By Abi Gold, Family and Parenting Expert, Juggle Family and Parenting Consultancy

When you take your kids for their essential vaccination jabs, keep calm and take lollipops writes Family and Parenting Expert, Abi Gold.

What’s the worst bit about being a mum? Is it the relentless fatigue, the tantrums, or perhaps finding poo in the bath?

For me, it’s vaccinations, or rather being the one who takes my children to the doctor, holds them down and watches their faces crumple in agony. That’s my very worst bit.

Vaccinations are essential

I don’t doubt that vaccinations are essential to their good health and longevity. I believe my littlies are very lucky to have been born in a place where such things are taken for granted, when they are in fact extremely valuable gifts.

And I believe that as a mother and my kids’ protector, that having them immunised, is a ‘no brainer’. But that’s the ‘logical me’.

The ’emotional me’ finds it really hard. The ’emotional me’ wants to scoop my littlies up, and run far, far away. I want to save them from the needle, from their terrified struggles and that ‘little scratch’ which never really is little.

Then there’s the expression of horror on their faces, the shock and the condemning look that says ‘traitor’. That bit makes me feel like a heel, and the logic, at that stage, is forgotten.

Keep calm and take lollipops

Ultimately though, taking the kids for their jabs has to be done, so the best way to approach it is in a calm and matter-of-fact way. Your children look to you for their cues. They rely on you to tell them how to behave in every situation, and vaccination time is no different.

Hysteria and panic will not soothe your children, but will heighten their sensitivity, and make them hysterical too.

Don’t invite fear by talking about it in advance, just go in, keep calm, help the nurse to get the job done, and you’ll be out of there before you know it. Oh, and don’t forget the lollipops.

Actually, calm isn’t a bad thing to take with you wherever you go. And your children will learn to roll with the blows. And there are blows out there, so give them a head start, and teach them how to cope.