No one likes injections. In just the first year of a healthy baby’s life, 12 shots will be administered. More injections will follow through adolescence, making needles an uncomfortable but necessary fact of life. Micah Resnick, MD, a board certified pediatrician at Mount Sinai Doctors Queens, explains how to minimize the stress and pain surrounding these injections, which help you and your child stay healthy.

Only a handful of my friends get their annual flu vaccines, the rest skip out because of their needle phobia, so it is no surprise that infants and children are fearful of injections and blood draws. How can we, as parents and as physicians, help alleviate the fear? I never lie to parents when they ask me if infants can feel pain. Yes, they can. However, for babies and children of all ages, it is important that parents stay calm, smile, and use encouraging words. Your child, especially toddlers and older children, will take cues from you.

For babies, physical contact is very important. Hold your baby close in an upright position. You may want to breastfeed before, during, and after the immunization to calm your baby down. There are over-the-counter topical anesthetic creams that may minimize the pain, but these can take 30 to 60 minutes from application to start working.

Toddlers require more active intervention. Tell your toddler about the injection ahead of time. You know your child best—some young children respond well to being told just before, while other children may do better with several short discussions in the days leading up to the doctor visit. In either case, try to distract your child at the time of the injection by blowing on a pinwheel or even blowing something imaginary out of your hand. Don’t tell them it will only hurt a little, or it will be over soon. This will only remind them of the discomfort.

School-aged children are typically more reasonable. Honesty is the best policy here. The goal is to set a realistic expectation. Explain to your child that injections are necessary. Let them know that the little pinch from the needle keeps them from getting sick.  For the injection, your best bet is to distract your child: you can play music or talk about a book you both like. In my office, I have colorful posters of animals and trees on the wall. I often point to those animals or ask a child to list the different ones on the wall he or she recognizes.

Talk with your child about the experience afterward. Acknowledge the pain. Give praise for doing a good job, or even just for a “best effort.” Ice cream or another enjoyable treat may also be in order.

What do you do with an absolutely inconsolable toddler or child?  Number one, don’t drag it out. Take a short time to reason with your child, and if it is a no go, hold your child while the injection is given. It is only very rare cases, when the fear turns into a phobia, that the services of a psychologist may be necessary. Remember, we are hoping that your child sees injections as an unpleasant fact of life. Stay positive, stay supportive.

Family meals are a great occasion to enjoy time together. These shared meals can result in feeling closer, and more nutritious meals are an essential ingredient for a happy, healthy family life. Micah Resnick, MD, a board certified pediatrician at Mount Sinai Queens, explains how parents can use shared meals to establish a commitment to lifelong nutrition in children.

I encourage families to cook together, eat together, and talk together. This can happen at any meal – breakfast, lunch, or dinner – so try to find the meal that will allow the most time and relaxation.

What are the nutritional benefits to family meals?  In June 2011, a study published in the medical journal Pediatrics found that sharing three or more family mealtimes per week resulted in a 12 percent reduction in the odds of being overweight; a 20 percent decrease in eating unhealthy foods; a 35 percent decrease in disordered eating; and an increase of 24 percent in the odds for eating healthy foods.

Family meal times are a great place to start your kids on a lifelong commitment to nutrition and a healthy relationship to food.  Involve your children in age-appropriate meal planning and shopping. If dinner is your family meal, be sure to plan for healthy snacks beforehand so that your children are appropriately hungry at the start of mealtime, but not too crabby to participate in the fun. For picky eaters, mealtime offers an opportunity to try one or two new foods a week.  Do not force your children to eat new foods; however, gentle consistent encouragement will go a long way toward a bite of broccoli or pineapple.

Meals are also an excellent time to hear about your children’s daily experiences.  Ask about school, friendships, what is going well, and where they may need help.

Children learn a great deal from their parents about socialization and how to communicate. Meals are definitely a time for parents to model good habits like table manners and listening skills. Encourage your children to practice these skills which will provide enduring benefits. I recommend that parents model a “no screens rule” during family meals – TV off, phones away.

Consider your children’s ages to ensure successful mealtimes.  Younger children shouldn’t be challenged to sit through long meals.

Quality is just as important as quantity.   Set a realistic goal for your family – plan for three times a week to start and see if you can increase that number over time.