For some children, getting a shot is a major ordeal. Ramped-up anxiety can lead to tantrums, meltdowns, outbursts and even fainting. That 30-second experience can be a nightmare for parents for and nursing staff alike. This resource will help to improve that dreaded scenario.
The book opens with an engaging story for children where rhyme, colorful illustrations and characters of diversity capture a child's interest as they identify with a girl who has similar fears. The children's section is followed by a comprehensive guide for parents and caregivers, based on empirical research as well as Dr. Zelinger's decades of experience as a child psychologist, where she offers information and explicit solutions to help deal with the anxiety surrounding this common medical procedure.
Children will:
• Identify with the main character and her fear of shots
• Enjoy the colorful illustrations and happy story ending
• Learn coping mechanisms to deal with frightening situations
• Feel supported by their parents who will know how to help
• Reduce their anxiety and become more cooperative during medical visits
Parents/Caregivers will:
• Understand the reasoning behind the fear of injections
• Learn strategies to help their child before and during a medical visit
• Be better able to comfort their child
"Dr. Laurie Zelinger has done it again with another excellent child and parent-friendly book that helps to allay fears and empower families and professionals with the tools to help children develop healthy coping skills. Please Explain Vaccines to Me has it all: a relatable and simple yet engaging text in rhyme that is fun to read aloud, as well as colorful illustrations that provide an honest and relatable depiction of the emotions involved. As an experienced nurse and health educator, I see this book as a "must-have" resource for all caregivers, educators and health professionals." --Darlene Glasser, RN, MSEd
"Please Explain Vaccines to Me is a book that every parent will want to read to their child before getting a shot. It demystifies vaccinations with language that a child will both understand and want to question further. It also gives both children and parents the language they need to express their anxiety about the process and the tools to lessen that anxiety. It gets 5 stars!" --Yael Kula, MSW, LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
Learn more at www.DrZelinger.com
From the "Please Explain" series at Loving Healing Press www.LHPress.com
Dr. Laurie Zelinger is a Board Certified Psychologist with a specialty in School Psychology, and a Registered Play Therapist with over 45 years' experience. She is a licensed New York State psychologist who, after retiring from a Long Island public school system, is now devoting her time exclusively to writing, consulting, and her busy private practice for children. She has a special talent for explaining difficult concepts to kids. Previous books include: Please Explain Anxiety to Me; Please Explain Alzheimer's Disease to Me;, Please Explain Tonsillectomy & Adenoidectomy to Me; Please Explain Terrorism to Me!; Please Explain Time out to Me, and A Smart Girl's Guide to Liking Herself EvenOn The Bad Days for American Girl. In June 2020, Dr. Zelinger's article, Expanding social stories beyond the autism spectrum was a featured article in Play Therapy magazine. She has a chapter on selective mutism in the John Wiley & Sons compendium School-Based Play therapy, as well as a chapter onPrescriptive Play Therapy for Fears and Phobias in the 2019 Guilford Press compendium, Prescriptive Play Therapy: Tailoring Interventions to Specific Childhood Problems. Dr. Zelinger is also credited with being a consultant for the Bitty Baby book series by American Girl where she assisted in the development of the 'For Parents' sections as well as editorial development of another American Girl book. Her interest in writing began in 4th grade, when a play she wrote about the drought experienced in New York City at the time, was performed by the students in her public school.Dr. Zelinger is a Fellow and previous officer in the national American Academy of School Psychology and had spent four years in the capacity of Director on the Executive Board of the New York Association of Play Therapy. As a highly respected child psychologist, she has contributed to nearly 200 venues regarding child development. She and her psychologist husband, Dr. Fred Zelinger, are both certified Red Cross Disaster Mental Health volunteers. They have been happily married for over 40 years, have raised four children, and relish their roles as grandparents.