What I learned at the swine flu clinic

• I made the right choice in not vaccinating my children. Sebastian would have lost his mind in that situation.
• Holding down a child who is not your own is somehow easier.
• Managing 160 children in grades K-6 who have just received vaccines is not easy, but it is possible. At least I didn't have them all at once.
• 4th-6th grade boys will choose a picture of a seahorse to color over all the other choices available, including monkeys and dinosaurs. Who knew?
• Out of 160 kids, only one had absolutely horrible behavior, but she did write me an apology so I'll forgive her.
• And out of 160 kids, only one needed to call her mother. She was a 5th grader.
• Older kids found this to be a fantastic opportunity for bragging, ie. punching themselves where they got the shot to prove it didn't hurt, and for picking on the ones who cried and/or limped off. (Why a shot in your arm would cause you to limp I do not know.)
• Kids whose parents were there were much more likely to cry, scream, and attempt to kick the Health Dept. workers in the head.
• Third graders think that if you get the shot you will die in 30 years.
• A parent thinks the next shot is administered in the lip.

One clinic down, one to go.