A couple weeks ago I took the girls for their well checks I let them choose if they wanted to get a shot or flu mist. Andrea... didn't really understand. Greta decided that she wanted a flu shot. When the nurse told us they only had the flu mist it took some thinking on Greta's part. She volunteered Andrea to be first (she had two other vaccinations to get also, plus the flu mist), Andrea hardly batted an eye, so Greta was okay. She did so well and said she liked the flu mist after it was over. A lot better reaction than saying it felt like she had a bloody nose which was her comment last year. Also a better reaction than the one Andrea had of blowing the mist out and all over my hand instead of sniffing it up!
Back to Wednesday. We couldn't do the flu mist again because it had only been two weeks. Greta wasn't sold on the idea. I went first, Greta volunteered that Andrea go next (such a nice big sister). Andrea was very brave and watched the whole thing then got her happy pink bandage. As Greta went to sit in the chair she said that I had to let her hold my hand really, really, really tight. She sat down, started holding my hands tighter and tighter, then couldn't do it. It was too much. And there was nothing I could do to talk her into it. I was talking to her (even trying to bribe her) for a couple hours after we got home. She was not going to budge. And when I told her that I wanted her to agree she told me that she wasn't going to. I had no idea she was so scared of shots.
The next day I got a call at work. I asked my mom if she was going to get the shot. She handed the phone to Greta who told me that she wanted to get the shot. "Really?! Do you want Grandma to take you or do you want me to?" "Grandma." I was just about to tell her that she could call and talk to me when she got it (as a distraction) when she said (hesitantly) "Okay. I'll go with you. Then you can see how brave I am. But you have to let me bring my Mickey Mouse sucker." That made my day. It also made me laugh.
We met up for the shot, waited our turn, I sat in the chair and she got on my lap. She covered her arms up, refusing to budge, even to let the lady clean her arm, until her sucker was open and was in her mouth. Lucky for us the lady giving the shot was really, really fast. She almost didn't make it. Instead there was a quick wipe then shot and we were done. And I didn't let her see the tiny bit of blood which I think was what had her so worried. (She saw that I bled a tiny bit. Andrea had not bled at all.)
Her grandpa, grandma, Andrea, and I all kept telling her how proud we were of her and how brave she was. The lady that gave the shot told her that she was "the bravest of them all". That made Greta light up even more.
This experience taught me more about Greta. I already knew that she has her own ideas and opinions about certain things. There are some things that you cannot make her do, at least until she thinks it through and feels like she is making the decision herself. This time I didn't think she would give in. She surprised me. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment