Kids getting hurt.
It happens.
It's a learning experience.
Right?
Today I took Greyson out for a Mommy/Son day since I've started feeling bad that very soon he will lose his only child status. After a trip to the library that ended in a melt-down I tried to save the afternoon by taking him to the park near our house. Ah, the best laid plans.
At the park there is a slide that he loves. It's a BIG twisty slide and the path up to it is covered and easy for him to climb. There is also a ladder that goes from the level the slide is on, down about 5 feet to the next level which is about 3 feet off the ground. We've done this slide countless times before. On this day he had already gone down it about 5 times.
So I'm standing at the bottom of the slide waiting for him to go down and I can see that he's wandering over to where the ladder is. I tell him not to go over there and to just go down the slide. But he doesn't listen. I start yelling at him to move back. Instead he starts to try to climb down the ladder. I'm telling him no and trying to climb up on to the bottom platform to get to him, but it doesn't have a normal ladder, it's some kind of "fun to climb" thing for kids. And me and my big pregnant belly couldn't get up there fast enough. There is a dad there with his kid and he sees what is going on and rushes over. At the same moment that he reaches the platform Greyson loses his grip and falls like a rag doll the full 5 feet on to the metal platform below.
The dad hands Greyson around to corner to me as soon as I was able to get up there. Greyson is screaming, but mainly seemed scared. I just held him and asked him to move his arms and legs, which he did. I was holding his head, just as a way to hold him closer to me. I was looking him over and nothing seemed to be cut or broken and just as I was breathing a sigh of relief I moved me hand - which was now covered in blood. I look and he has about a 1 - 2 inch gash on the left side of his scalp. With him still in my arms I scoot us off the platform and down a little slide. Then we head to the car. At this point he's already stopped crying, but keeps saying "Mommy" over and over. I hated putting him in the car seat, I just wanted to put him in the front so I could keep my hands on him while driving to the doctor's office. But that would have been horribly unsafe, so into the car seat he went. He wasn't happy to get out of my arms, but he didn't fight it. He actually pushed the gash part of his head into the seat and rode the whole way like that.
During the drive he was so calm. No more tears at all. Instead I just kept asking him questions, having him count with me and going over the alphabet. He was such a champ. Once we got to the doctor's office he wanted me to carry him - which I happily did, down a flight of stairs since we couldn't get parking on the main level. Once we were in the doctors office he just wanted to sit on my lap and press the gash into my shoulder. He instinctually kept pressure on the wound.
The nurse came in and cleaned out the wound, which was not fun. This is the same nurse who gave him the MMR shot on Thursday, and she mentioned that it made her sad that Greyson is going to relate her to pain. Awhile later the doctor came in, looked and Greyson's head and told me he's like to just glue it shut since it is in his hair. He said I could pick between stitches, which would make a tighter close, but take longer and would be more traumatic, staples that would be quick, but would require a follow up to have them removed, or the glue that will just fall out later. I opted for the glue, since that was the doctor's initial recommendation.
We had to lay Greyson on his tummy and Dr. H had to practically lay on him to keep him still and put glue in. But after much fighting and Greyson yelling "Get Off" and "All Done!" over and over, we were finally done. Greyson sat in my lap and calmed down. Dr. H said that with that much fight in him, he's clearly okay other than the gash which will heal. He then told me this is just one of those things that happen and something similar happened to his daughter. That's one of the reasons I love our doctor, nothing flusters him, and he recognizes that kids will be kids and get hurt. In fact early on when I was still a freaking out new mom he told me that "you can't keep your kid in a bubble. You both have to live even if that means some sniffles and scraped knees." or in this case gaping head wounds.
I took Greyson home and gave him a slice of cake for being so brave. He went on to play all afternoon like nothing happened at all. He's resilient!
After everything was said and done, I'm just glad he is okay. And hopefully next time we are at the park he'll listen to me. I hate that my kid git hurt, but this is also how kids learn. My mom says that some kids learn the easy way (being told "no you could get hurt" and accepting that) and some learn the hard way. Greyson learned the hard way today. I hope he doesn't make a habit out of it.
But even after this we have still made it to 2.5 years without stitches or a broken bone and I'm claiming that as a victory.
3 comments:
You are an awesome mom and I always admire you. As you said, this stuff happens to all kids. Next time you see Jameson, check out the scar on his forehead from where he fell down the patio step right in front of me! Of course, I had told him several times to stay away, but like you said he had to learn the hard way. I still feel TERRIBLE.
Here is another story for you: When I was in fifth grade, my mom didn't realize I was right behind her and she slammed my toe in the front door, and nearly severed the top part completely off. I had to go to the ER for stitches and was in a boot for two weeks while it healed. I think my mom cried more than I did.
I still like her :)
OH scary moment! Glad he's ok and sounds like you handled it very well. Elisa whacked her head pretty hard yesterday and had me freaked out but in the end, she just bounced back. They always do. (((hugs)))
I've learned with a boy and a girl that C always seems to learn things the hard way : ) Boys will be boys and seem to learn by doing. He is a trooper : )
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