Yesterday I took all three girls and myself to the Pediatrician to get a flu shot. Yes, it's that time of year again! I mentioned we were going to the Doctor's to Sonya the day before, and she asked me the same question she always asks when I say we are going there.
"Are we going to get shots?"
To which I replied, "Yup."
I feel it best not to lie, because then they find out later you lied, when the nurse it sticking the needle in their arm. As a result they never trust what you're telling them. Usually, I wait until just before we leave for the Dr office to even mention that we're going. That way they're will be less anticipation, but for some reason I slipped that day. Only Sonya knew at that point and she wasn't happy when I told her. Then I reminded her that it only hurt for a second and she would be rewarded with a lollipop and sticker afterward. This seemed to help. Well, for that minute anyway.
Yesterday, on our way to pick her up from school, Lana asked where we were going after we picked up Sissy and I told her. She too asked the same question.
"Are we getting shots?"
"Yup," I said once again.
Lana whined about it for a minute, then I told her the same thing about the lollipop and sticker. When Sonya got in the car, she started to talk about how she didn't care about getting a shot, and it wouldn't be that bad, plus she wasn't even scared anymore. Uh-huh.
Meanwhile, Georgia is oblivious to any of this. She has no idea what a shot is or what we are talking about, so she could care less.
We arrive at the Pediatrician's office and everyone was fine. No tears or anxiety. They looked at the fish in the fish tank and played with a few of the toys. Then we went into one of the rooms and Sonya told me she was getting nervous. Now it was Lana's turn to play the part of the brave soldier. She kept saying,
"It's just one wittle shot like dis (pokes her arm). Den it's all done and you get sticaw and lollipop! White mom?"
"Yeah, Lana! No big deal!" I told her.
Sonya was not agreeing and I could see her starting to get more nervous. Then the nurse walked in and that was it. The tears started. I asked her if she wanted to go first and get it over with, but that didn't sound so great to her. The nurse suggested I go first and we go in order of age. After she gave me the shot I held on to Sonya who was close to hysterics at that point. She got her shot and didn't really even notice when it happened. Her crying stayed the same. She went to sit down and I grabbed Lana who immediately abandoned all of her brave hope and started screaming and crying,
"I DON'T WANT A SHOT! NO, NO!!"
At this point, I couldn't help but giggle a little bit. It was kinda funny how much they were both freaking out. It's kinda funny because the shot is so quick. While I admit it does hurt a bit when they inject the medicine in, I know it's more the anticipation of the needle than any amount of pain it causes that makes them flip out.
After holding Lana down for her shot, I put her back in her chair while she continued her cry. I turned to get Georgia, who I was sure was running for the door at this point, but to my surprise she stood in front of me with a big smile on her face and shouted,
"MY TOAWN(turn)!"
I scooped her up and put on on the examine table. I thought for sure as soon as she saw the needle or it went in her arm, she would see why her sisters were in such hysterics and join them. I was wrong. Way wrong. She watched the whole thing. When it was done I picked her up and she had a huge SMILE on her face. The nurse and I made a big deal of what a brave girl she was and how she was even more brave than her sisters. Sonya did not like that comment, and cried more, but oh well. I guess the truth hurts. Perhaps even more than the shot. She was more brave than they were. There was not one tear from her! Not ONE! Which further proves my point that it's just the anticipation of the shot and not the actual shot that causes such freak outs. Plus I'm almost certain that if we would have walked out of that room without her getting a shot, she would have cried. Everyone else had one, including me, so she had better get one too. Ah the mentality of the youngest child. They are happy to get shots if it's what her siblings are doing. She better not be left out, damnit!
As a result I've decided that next time, I'm not telling them we're going to the Doctor's to get shots, until we're IN the Doctor's office. Then we will let Georgia go first. That way it'll look really bad if the older ones cry after she goes first and doesn't shed a tear. Perhaps they just need some incentive. Of course by next year, Georgia will understand more what a shot is and be right there with them crying in anticipation.
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