health. If there is a fever, cough, and so on, then explain that with the injections such unpleasant symptoms will pass faster than without them.
"Special cream"
Of course, there are creams that help anesthetize the area of the skin that will be injected. But not every doctor has one in his arsenal. In this case, let's talk about the power of suggestion.
Buy a cream in advance, which the baby has not yet seen at home, if necessary, make an injection, talk with the doctor. Let him take the remedy from his suitcase, say that this is a special cream that will help make the injection not so painful.
Inspired kids, they believe in all kinds of miracles. It is this childhood feature that will help overcome the fear of injections. The child will tune in, which will not be as painful as he thinks, because the "special" cream will help. And after the procedure, he admits that it really was not very painful!
Distract the baby
When children are afraid of injections, but they need them, the reception of distraction will help. For example, a few minutes before the procedure, start reading an interesting book to him, or turn on a new cartoon. Stop at the most interesting place, exactly when you need to do an injection. Say that it’s okay, now we will read, look further, and let the grandmother let them take medicine into the syringe for now.
Lay the baby's head on your lap, with a palm, stroke his hair, with movements distracting from what is happening behind him. However, it is impossible to sharply give an injection to an unprepared child, this will frighten him even more. Say it like this: "Watch the cartoon (listen to the story below), and the aunt will quickly make a little fake."
Another good option for distraction is the presence in the room of a brother, sister or close peer of a child. Children are perfectly able to distract each other, the procedure will be more calm, the child will not show his fear strongly with the rest of the kids.
Encourage baby
In preparation for the injection, during and after it, say that your child is the most courageous and brave. Doctors often help, they say: “Well, it’s necessary, we have not seen such a brave kid yet, what a fellow you are!” And it works, children like to surpass others, to be the very best.
How to persuade a child to calmly give an injection? Promise to take him to the park for a walk, in a cafe, to buy something. Only be sure to fulfill the promise, otherwise the baby will lose confidence in you.
The child is afraid of doctors: what to do?
The fear of doctors in a child can be caused by the following reasons:
- Without preparation, they took blood or an injection.
- Parents themselves scared that if she was capricious, then the doctor would come and make a sick injection.
- The baby has a narrow circle of friends, and all outsiders cause him psychological discomfort.
So that the child is not afraid of doctors, never scare him that in case of disobedience you will have to call a doctor, expand the circle of friends, let him get used to the people around him.
So that the child does not feel discomfort in the hospital for up to a year, try to call a doctor at home. If this is not possible, you need to come to the clinic in person, then choose visiting hours closer to closing, then there will be less people to the hospital. Let the child get comfortable in the room, let him walk along the corridor, only then undress and enter the office.
Take a child with a toy, a book while waiting for your turn, let him chat with other children, get to know their parents.
The main thing is to remember that all children are afraid of injections. If such a procedure is necessary, do not scold for tears, let him cry. After the injection, praise, say: "And everything is done, and here a whole lake of tears." Kiss the baby, give a chocolate bar, and next time he will go to the procedure with a better mood!