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When my daughter received her first flu shot, she was too young to know anything about pain or just didn't experience while getting the shot. She has, of course, gotten several shots in her four years of life because every child is required to get certain immunization shots at certain intervals of age (i.e., 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12 months, 2 years, 4 years, etc). For some children, this can be a very scary, intimidating experience. However, it doesn't have to be!

Below are a few ideas to make it easier for your child to get shots and not be so scared of them:

1) Talk gently to your child. When she gets a shot, whisper something funny into her ear until the shot has been administered. This will sometimes take her attention off the shot itself and onto you, so that she's not focusing on the pain.

2) Validate your child's fears. Let him know that you understand that he might be scared to get a shot and that it's okay to feel scared sometimes. Also, let him know that you're right there to comfort him. If your child feels safe, then he will be less likely to be scared during shots or other doctor's visits.

3) Remind your child of the numbing cream. Most nurses use a numbing cream to numb the area receiving the shot. If your child knows about this "magic" cream and that the shot won't hurt much (if at all), then she will likely be less fearful and might even look forward to the application of this "magic" cream. Who says reverse psychology doesn't work?

4) Get a flu shot with your child. For example, my daughter and I went to the health department to get our annual flu shot, and I asked the nurse if it was okay for me to get my flu shot before my daughter's, so that she could see my reaction to the shot. The nurse said yes, so I got my flu shot first. When the nurse gave Tia her flu shot, she didn't even flinch. Her reaction to the experience was, "I got a flu shot, just like mommy!" She wasn't scared at all.

5) Buy your child a new or used doctor's kit. Most will include a play syringe, among other items. If he pretends to administer shots himself, he will gain familiarity with shots. Most fears stem from an unfamiliarity of the unknown. So, having your child exposed to pretend play to include giving shots is an excellent way to lessen his fear. The more he does it, the more familiar he'll be. When he goes to get shots, he'll be excited because he knows how to give shots. He will probably be more focused on telling the nurse that he can give shots, too, than the shot itself.

So, take these ideas and any others you think of on your own, and run with them. As long as you, the parent, make it known to your child that needles and shots aren't necessarily a bad thing, then your child will more readily accept them. You influence your child's fears by how you react to certain things. Don't make this a negative experience for your child. You should love him enough to change his reaction of needles and shots from one of fear to one of acceptance.

Learn more about this author, Kimberly Chitwood.
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