Top 10 tips to help your child cope with needles

Deputy Director (Research) at UQ’s Parenting and Family Support Centre, Associate Professor Alina Morawska, shares her top tips for parents to help their child cope with receiving injections.

Children aged five to 12 are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. But many children (and their parents!) are understandably anxious about needles. This may make receiving vaccinations worrying, uncomfortable and distressing. So, given how important it is to protect ourselves via vaccination, how can we help our children manage their anxiety about needles? Here are my top 10 tips.

Before the Vaccination

1. Talk to your child about the vaccination, what will happen and why it’s important. You may find it helpful to read books or watch appropriate videos about vaccinations with your child to help explain the procedure. You can share your own positive experiences and remind them of their own previous successful vaccinations.

2. Explain to your child what will happen during the visit. It may be helpful to have a conversation with your child’s doctor, or other staff, about how the process will be managed so that you can explain it to your child.

3. While it may be tempting to say that the needle won’t hurt, it’s better to be accurate and truthful to help prepare your child and ensure they are not surprised. Let your child know it may hurt a little and explain what the feeling might be like using language your child will understand. At the same time, be sure to focus on the positives, not just the most unpleasant or painful aspects of the procedure.

4. You can help prepare your child by listening to their worries and concerns, and by talking openly about their feelings and how to cope with them. Acknowledge your child’s emotions. Name the emotion and let your child know it’s okay to feel that way. It’s better not to reassure your child too much or try to talk your child out of their worry.

5. Encourage your child to practise coping skills so that they have ways to manage their anxiety during the vaccination. Taking slow, deep breaths when they start to feel anxious is one way to reduce stress. They could also think about something fun and pleasant when they start to feel worried.

6. Your child can also tell themselves that they can cope. Help your child to develop some positive, helpful things they could say to themselves. For example: I can cope, I can handle this, I feel okay. Your child could write these down on a card to carry with them to the vaccination.   

During the vaccination

7. On the day of the vaccination, be sure to have things to do at the clinic if you have to wait, such as reading a book together, playing a quiet game or having a chat about something fun – anything that may help your child feel calm and that you have agreed on in advance.

8. Remind your child to take slow, deep breaths and to use their coping words. Where appropriate, let your child make decisions or choices that can help them feel more in control. For example, let your child pick where to sit, which arm they have the needle in, what reward they will receive after the vaccination.

9. Most important, remain calm and reassuring. Your child takes their cues from you, so if you communicate to your child that everything is okay through your words and actions, they will be much more likely to stay calm.

After the vaccination

10. Make sure to praise your child for their success in coping. You may like to check in with them about what worked well, and anything they could practise for next time. If you had agreed on a reward with your child, make sure to carry through. The most effective rewards are activities or special time with Mum and Dad, such as visiting the playground, playing ball in the backyard, or an extra bedtime story.