Boo Boo Drama

We have all been there - your child bumps a toe and the drama begins. It's broken, it needs ice, it needs a band aid, he can't walk, he needs a treat, he needs to go to the emergency room. How do we as parents handle every day injuries without the drama?

The best way is to start young. Your children take their cues from you. If you overreact to a minor bump or fall, so will your child. When my little guys were learning to walk and they fell, I clapped. I told them good job, keep trying, it's okay to fall, it makes you strong. If blood was involved, I stayed calm and matter of fact. "Ouch, I bet that hurts. The best thing to do is to clean it out and put on a band-aid so it can heal." Injuries that produced tears got hugs and ice packs, but no coddling. As parents, it is important to display an attitude that injuries happen, but life goes on. I let my children in on a little secret, "The more you think about it, touch it, rub it, the longer it will hurt. If you find something else to do: read a book, play a game, listen to some music, the pain will go away faster."

However, there are always times when we overreact and boo boo drama takes over. My mom had a brilliant method for dealing with boo-boo drama: if there was no blood, obvious breaks, or swelling she put us to bed with an ice pack if we continued to whine. When I say bed, I mean to bed - lights off, no book, no tv, no fun of any kind. She was very strict about this, we were to rest in order to heal. If we still complained the next day, she took us to our family doctor. Let me tell you - laying in bed in a dark room for hours while everyone else is having fun is BORING! It quickly cured us of whining over minor injuries. After that first confined rest, all she needed to say was, "if it hurts that much, you must need to go to bed." Nine times out of ten, the injury was suddenly all better. 

Many parents worry about waiting to go to the doctor. Understandably, they do not want to miss a true injury such as a break or concussion. Unfortunately, ER visits are costly. So where is the line? Trust your gut. You have good instincts. From experience, you know your child's reactions. Seek medical care if they are not acting normal. If there are no obvious breaks, blood, loss of consciousness or unusual swelling, follow mom's idea - bed rest and ice. It gives the body time to heal - and is usually the recommendation you will get from the doctor. 

Finally, remember that you are not perfect. Human beings mess up, but you have your child's best interest at heart. I have two very active boys and we have run the gauntlet of injuries. I have learned that sometimes you think the worst and it turns out to be nothing. Other times, your child seems fine & you learn he suffered a small break. So, give yourself a break, trust your gut, and above all things, do your best to stay calm.