You know that Thomas the Tank Engine song, “Accidents Happen?”
Accidents happen now and again, just when you least expect
Just when you think that life is okay, fate comes to collect
Accidents happen now and again, when people or trains get smart
If you don’t concentrate on the thing that you’re doing
Accidents will happen, just like that
No matter the circumstance, it’s alarming when you see your child in pain. From bike falls to tumbles down the stairs, fevers or a sniffle; when should you really be concerned and when should you simply observe and then make an educated decision? Now, I don’t have any medical training at all so do not take my suggestions as fact. I’m not a doctor or a nurse; I’m just a mom who’s had a few experiences like any other mom out there. Here are some simple tips and helpful facts on some of the most common childhood injuries and ailments. First and foremost:
Don’t freak out!
I’ve found that whatever the circumstance, if you keep your cool, chances are your kids will handle it better than if you become a basket case at the sight of a broken elbow. So let this be the one piece of advice you remember if nothing else in this blog post: Above all else, remain calm.
- Broken bones and bumps on the head. It would be awesome if we could bubble wrap our kids so that we didn’t have to worry about them falling and breaking their bones. Life isn’t like that, however, and if you’re the mom of a boy I’m sure you’ve experienced your fair share of tumbles, bruises and maybe even a broken bone or two. Here’s what I’ve learned:
- Baby or big kid has a fever. I know it’s incredibly scary when your little one, no matter the age, has a high temperature. The thing to remember here is that the fever itself is good thing (within reason obviously). The fever is helping your child’s little body fight off whatever bug is currently trying to wreak havoc on him. Things you should be careful of in regards to a fever are the following:
Printable Fever Freak Out Check List
- Febrile seizures: what are they and how you should respond? It was March 5th, 2013. Kendall, my then 21 month old daughter, was acting kind of clingy to me all morning. She was whiny and acting tired. I was making lunch and thought things were okay with her but when I looked over at her she looked kind of weird. I happened to be talking with my husband and asked him where the ibuprofen was just in case she would need it (we had moved into our house that weekend). I got off of the phone with my husband and went to get Kendall down from her booster seat. She started whining so I assumed she wanted to be set down on the ground. That’s when it happened: She dropped to the ground and started shaking uncontrollably. I panicked (remember I said not to do that) and cradled her in my arms, yelled at my son to get me the phone and then proceeded to say, “Oh my gosh, Kendall!” Hands shaking, I dialed 911 and the awesome dispatcher (can we give a round of applause to all the emergency dispatchers out there and their ability to keep us calm in an emergency) and she walked me through what was happening and what to do. In the meantime, while I was holding her, Kendall’s lips started to turn blue. My need to hold her in my arms was cutting off her air supply. I didn’t know any better. To make a very long story short we arrived at the emergency room via ambulance and learned that she had what was called a febrile seizure. As frightening as it was to watch her seize, the seizure itself was not damaging to her. Here’s what I learned after that day and how I should’ve handled the situation:
Any time you see your child hurting is painful for you as a parent, in fact, I think it goes against our human nature to not totally freak out!
What injuries and/or ailments have you experienced with your little one(s)? How did you respond and do you have any tips for us?
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