Ok this is a bit left-field but I don't know who else to ask.
My daughter who is 4 had an accident and severed the end of her big toe on her right foot. We went to the doctor today to check the progress of her healing, and he is sort of happy with it, but noticed there may be some issues with the way it is healing. At this stage he's asked us not to put it into any shoes until next week. So this means no skating (understandably!)

However, It's just the start of her school holidays and she's already driving me crazy. She's jumping around like nothing has happened and she's been making the wound bleed.... I'm scared that she is going to really damage it by 'popping' it at the wound site where it's been stuck back together.

I tried rationalising it with her, but try telling a 4 year old that they can't jump around for at least another week PLUS they can't skate for another week at MINIMUM .... it's not going so well...

So does anyone know how you get little kids to take some easy time to recover?? I mean, this kid is like bouncing off the walls if she doesn't do her gymnastics classes and skating !!

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

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AW1
mum to Miss Lil (6yrs old)
mum to be to #2 due in March 08

Oh, gee, this sounds like no fun for either of you! If there's truly a risk that she could re-injure herself, you might have to talk to her doctor about immobilizing her foot somehow. I can't see any way to force an active preschooler to sit still for an extended period, so her foot needs to be protected in such a way that she can't hurt it. Beyond that, you'll just have to find ways to keep her distracted with more passive activities. Could you see a movie or some other show where she'd have to sit quietly? Could you visit a zoo or museum? If she shouldn't be walking at all, they usually have strollers of some sort for hire. Go to the library and read some stories? Would she do crafts projects? Help you bake cookies? Good luck to you! I hope her recovery progresses well and this is over quickly!

Definitely talk about immobilizing it if there is a chance she could reinjure it. I'm actually surprised that your doctor hasn't offered this (unless he thinks there really isn't much risk of reinjury). I volunteer at a children's hospital and they actually tape splint-type things onto the younger kids who need IVs because otherwise they pull them out or just generally aren't careful enough.

I agree that this is what you have to do. How is the question. I imagine some kind of bundling up of her foot that won't be too hard to undo as necessary. Maybe a couple of elastic wraps put on somewhat loosely so as not to impinge the blood flow even a bit. Do you think the doctor might help you get some tiny crutches? Also, if you still have a stroller that she fits into, you could try that as much as possible. Finally, videos, books, etc. as Clarice suggested already.

Best wishes for her speedy recovery. BTW, how did this happen?

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There's a TV commercial where the parents come home to find the kids in bed sound asleep. They say to each other "How does he [the babysitter] do it?" Prior to that scene, you see the babysitter taking the kids to the gym and putting them on the treadmills (among other activities) to wear them out. LOL

How about an exercise bicycle or a rowing machine? If she can get it wet, swimming would be great - just pad it with gauze and put a cutoff rubber glove finger over it to protect it from getting bumped against the tiles.

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Benadryl.

Kidding, mostly. (I'm just thinking of what my moms' lists recommend for flying with small children.) I'm guessing that the pressure on the wound site is the biggest problem? Because walking/jumping around would cause bending of the toes, etc.? Is there any way you could splint the foot--like with a removeable air cast, perhaps? Anything to prevent the injury from moving normally until adequate healing has taken place.

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We didn't see how it happened, all we know is that she seemed to kick her toe (on what we have NO idea!) ...

Swimming is out because we can't get it wet. As for the immobilising I have no idea how he could do it. I have to take her back to the doctor tomorrow morning to have it re-dressed so I will speak to him about it then.

So far, it's been a diet of craft & kids television but she's such an active kid she's not used to sitting down in the one spot doing the one thing for too long. Tonight we're going to see some of her older skating friends compete at Club Trophy night, so that's 4 less hours I have to worry about I suppose!

__________________
AW1
mum to Miss Lil (6yrs old)
mum to be to #2 due in March 08