Making sure your children are fully immunized is important for kids' health, but it won't necessarily make them less terrified of injections. That's where parents can help. Just as kids learn not to touch a hot stove a second time, memory of the pain of previous injections can make kids want to avoid the needle like the plague.

To prepare children for getting a shot, parents should set an example by remaining calm, says Pat Clinton, clinical assistant professor at the University of Iowa College of Nursing. "Children pick up on the temperament of their parents, and so explaining about the injection in a matter-of-fact way can help."

Parents are advised not to notify their children of the injection too far in advance, lest kids have too much time to think about it and build up dread. If children ask, tell the truth. Otherwise, the morning of the appointment is soon enough.

In preparing kids, parents should reassure them that they'll be there to hold their hand, and that there'll be a band-aid and things to reduce the pain. "Parents should ask their pediatrician or pediatric nurse about anesthetic creams that numb the skin and which can be applied before giving the shot. Or they can simply ask for an ice cube, which will do the same thing," Clinton says.

Even so, kids may fear the needle regardless of the pain, and so distractions are encouraged. Parents may want to read a story or practice breathing techniques with the child. "They may want to have the child pretend to be blowing bubbles through a straw--whatever works to take his or her mind off the shot."

Children can also benefit by "playing doctor," administering toy needles into a teddy bear or doll, to prepare for the experience. This is especially helpful for diabetic children who receive shots every day and may want to feel they have control over the shots, Clinton says.

Of all the things you can do to help ease your child's fears, there is one thing you must never do: "Never say to your child, 'If you don't behave, you're going to get a shot."'

Clinton says, "In other words, never so much as hint that receiving a shot is a punishment."