Puberty shots

Score one for the parentals!

For some strange reason my husband Mickey and I have always found great joy in some of the medical type things we do with our kids i.e. immunizations, flu shots, annual exams, and dental appointments.  I figure if you have to do these things with your kids why not have a tich of fun along the way.  Mickey and I have a tendency to make up a few facts when talking to our kids about these types of things.  Our information is not always that accurate but for Mickey and I this is fun and also a way to get back at all of their naughtiness.





I will tell you about a couple of these instances.


One day I decided it was time for the kids to go get their flu shots.  Since a few of them have asthma, their pediatrician thought it would be a good idea.  I thought......"This could be fun".

Taylors eligible for "S" surprise
plus parental escorts

So Mickey and I told all of the kids to load up into the suburban and we would go do something that was a surprise.   After everyone was loaded into the car they all started trying to guess what the surprise was.  I told them it started with an "S".  


You should have heard their guesses........We're going to a show.............We're going shopping......... to buy some surprises...........we're going to get slurpees ........sandwiches ...........skiing ...........sledding ........skating........and on and on.  They guessed everything a person could do that started with an "S".


We let them guess while we sat up in the front smiling like Cheshire cats.  


After about 15 minutes we pulled right into the pediatricians office and those kids looked at each other and us with bewildered and confused faces.  Mickey and I were still grinning.   These are the looks on their faces that we live for.   


One of the kids said, "Huh???  Why are we here?"  I exclaimed in my most happy and perky voice that this was their surprise.  More confusion came from the backseat until one of our smarter kids said,  "Shots!  Not Shots!  That's not a surprise!"  They all started shouting at us, "That's not why were here.  It's not shots is it?  That's our surprise?  That's a stupid surprise!"  


I hollered back at them like they had just won the lottery,  "You guessed it, it's shots!" 


They were not happy.  One of them said, "That's not a surprise!"  I said to them, "Well you're surprised aren't you?"


And score one for the parents.

Kindergarten daughter

The next event was similar in that I was taking one of my daughters to get her kindergarten shots.  Her older brothers, Whitey and Rocky, were teasing her and telling her how much the shots hurt and how horrible kindergarten shots are.  


As Mickey and I listened.  Mickey just turned to my daughter and said, "Don't worry, the kindergarten shots aren't bad at all and they aren't near as bad as the shots the boys have to get when they turn twelve.  


The boys perked up and said, "Why do we have to get shots when we turn 12."  (They were about 11 at the time)


I said, "You have to get "puberty shots."  One of the boys said, "What are puverty shots."  


Mickey said,  Oh, they're shots boys have to get when they go into puberty and turn twelve.  All boys have to get them before they can go to Jr. High just like all kids have to get kindergarten shots before they go to kindergarten.


It was clear that Whitey and Rocky were not happy about this but just said that they didn't care because they didn't have to get them for another year.


Then I piped up and said, "Well the shots aren't the bad part."


Mickey said,  "It's WHERE they give you the shots that's the bad part."


They both got that dumbfounded facial expression and asked where exactly do these shots go.


Mickey said, "Oh you know.  Come on guys you've heard about this."


Boys, "No we haven't.  Where do they go?'


Mickey pointed straight down to what I have referred to before as "Nether regions."

Whitey and Rocky learning about puberty shots

The boys hands went straight to their mouths.  They started to squirm.  They looked at each other.  They grabbed their nether regions.  They turned to me and asked, "Mom is that true?  Where do they really give us our shots?"


I whispered oh so very quietly right in their little ears, "Right in the end of your schnitz."


The expression on their faces was that ever priceless expression that we live for!  Can you imagine the talk between those two in the days to come.  I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when they told their friends the bad news.


I feel that this turned out good for everyone.  Mickey and I felt pure joy watching the boys react to this news. They were also somewhat humbled.  Our kindergarten daughter was thrilled to be getting just kindergarten shots and we told her girls didn't have to get puberty shots just boys so she was even happier.


However, it didn't take long for the boys' friends to confirm to Whitey and Rocky that there were no such thing as puverty shots.  It was fun while it lasted.

Wouldn't you just love to see
this kid get a Guardisil shot?


 I'm off to see if the school nurse can give Mickey Jr. the Guardisil shot.  It's for cervical cancer and I see no reason why he shouldn't get it while
Maggey is getting hers.  So far I have been turned down for the past 2 years but it doesn't hurt to ask again.  I only have a year left for me to try to get it for Mickey before he graduates.  I will also request that the shot be given in the usual puberty shot place.