My One year old had his needles today, I'm dreading taking my daughter to get her four year old needles. What we need is a bravery award for kids who get their immunizations. Could be a little medal or badge, maybe like a scout badge. They could become proud members of the club, and maybe have different ribbons for different diseases that they've been immunized against.
-- simonj, May 13 2009

Needle Duck Needle_20Duck
[Amos Kito, May 14 2009]

for mrQED http://www.quackwat...on/immu/autism.html
[simonj, May 14 2009]

Mine is coming up on 2, so she is about to get the shots that some say cause autism. I've read a bunch and I don't think they do, but I'd like a bravery award if I make it through this...

Autism scares the c%^p out of me.

My daughter always makes if through the shots without even a whimper, Kudos to our Pediatrician, but as you can tell this title led me in a slightly altered path.

In any case (+). I have a friend who teaches HIGH SCHOOL and gives out stars on good papers and kids go crazy for them. He ran out one time and it was pandemonium. So if it works on teenagers it will work on babies and todlers.
-- MisterQED, May 14 2009


It's a nice idea with a good sentiment behind it. But no. I understand getting your shots can be a little unpleasent but it's really not that bad. If you give an award for it that would only reaffirm that it's a bad thing. We are talking of a tiny pinprick, no need to blow it up.

It has to be done. Life is full of unpleasent things that aren't all that bad when you think about it and we just have to do them. So they have their own award. You get better teeth from going to the dentist. You get a refund from filling in your tax papers. You get better chances in society from finishing your education. Getting your shots is just one of those things and can be a good life-lesson, without an award.
-- zeno, May 14 2009


One of four years and one of 8 months.
-- zeno, May 14 2009


I'm with [zeno] on this one. [-]
-- coprocephalous, May 14 2009


Maybe a whole T-shirt! I like the badges, it would make it less scary for the kids, cos it's like a challenge they overcome. Immunisations are so important! Anyone who is against them should be played a recording of a child with whooping cough.
-- penguin_tummy, May 14 2009


//Maybe a whole T-shirt!//
A sleeveless one, obviously.
-- coprocephalous, May 14 2009


The system already exists, but kind of in reverse. Those who don't get their vaccinations are entitled to scars from measles etc.

Yes, I've had kids (all grown up now).

Perhaps kids just need reminding that vaccinations are their own reward.
-- Twizz, May 14 2009


Perhaps I should post an idea for a new word, to be used in place of 'brave' when referring to the sujbects of events over which they have no control.

Such a word could be used in tabloid headlines etc. to distinguish kids who've had vaccinations from, for example, a person who runs into a burning building to save another.
-- Twizz, May 14 2009


Small toddlers simply need to be reminded that in the solipsistic viewpoint, immunizations are nothing more than a normative construct which effects a conditional-serial externalization of the constructive world, and not something to be afraid of. They'll understand. To sugar-coat this would be detrimental.
-- phundug, May 14 2009


Give your kids an early lesson in bravery, pain-tolerance and irony by giving them an Immunisation Bravery Award Tattoo.
-- hippo, May 14 2009


//a new word, to be used in place of 'brave' when referring to the sujbects of events over which they have no control. // Stoical.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 14 2009


Resentful
-- hippo, May 14 2009


Taking the idea to it's limits, the Immunization Bravery Awards would be a once a year event, with limos pulling up to the red carpet, the candidates disembarking to the flashing lights of the press and milling about nervously.

"The envelope, please - and the award for The Least Noisy Blubbering While Receiving A Tetnus Shot goes to - "
-- normzone, May 14 2009


Simon: try this. Get yourself a shot on the same visit. Maybe one you need. Or have them give you a sham shot - but real needle. Tell you daughter you are going together. You go first. Turn your head and grimace when they give it. Then get a bandaid. She will know it was real. She will do it like you do it. Then go out and do something together, like flip over rocks and look for bugs.
-- bungston, May 14 2009


(marked-for-tagline)

flip over rocks and look for bugs
-- normzone, May 14 2009


Man I'm glad you lot are not my parents , do you give your kids a lump of coal on their birthday as well?
-- simonj, May 14 2009


I didn't give my kid a lump of coal. I gave her a piece of wood and told her it was a "lump of coal do it yourself project". She gets a match, next year.
-- zeno, May 15 2009


Match?! She's lucky to get a match! My dad would would give us 2 wet sticks and a lump of moss. If we couldn't light it, he'd slice us in 2 with a bread knife...
-- shudderprose, May 15 2009


Two wet sticks? I would dream of another wet stick to light my own crap with.
-- Bad Jim, May 15 2009


I still have an aversion towards the feeling of popsicle sticks, and corn-dog sticks on my tounge, ever since a doctor used a tongue depressor during a physical exam in my toddler-hood. The aversion is so strong that just thinking about the feeling sends shivers up and down my spine.

I wonder if a like association would be made betwixt the immunizations and the awards, producing an aversion towards medals and decorations.

I think the idea is really cute though, [+]. I just wonder if there would be psychological ramifications.
-- MikeD, May 15 2009


You got a wet stick? You had it so easy.

We were just given the wet, no stick, and expected to whittle the wet into a bow and drill using only our teeth, with only our own hair for the bowstring.
-- normzone, May 15 2009


//We were just given the wet//
Moisture?
You were lucky!
-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, May 15 2009



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