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Every parent dreads taking their child to the doctor for their shots. It's emotionally distressing to see your child in fear and in pain, but you know that the shots are essential to their health. You can feel your trepidation swelling as the day of the appointment grows nearer, until you head off to the doctor's office nearly as nervous as your child. And, if your child is like most, he doesn't surprise you: once he figures out why you're there, he launches into full-on tantrum mode.

Shots have always been a necessary evil, something that you have to endure if you want your kids to enjoy the benefits of immunizations. But what if you could make shots less scary and less painful for your child?

A new study has shown that patients kids and adults may actually feel less pain and fear if the medical tools around them are decorated. This means that you may soon see nurses carrying syringes bearing colorful cartoon characters, and in turn kids will feel less stress about immunizations.

But until your doctor's office catches on to this method, what can you as a parent do to ease your child's fears? First of all, ease your own fears. Kids are extremely perceptive and can sense when you are feeling stress. If you're full of fear about your child's immunization appointment, your child will think that there is a reason to be afraid. If they learn early on to be afraid of needles, they may hold on to that fear for life.

Secondly, one of the easiest things you can do to lower the stress of shot time is to stop referring to them as shots. This word has a negative connotation for kids and adults alike. We learn that when someone gets shot, they die. Even when you are old enough to know the difference in the usage of the word, there is a subconscious link that contributes to our fear of needles. Instead of telling your child that they need a shot, tell them that they need an injection or a jab. Just a small change in verbiage can make all of the difference. However, try to avoid words like "tickle," which can actually serve to make kids frightened of real tickles.

Finally, when your child needs an injection, be sure to reward him for being so brave. Even if he cried, kicked, and screamed at the doctor through the entire appointment, be sure to give him a colorful sticker or balloon to show him that there is always something to look forward to after the immunization. The next time you take your child to the doctor, he may surprise you by asking for a jab and a sticker!

Learn more about this author, Delana Barnes.
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