10 Ways to Help Your Child Recover From an Unfortunate Sports Injury
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011An injury can be devastating to both child and parent. This is your time to shine and to help them through so that they heal properly and work past the injury.
1. Listen to doctors’ orders: Most kids are not going to want to hear what their doctor has to say. When a sports injury happens, they are likely going to be devastated. Not only that, but they are going to want to keep up with their sport and stay away from any advice that says otherwise. Therefore you as a parent absolutely must be sure that your child listens to doctors’ orders and understands that is the only way to properly heal.
2. Keep them active as possible: As long as you stay within the doctors’ orders and keep up with the physical therapy, sometimes you need to prod your kid a bit. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of sitting around and playing video games, particularly if they are depressed about the injury. Keep them as active as they can be and ensure that they still get physical activity in the safest way possible.
3. Be sure that they are taking care of themselves when you are not around: Instill in them the importance of keeping up with what the doctors are telling them. Be sure that they understand that just one slip or neglect of the advice can put them in a worse place than they are now. Be sure that they understand all of this and that they take care of themselves even when you’re not around to oversee things.
4. Ensure that your child gets plenty of rest: Though you do want to ensure that your child does stay physically active in some way, you also need to ensure that they get plenty of rest as well. Be sure that they are sleeping well at night and that they are resting the site of the injury so as not to overdo it. You don’t want one extreme or another because then you are back at square one.
5. Keep up with the physical therapy as dictated by the specialists: Most kids are not going to be thrilled about physical therapy. You as a parent need to make sure that they attend and that they stick with it. They need to understand from you just how important this is in their healing and how it will help them to get back to their normal routine.
6. Provide them with moral support: Sometimes a child just needs to hear from mom and dad that everything will be okay. Be there for them, be a good emotional support to them, and be compassionate to what they are going through. This won’t be easy for any of you, so your support can be what helps them to get through.
7. Ensure that they perform any additional exercises required at home: As part of most physical therapy regimens, most patients will receive exercises that they have to do at home in addition. Be sure that they are actually doing this, and it may entail keeping on top of them. They may not like you nagging them, but they will come to realize that this is what will help them to get better.
8. Get them to all appointments and be there with them: Don’t just send them into appointments and hope for the best. Be there, be present, and be around to hear what the doctor has to say. Understand what the nature of the injury is and what the path is to ensure that they heal properly. This is a big step in the process and part of your role in moral support.
9. Keep up with their medicine as necessary: No matter how much they resist or say that they don’t need it, be sure that they take any medicine that is necessary. While you don’t want them popping pills unnecessarily, sometimes a pain medication can also work as an anti-inflammatory medicine as well. Keep up with their medication and be sure that they are taking it the way that they are supposed to.
10. Keep them moving towards the next step in the process: When there is an injury then there is a path towards improvement and recovery. Be sure that you keep them moving towards the next step. Help them to think towards the next step and work with them hand in hand.
An injury may seem like the end of the world to a child. You as the parent need to play an active role in helping your child to recover properly.
M. Ellen Ward writes about how to obtain a ph.d. in physical therapy.