Kindergarten Shots

When Austen turned five in January, it meant time for his five year old check up. And, if you have ever taken a five year old for a check up or have a friend who has then I am sure you have heard all about the five year old/kindergarten check ups. They are to be dreaded due to the sheer number of shots that kids have to endure at this age.

Now Austen isn't a good shot person anyway and he's only been comfortable going to the doctor in the last two years (and last year he didn't need a shot) so I really didn't put too much thought into how this was going to go. Austen must've remembered his doctor's visit from age three though because he asked that morning when I told him where we were going if he was going to get "punched in the arm." What he really was asking was if he was going to get a shot! Anyway, off we went. Exams went great (Peyton got her two year old check up too). Then came the shots. Six total for Austen alone if you count the flu mist he had to take in the nose. He was crying so hard and screaming "no!" that the nurse told me that I had to put Peyton down to restrain Austen. He cried for a good 10 minutes after that but then was okay.

I was thinking then that we're all done. There probably won't be another check up that will amount to that many shots in his lifetime so we won't have to go through that again. Boy, was I wrong. That night, Austen freaked out about his Band Aids and wanted to take them off but didn't want them to be pulled off because it hurt. I honestly thought we were giving him his shots all over again but it was way worse this time!

Most kids like to wear Band Aids with cool stuff on them. Austen doesn't even want one when his arm is bleeding because he's thinking how much it hurts taking them off. He's definitely not my tough kid. Peyton barely cries as she receives her shots and one time when she was a baby she didn't even cry at all when getting a shot. I guess women are just born with a higher threshold for pain!