Parents Telling the difference between the drama queen and the really injured..

[needcoffee]

In my ten years as a parent, I've never been good at telling the difference as to whether dd is actually hurt, or whether she is overreacting. She is a massive drama queen. Should probably consider a career in the performing arts..

She apparently hurt her foot yesterday doing sole circles, I've iced it and given her the day off today, but how do you know when you should actually get it looked at? I don't want to sound like the worlds worst parent, but if I took her to the docs every time she hurt something, I'd be there 3 times a week...

The thought of sitting in the ED all day (it's sunday, not likely to get an appt anywhere else) with her and my 5yo for a bruised foot doesn't sound like much fun lol (yes, we have done that before!)

Ugh. Kids are hard.

 

[2G1B]

I hear you and have the same problem. I sent 7 yo DS back into practice, and then left to go home, when he had a pinkie broken at the growth plate. I waited a day on his broken ankle. I almost cancelled his doctor appointment because I was convinced he was fine when he broke his elbow. When DD fractured her leg I thought I was being crazy to take her to the doctor (but this daughter is less inclined to exaggeration) and I was honestly shocked when the doctor told me that it was fractured. I almost always assume that younger DD is exaggerating. But while I have been ready to write off all of these injuries, in my defense there have been so many more that ended up being nothing!!

 

[needcoffee]

Haha! That's my problem! I'm going to feel awful if it's actually really hurt! But past experience tells me she wants to stay in bed and be waited on hand and foot...

 

[COz]

I have no idea, just sitting here sympathetically.

 

[gymdoc]

Unless there is bone sticking through the skin, I routinely watch it for 2ish days. Usually by then even my drama queen will be itching to go back to practice. If it is still hurting, we take a trip to our PCP

 

[Alie21]

Ugh is right - my commiserations Hopefully it turns out to be nothing much.

My DD is a bit like that too - not so much a drama queen but a bit of a hypochondriac when something is too hard or scary. I think kids have trouble working out how bad something is as they don't have the life experience to tell so every little hurt is a big deal! I have sometimes resorted to going to make a physio appointment, and if it doesn't resolve itself on the spot (she hates the physio - the massage is uncomfortable and then they give homework exercises!!) then I know it is serious-ish at least!!!

Good luck working it out

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

I think a lot of us are in the same boat!
Our first line of defense is always wait a day or two, ice, rest as much as possible, arnica and elevation/compressions, depending. After that, we make a chiropractor appt. Our chiro is wonderful, well aware of the girls very physically demanding activities and is always a straight shooter. She treats the injury (she is also a trained physical therapist) and gives them homework to treat themselves as well.
Obviously this is for things that are painful/swollen and treated gingerly by the girl even when they think nobody is watching.... not bones sticking out, lol!

 

[AGymDad]

Same here. Dd1 sometimes is close to dying at small injuries (even if it is just a broken nail). It is very hard to see if it is serious (it never has). What sometimes helps is tellling she can't so something she likes, then it heals miraculously within 10 minutes.

Dd2 (the non-gymnast one) is different. If she starts complaining, then we know we need a doctor.

 

[Ausi_poppet]

My daughter trains 6 days a week so I just get her to talk to her coach about any aches or pains. If she complains after training I usually treat with ice, heat, paracetamol, massage, elevation, ice cream of any combination of there. If it's still bad a couple of days later I take her to the doctor or physio.

We have only had one serious injury and that was a broken toe. It was swollen, black and very painful by the time she walked into the house so I made an appointment with the doctor first thing in the morning.

But I don't have a drama queen to contend with...

 

[MaryA]

I have the opposite issue... DD could break her foot OFF and a tell me, when I suggest we call the doctor, (imagine a 14-year-old attitude dripping from every syllable), "Mom, I'm FINE." We do have both a coach and a PT mom at the gym who I trust to take a look at her and tell me if they think a trip to the doctor is necessary.

 

[l.c.o]

Ugggg I still don't know!!

When DD recently injured her elbow, our family doc hinted it could have waited 1-2 weeks before being evaluated (and I wish we would have, as with two weeks of rest? All better.). That time her coach wanted her seen though... :/

Then she had an Achilles issue, I was made to feel like a class A jerk for waiting, when I listened to coach/trainer about waiting.

DD tends to be a bit sensitive. And she's nearing puberty so we've got the drama that goes along with it. I'm the meanest if I make her go when her left big toe kinda hurts a little, and I'm also the meanest if I make her rest an elbow she can't move.

I can't tell when maybe it's just fine and she really just wants a day off, or when it's really not fine, but she's really really really close to making her <insert skill> so it's totally fine and no pain and yes please practice.... And then ugh yep the finger was broken.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Probably the hardest thing for anyone to figure out with some kids. So if you suspect a little drama you have to play against it. Remember kids who are dramatic are sometimes just seeking attention, so don't give her as much. Let her get the ice if she needs it and don't let her miss workout. Plenty for her to do without injuring the foot further in the gym.
How on earth did she hurt her foot on a sole circle!? .

 

[ShesAMonkey]

As my daughter has gotten to the higher optional levels, the aches and pains have become more frequent. It's SO hard to tell sometimes whether we actually should take her in or not. She was complaining of pain in her wrists but they didn't hurt all time time, only when she did certain things. One coach said not to take her in. Another coach insisted that she needed to be seen.

So, we made an appointment. Waited weeks to be seen.

Two days before that appointment, she is REALLY hurt--another body part! Broken big toe + pinky toe. The only thing that told me that she needed to go to Urgent Care? The fact that she had an open laceration that clearly needed stitches. Otherwise, I probably would have waited a day. (and then felt bad later when she needed surgery on the broken big toe!!!)

 

[raenndrops]

As my daughter has gotten to the higher optional levels, the aches and pains have become more frequent. It's SO hard to tell sometimes whether we actually should take her in or not. She was complaining of pain in her wrists but they didn't hurt all time time, only when she did certain things. One coach said not to take her in. Another coach insisted that she needed to be seen.

So, we made an appointment. Waited weeks to be seen.

Two days before that appointment, she is REALLY hurt--another body part! Broken big toe + pinky toe. The only thing that told me that she needed to go to Urgent Care? The fact that she had an open laceration that clearly needed stitches. Otherwise, I probably would have waited a day. (and then felt bad later when she needed surgery on the broken big toe!!!)

Don't feel too bad. We had a girl on a pre-team equivalent... fell down roller skating on Friday... caught herself like gymnasts are told NEVER to do. Her mom did the rest, ice, compression, elevation thing. Sent her to gym on Tuesday. I saw that she was favoring that arm / wrist while on beam, so I called her over. I asked if it hurt or she was just scared (she had been playing fine over the weekend and on Monday). She said a little of both. I looked at her wrist and immediately called her mom and TOLD her to take her to urgent care (or the ER). She had errands to run, so she was just going to meet me at the house and take her from there (it's YG's little step-sister, so we transport her) ... turns out she had fractured BOTH bones in the forearm... and swinging on bars before beam probably just made the one fracture more visible for the x-ray.

 

[sce]

, ice cream of any combination of there. If it's still bad a couple of days later I take her to the doctor or physio.

I need to add this into our injury treatment plan.

 

[needcoffee]

Thanks everyone, you've all made me feel so much better! I thought it was just me!

Coachp, apparently she fell off backwards onto her back with her foot under her, I dunno, I still can't quite work out how she did that!

She seems much better today.

 

[my4buffaloes]

We knew my dd's foot was really hurt because she wouldn't put her foot down. She is one to copy my other dd's injuries and complain over nothing. But she would NOT put her foot down for hours. So a trip to the ER it was and it was broken. I just tried to blow it off and watch her behavior for the afternoon. She hoped or crawled everywhere even when we weren't around. So I could tell she wasn't faking it that time.

 

[Deleted member 17723]

Ignore the little things... Ow. If you give someone attention, they typically want more. So when they say "this hurts" tell them that they can't go "insert fun place here" and they have to go to something "not so fun". Make sure they know that they have to ice and stuff themselves or they will not be going to the doctor. Check for swelling and bruising. If they insist it's "broken" but not swollen.... Red flag. However, if they are doing things they wouldn't do (crawl, be mature, etc) consider going to the doctor. Remind them how expensive it is.

 

[leotardmakermum]

My daughter used to complain of something hurting *Every Single Night* just to prolong the bedtime routine. One night when my MIL was babysitting, she got out of bed to tell her "I smell funny..." LOL. I don't know how my MIL kept a straight face!

 

[needcoffee]

Funny you say that leotardmakermum, the first time I heard of this "very sore foot" was at bed time!!! Lol!!

Hasn't been mentioned once today, so all is good.n