Please Explain Vaccines to Me: Because I HATE SHOTS!

Shots, injections, needles, and vaccines-whatever their purpose, they all hurt. More than half of children in the 6-17 year-old range report a strong fear of needles. Nearly 25% of adults do as well. This book is for those families who cringe at the thought of getting one. For some children, getting a shot is a major ordeal. Ramped-up anxiety can lead to tantrums, meltdowns, outbursts and even fainting. That 30-second experience can be a nightmare for parents and nursing staff alike. This resource will help to improve that dreaded scenario. The book opens with an engaging story for children where rhyme, colorful illustrations and characters of diversity capture a child's interest as they identify with a girl who has similar fears. The children's section is followed by a comprehensive guide for parents and caregivers, based on empirical research as well as Dr. Zelinger's decades of experience as a child psychologist, where she offers information and explicit solutions to help deal with the anxiety surrounding this common medical procedure. Children will: Identify with the main character and her fear of shots Enjoy the colorful illustrations and happy story ending Learn coping mechanisms to deal with frightening situations Feel supported by their parents who will know how to help- Reduce their anxiety and become more cooperative during medical visits Parents/Caregivers will: Understand the reasoning behind the fear of injections Learn strategies to help their child before and during a medical visit Be better able to comfort their child "Dr. Laurie Zelinger has done it again with another excellent child and parent-friendly book that helps to allay fears and empower families and professionals with the tools to help children develop healthy coping skills. Please Explain Vaccines to Me has it all: a relatable and simple yet engaging text in rhyme that is fun to read aloud, as well as colorful illustrations that provide an honest and relatable depiction of the emotions involved. As an experienced nurse and health educator, I see this book as a "must-have" resource for all caregivers, educators and health professionals." --Darlene Glasser, RN, MSEd "Please Explain Vaccines to Me is a book that every parent will want to read to their child before getting a shot. It demystifies vaccinations with language that a child will both understand and want to question further. It also gives both children and parents the language they need to express their anxiety about the process and the tools to lessen that anxiety. It gets 5 stars!" --Yael Kula, MSW, LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) "It would be especially useful for physicians working with vaccine reluctant people who have been victims of the on-going and pernicious Anti-Vax misinformation campaigns that are resulting in a continuing Covid epidemic currently raging through the unvaccinated population of the United States and abroad." --Jim Cox, Midwest Book Review Learn more at www.DrZelinger.com From the "Please Explain" series at Loving Healing Press www.LHPress.com

About the Author :
Dr. Laurie Zelinger is a Board Certified Psychologist with a specialty in School Psychology, and a Registered Play Therapist with over 45 years' experience. She is a licensed New York State psychologist who, after retiring from a Long Island public school system, is now devoting her time exclusively to writing, consulting, and her busy private practice for children. She has a special talent for explaining difficult concepts to kids.Previous books include: Please Explain Anxiety to Me; Please Explain Alzheimer's Disease to Me;, Please Explain Tonsillectomy & Adenoidectomy to Me; Please Explain Terrorism to Me!; Please Explain Time out to Me, and A Smart Girl's Guide to Liking Herself EvenOn The Bad Days for American Girl.In June 2020, Dr. Zelinger's article, "Expanding social stories beyond the autism spectrum" was a featured article in Play Therapy magazine. She has a chapter on selective mutism in the John Wiley & Sons compendium School Based Play therapy, as well as a chapter on Prescriptive Play Therapy for Fears and Phobias in the 2019 Guilford Press compendium, Prescriptive Play Therapy: Tailoring Interventions to Specific Childhood Problems. Dr. Zelinger is also credited with being a consultant for the Bitty Baby book series by American Girl where she assisted in the development of the 'For Parents' sections as well as editorial development of another American Girl book. Her interest in writingbegan in 4th grade, when a play she wrote about the drought experienced in New York City at the time, was performed by the students in her public school. Dr. Zelinger is a Fellow and previous officer in the national American Academy of School Psychology and had spent four years in the capacity of Director on the Executive Board of the New York Association of Play Therapy. As a highly respected child psychologist, she has contributed to nearly 200 venues regarding child development. She and her psychologist husband, Dr. Fred Zelinger, are both certified Red Cross Disaster Mental Health volunteers. They have been happily married for over 40 years, have raised four children and relish their roles as grandparents.

Review :
"This book fills a need to relieve childhood fears and anxieties before receiving a shot. Dr. Zelinger writes so children understand. The poem format for the children's part is fun and easy to read. Her suggestions for pediatricians and parents to help reduce fear are creative and easy to do. For example, play doctor with role reversals, magnify the skin pores and compare to needle skin holes, numbing cream and puppet play. Dr. Zelinger explains how less fear means less anxiety, which leads to less pain. A must read for parents, children and pediatricians." --Allan M. Rothenberg, MD, FAAP, pediatrician, diplomate, American Board of Pediatrics, fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics "Laurie Zelinger's Please Explain Vaccines to Me: Because I HATE SHOTS! is absolutely brilliant. I would highly recommend that children and their parents read it prior to appointments with their physicians and dentists. As a pediatric dentist, I have seen so many of the techniques that Dr. Zelinger describes work well for my patients. I have often wished for a book like this for patients that have come ill-prepared for injections. I am so glad that now there is such a book, and I will certainly be recommending it to my patients and their parents." --Brittany Schorr DDS, board-certified pediatric dentist "Dr. Zelinger wrote a much-needed, timely book for children who hate shots and their parents who have to handle their reactions. She is very adept at explaining difficult concepts to kids with caring, warmth and humor. The appealing story and colorful pictures blend together in a child-friendly scenario that enables children to address and conquer their fears. The parent/caregiver guide carefully explains common terms, the prevalence of needle-related fears, heritability and temperament issues. Dr. Zelinger's recommendations for parents are extremely helpful and creative, providing them with very useful tools to address specific fears. I look forward to using her book with both patients and family members." --Gale Grobstein, Ph.D, licensed clinical psychologist