my son was 4 when he started pumping. as we only had about a weeks notice we didn't have much time to prepare anyone. we had a lot of tears as he didn't really understand no matter how we tried to explain it, but as we got better with the cannula changes it became less painful for him and all the resistance gradually disappeared. he got to do special show and tell at school and i went in with him so we could explain to the class what it was and showed them his "magic sticker".
Bribery worked wonders, we made sure we had prizes at the hospital for having the blood test and then the cannula, nothing big some new pencils, stickers etc and made him a bravery certificate. we have button pots at home so good behaviour is rewarded with buttons and then they are cashed in at the end of the month, so the better he was for a cannula change the more buttons he got, which still works a year later and he is so good now, reminds us if we forget.
Baby oil was also a saviour, soak the old cannula in it - once you have the new one on, then it will peel off without pulling the skin too much and special kids plasters to put on the "wound" as if there was a spot of blood we had tears but all ok if it was covered in a monkey plaster!
get a few spare cannula's as i found if i put one on as well the first couple of times it helped and we just smothered him in praise and made sure all the family rang him or came to see him so they could tell him how brave he was etc and it did help.
good luck with it Rosie
