Taking my (fairly new) Charges to the Peds for Vaccinations

[Anonymous]

Ok, OP again.

Things went relatively well. MB told me not to tell the 5-year-old about the vaccine till we were in the room so a nurse could hold her down, so obviously I'm thinking she will go ballistic. We are driving to the doctor, and she straight up asks me if she has to get any shots today so I couldn't lie, so I told her "Yes, just one." and she just starts sobbing, I felt so bad. I told her she'd have a treat if she tried to be brave, and she said "I don't need any treats, I'll never have treats again if you please don't make them give me a shot." Oh. My. God. Heart broken </3. I tried to convince here she had to have shots, like everyone else and it just hurts for a few seconds (and depending on the shot that's true). So the oldest is bawling, and of course the two younger ones do too, and we are still 15 minutes away. Then a beacon of hope, we pass a Dave & Busters and I tell her that if she puts on a brave face we will go after the visit. She immediately smiles and says "really", and does a complete 180.

We get to the doctors, she is scared but really obsessed with the idea of going to Dave & Busters. We get into the waiting room, she is tearing up but not in full meltdown mode. They are all relatively calm, and I was just waiting for the storm to begin. We get called in, and the appointment goes relatively smooth despite the fact that the two-year-old is restless. Time for shots, 5-year-old is crying, but I can tell she's really trying to be brave. She sits in my lap, and I give her my phone and *boom* it's over. She sheds a few tears but no screaming or yelling. She was SO proud of herself! On to the infant and I give her a bottle and she gets two vaccines in her legs and flinches and cries a bit, but is fine within a few seconds. Really and truly keeping the two-year-old out of everything was the biggest hassle. We of course went to Dave & Busters for about 45 minutes and the 5-year-old was ecstatic and had a wonderful time (and the baby slept in her Ergo the whole time.

When MB got home the 5-year-old went on and on about how brave she was and how much fun she had at Dave & Busters. MB didn't have the expected reaction, but she is someone I realize rarely shows emotions. She and DB both said it was fine to take the kids out after the appointment, so I don't know why she seemed upset. Oh well, I hope the LO gained some confidence.