A British study of 69 children ages 7 to 12 found that the kids, when having blood samples drawn, experienced less pain if they were watching cartoons than when their own mothers tried to soothe them. My first inclination, which was also echoed by Dr. Brenda McClain of Yale University, is that when a parent is obviously trying to console a child, the child becomes more anxious because they believe something must really be wrong. Kids tend to be smarter than people give them credit for, and they pick up on things like that. Nevertheless, other researchers insist that this means television is having more of an impact on kids than their own parents. I don't see it as anything so dramatic, but what do you guys, especially those of you with kids, think? I just wonder when the kids get to have their revenge and jab the researchers with sharp objects. It seems only fair.
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8-18-2006 @ 3:25PM
kerry said...
I've drawn blood from kids from infancy to pubescence, and I've seen a lot of seriously scary faces on their parents. One mom had to leave the room because she couldn't console her infant and was crying herself. I think a lot of parents are so freaked out about their kid feeling pain, that their child can see it on their faces and get terrified. This goes beyond just blood draws, too. My cousins made a habit of cheering and clapping whenever their daughter fell down when she was learning to walk, so that she wouldn't freak out and cry like some kids do because their parents go "Oh no! Are you hurt?"
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