I make a lot of kids cry. You might think that it’s the shots or other procedures, but more than that, it’s insecurity. Kids get more upset about being taken from their parents (even if just a few feet away) or being unable to move around freely than they do about the pain. 1/
They cry because they can’t access the source of comfort/security that their parents provide, more than they cry from the pain itself. I do my best to make them comfortable-encourage parents to be as close as the procedure allows, use distraction, and minimize the time apart. 2/
And as soon as possible, I return the child to the parent’s arms, where they are held tightly, rocked, soothed. You can watch fear fade from their faces as they realize that the bad experience was temporary, that the rock they rely on is still solid, that it will all be ok. 3/
I’ve also seen kids who don’t have that stability—those from homes where parents were absent, abusive, or unloving, those whose parents who were killed in accidents, etc. It’s heartbreaking. Hospitals employ full time staff for the purpose of helping children deal with stress, 4/
because we are compassionate, empathetic human beings that don’t want children to suffer unnecessary emotional trauma. And because we know that the long-term outcomes of stress in children are devastating. To ignore their pain, or to cause it unnecessarily, would be cruel. 5/
Separating children from their families as political leverage is heartless. Immoral. Barbaric. Evil. Inhumane. Despicable. The opposite of “great.” /fin
