ADVICE RATING |
 4.81 (Highly recommend) from 13 votes (499 Visits) |
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Dealing with the bumps in life |
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by Kristen  (January 2007) (rank 58th) |
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Last night Ethan slipped while in the shower. Apparently he had gotten into some shampoo and the tub was very slippery. His father was on hand to see the whole thing go down so luckily I was able to jump on First Aid detail. Having had a couple of
bump incidents in the past, I remembered that the most important thing to do was to get some ice on that bump on his head as soon as possible. But how do you convince a toddler that keeping ice on his head is GOOD FOR HIM and is a necessary evil?
- Keep a bag of frozen peas in the freezer just for these kinds of situations. The peas are nice and cold and the bag will mold to whatever angle necessary. I just covered the bag with a damp wash cloth so it would be more comfortable against his skin.
- Try a distraction technique. Our biggest trick was getting Dad to take turns with Ethan getting the compress on his head. Because Dad didn't actually have a bump on his head, we just pretended to do it. Ethan didn't realize it and he happily played along.
- Make a goal. If you have ever had to put ice on a bump or bruise, you know that it is an uncomfortable, necessary evil. Ice reduces swelling. However the pediatrician will tell you that even being able to get the ice on the bump for short periods of time proves extremely beneficial in reducing swelling. For Ethan, we had him practice counting to 5 on his fingers while I held the compress to his head. It was quite a feat for him to be able to lift one finger at a time so our 5 second count was actually more like 20 seconds every time. He was completely distracted and we were able to pull this off for a whole 10 minutes of going back and forth before he realized that the "ice" was actually peas and then wanted to eat them. Who am I going to argue with a little nutrition in a crisis?
Remember that if your child goes unconsious after a fall, vomits or has a change in behavior, it is imperative that you contact your pediatrician immediately as your child may have a concussion. If this is your child's first fall, it's also best to call the pediatrican to learn the warning signs. And as always, if you have any questions about anything relating to your child's safety and well-being, your pediatrician is just a phone call away.
