My DD (three and a half) fell on the trampoline and broke her leg - unfortunately, for almost a week we and the GP thought she had just sprained her ankle and encouraged her to put weight on it, which must have been excruciatingly painful.
She was put into first an open cast up to her knee, and then a full cast which came halfway up her thigh. She was very nifty in the full cast and even danced! This was removed a week ago and although the break had healed she utterly refused to stand or walk on her 'bad' foot. The doctor at the hospital had advised us to return if she didn't walk and so today we did, and while he could find nothing the matter he suggested that she have a cast up to her knee to encourage her to walk - this will be removed next week.
She continues to refuse even to stand on her foot, although she says that it doesn't hurt.
She's not the most daring of children and I think those first days before she was given a cast have perhaps made her frightened. I know that she's only had the new cast since this morning, but can anyone give any suggestions as to how we could encourage her to use her leg again? We have tried putting things a little out of reach, but she just shuffles on her bottom or hops to get them.
Thank you very much! 
For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.
Parenting
won't walk after broken leg has healed (aged 3 and a half)
sproutpudding · 05/11/2013 12:52
Not surprised you are having stressy moments - I found the whole thing emotionally and physically draining, especially at the start when he was in pain (so much so I started running to get a little headspace and a physical high! At that point I HATED running but needed the endorphins :))
It seems that coming out of the cast suddenly makes you feel very vulnerable - my mum certainly said that when she broke her wrist and it has been my limited experience with DS (leg at 3.6, wrist at 4.6, he is 8 tomorrow and nothing since...yet. He is one of those children 
)
Time and being casually mean ie keep expecting her to move about rather than helping her too much is, hopefully, the way to go but it is hard so look after yourself too.
Feel free to PM me if you need any moral support.
Oh yes, swimming v useful and not helping but ignoring that they're not walking seemed to work too. It will happen! Good luck! 
Dd did exactly the same last summer at the same age. Really worrying especially when you are given to understand they'll be off and away once the cast is off.
Now a year on, doing swimming, dancing, gymnastics, walking miles - you will not be carrying her at 25! You will however have a special soppy smile every time you see her running and jumping if you're anything like me
We had some sessions of physio which just helped get her using the muscles properly again and was a bit more brutal about getting her to walk on it than her softie mum! She also had a small zimmer frame for a month or two which really helped bridge the gap and build up her confidence and strength.
Id ask for either of those and then patience, patience patience! pM me if you want.
Best of luck
Hello everyone, oh I am overwhelmed by all your kind messages, thank you so much! I feel SO much better having read them. And also thank you for the offers of PMs, I may very well take you up on them. However, I am already feeling calmer.
It's very true about expecting the cast to come off and ta-dah! DD to instantly start walking, thepoodoctor. I realised that it was my own expectations which were frustrating me, so I've tried to think not in terms of days but weeks.
Alas, I forgot, I can't take her swimming until this cast is off, so that will have to wait until next week. (And she doesn't like soft play very much.) Benign neglect and casual cruelty seem to me very helpful ways of proceeding.
Yesterday I invented a very boring subplot to an already boring story I was telling her; this involved a little rabbit with a broken foot and how her friends helped her to walk again. Heavy handed? Oh yes. But she made me tell it over and over again until I ran away. And this morning with a little bribery - you can watch 'The Nutcracker' if you just show us a little beautiful walking - she did limp around a bit hanging on my arms. Cue lots of praise for her bravery. She is also getting fed up with shuffling about on her bottom (we have tiled floors so rather cold). So there's hope.
Deanna you have my complete sympathy, your poor son's situation sounds a great deal worse than my DD's and you must be at the end of your tether! 
I hope that some of this excellent advice will help you. I keep telling myself that I have't met many adults who broke their legs as children and are still being carried by their mothers (despite my earlier worry!). And nor, I am sure, have you. Our children WILL recover. In the mean time, I do hope you are getting some time away from being the constant nurse and slave, it is wearing and frustrating.
Thank you again, everybody! I feel even a little weepy at how kind strangers can be. You are all wonderful.
Deanna - it does get better I promise but it is a REALLY tough time for you as well as your DS. Don't underestimate the emotional and physical toll it takes having an active, independent 3 yr old who suddenly needs to be carried to the toilet, helped to get around, be entertained because they can't get around too well, etc. plus all the worry of hospital appointments, etc. I was shocked at how tough it was on me.
Also a word of warning - you will get a 'concerned' phone call from a health visitor/social worker. This is routine and NOT a reflection of your parenting. Luckily I had been warned or it would have freaked me out further, especially as DS's explanation to anyone who would listen was 'Daddy dropped me'! True but not exactly helpful and did produce a lot of 
faces.
DS turned 8 yesterday, is into everything sporty and is shaping up to be quite a good little gymnast so there is hope.
Take care of yourselves and PM me if you want to.
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.