So, I took the three kids and myself into the ped’s office yesterday. We went because Seth wasn’t feeling well, (turns out he had an ear infection–now being treated..) and ended up getting our flu shots.
The nurse comes in and says, “Who wants to go first?!” Eliza raises her hand and jumps up. She climbs on the table and takes it like a man. She was really brave (the look of horror she gave me, though, as if to say, ‘why didn’t you tell me it would hurt like this?’ got the guilt going).
Then Seth happily jumps up on the table, not having heard or seen anything to forewarn him from his sister. As the nurse put the needle in, his whole body flung around and he grabbed her arm so she couldn’t inject it. So I came and held him while she finished and he did his angry yell-cry for a good 3-5 min, with an even more recriminating look at me.
By now, Elianna and Eliza are crying at the trauma inflicted on Seth. I start to put 14-month old Elianna on the table and Eliza starts screaming, “No Mom! Don’t let them do it to Elianna! Don’t let them hurt her! No, Mom, no!”
My reassurances that it was for her good went unheard with the noise around me. After they were finished with Elianna, it was my turn. At this point I am sounding ridiculously cheerful, saying, “It’s ok kids! Look, it’s Mommy’s turn! Watch how Mommy gets her shot! It will be fun! We can have a sucker soon!”
We left with suckers and stickers firmly in hand. The yell-cry and screaming had ceased and all I had left to show for it were my raw nerves and a snoopy band-aid on my right arm.
Have you had your flu shot?
Drew got his and he cried for about 10 seconds. Then he asked for his sticker! I cannot imagine trying to do all that with 3 kids in tow. You are a brave, brave woman!
Well, as long as you got a snoopy band aide.
And no I haven’t gotten my flu shot. I’m chicken.
So sorry about your negative experience. It doesn’t take long for kids to get a negative view of doctors and dentists, and, as you can see from your experience, it is justified in their minds.
I still remember your Aunt Dorothy at the age of 6 or 7 fighting like a pole cat to avoid her polio vaccine, which was given in public school, with all the kids standing in a line watching and listening. It was not a good moment. Oh, the humanity!
I can just hear Eliza pleading for you to save Elianna! Oh dear!
Love, Dad
ok i just lots my whole response grrrrrrrrrr
as i was sayinggggggggggggg. Yes we have had our flu shots. Though my hubby never gets one and never gets sick! I wish they had a shot for the vomit flu thats what tends to go rampant here in colorado……..
our insurance has a two day free clinic….picture thousands of people in line,literally…………My son then age 2 did not go calmly…….he screamed and went on horrible…took two nurses and me to hold him down while the other tried to “shoot” him………I was so afraid they were going to call CPS to look for “underlying” issues,lol………not to metion the several hundred people that quietly stepped out of line for fear of what was going on behind door number 3
this year our insurance changed so we didn’t have to go to “free” day! We went in at our own leisure but i was still scared of how he would react…so i warned the nurses that Jackson now age 3 was not going to be an easy patient………and the little bugger never made a peep so i look’d like a dummy,lol Oh well……….
Just took Kieran to get his flu shot two days ago. Grandma came with us. When we arrived at the clinic, he was very optimistic until we were alone with the nurse, who instructed me on how to hold him still. Kieran, starting to panic, asks if Grandma can come in the room. So the nurse ushers her in our little exam room. She cheerfully shows Kieran the neon yellow bandage he’ll get to wear, while he looks at her circumspectly. The nurse then came up with the needle aimed and ready, and Kieran started crying, saying, “No, Mommy, no, Mommy, please no!” And as I was feeling horrible, and then it was all done.
While Kieran went to get his sticker, a mom with 4 children came in. Kieran, wanting to share the drama of his experience with someone his own age, walked up to the children while they were checking in. With his pointer finger up in the air, he said, “Excuse me.” No answer. He said again, “Excuse me.” Still no answer. Speaking a little louder he said once more, “Excuse me.” And somehow, they still managed to not “hear” him. In his most authoritative voice he then asked, “Excuse me. Do you KNOW what excuse me means?” That got their attention, the little girls giggling. He proceeded to tell them all about his shot, were they all getting one, how it really hurts but not as much as peroxide, etc. Not until he said everything he felt he needed to say was I able to extract him from this important, cathartic conversation.
As we left the clinic, Grandma and I had smiles plastered on our faces. Watching this little interchange made the whole drama worth going through. 🙂