The other day, my daughter took her vaccine shot. It hurt. It helped. It inspired a couple of thoughts.
When your kid is taking a vaccine, there are three crucial points. The 5 minutes before the shot (could be longer depending on how soon you tell them and they know they’re going to get one), the moment they actually take the shot and the first 15 minutes after they get a shot (again, time could vary depending on your consolation tactic).
Ask any parent or kid- the 5 minutes before the shot pains more than the needle itself. The anxiety, the stress..
Much like if you are delivering constructive feedback. As you practice courage, the 5 minutes before your arena moment can be stressful. But really, that should be all. To make certain that it doesn’t pain thereafter, for anyone involved, ensure that the feedback doesn’t lower the morale or reduce the confidence of the recipient. Ensure that it offers encouragement, help, or support for improvement. A vaccine shot has a problem with the virus, not the kid. #BeKind
Pic: A puppeteer performing for kids in the post vaccination waiting room.
Liji Thomas 
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