8 yo has a broken toe. She can't really walk

[itsboiledeggsagain]

I am not totally sure how to manage it. She is in pain to walk and can't go far. My instinct is that she shouldnt go to school tomorrow until the pain has subsided a bit. But obviously her brain is fine!

Needless to say it is logistically a nightmare as we walk 10 mins each way to school and no parking near the school so she will have to be super earjly or late, as will her sister. School gates are shut for 20mins at drop off etc.

Anyone got experience of how to manage this situation? How much pain are we expecting? How inconvenient will it be?

Thanks!

I broke my 4th toe recently and it was several weeks before I could wear normal shoes. I couldn’t even wear Stan Smiths, you might have to write a note to school explaining why she is wearing trainers so she doesn’t get in trouble.

Yes, it is painful, but you just need to get on with it
Good advice for an adult but a bit unkind for an 8 year old child.

Did she actually get it xrayed OP? Just wondering when you said the nurse didn’t seem bothered. My dd suffered a bad toe break when she was 10 (compound fracture) and needed an operation to pin it, they missed a break at the top of her foot too which they only saw with follow up X-rays. If you’re unsure about the pain levels/bruising then you an absolutely go back.
My dd managed to hobble on a moon boot and crutches, but even with the bad break she ditched the crutches after the first week.
Our school are similar with the closed parking, but they will arrange to have the gates open for situations like this.
I’d keep her off for today but I’d call and ask if they can open the gates to let you drop off for the rest of this week. Perhaps stay in at playtime if she’s still in pain with it? Keep topped up on nurofen/calpol today if she’s still sore.

Good advice for an adult but a bit unkind for an 8 year old child. not unkind at all, yes, it will be uncomfortable, but you do just have to get on with it.

She will hurt for a few days, but so long as it's strapped up she will be fine after that. Definitely send her for now in the crocs so normal shoes don't apply more pressure, school should hopefully be fine with it. I broke mine a few years ago, I hobbled around on crocs in pain for the first few days, a week and a half later I went to Rome and walked the entire lot of tourist sites in a day.
Poor Dd though, hope she's already feeling better today.

My 9to broke two toes last year. He wore his boots to school as they opened right up and were roomy. He didn't have any time off and only had calpol on the first day. Don't make a big thing of it take your que from your daughter.

She certainly isn’t too young for crutches, I have had kids younger on them at work with fractured legs using them but we don’t see toes unless they require surgery, physio comes to make sure they are safe on stairs and competent using them first.

Any fracture is painful and everyone has a different pain threshold so what one kid can tolerate and get on with another finds excruciating. Kids often tolerate pain better than adults but make sure she has pain relief if she needs it and ask school to keep an eye on her it may become sore later in the day, perhaps keep her off tomorrow to get her pain levels sorted then back on Wednesday. Hope she’s back on her feet soon op

Won’t the school allow students with a need through the gate? I would e-mail the school.

Ah so it's all down to toe length!

Hope your daughter hasn't been in too much pain today OP and the school have been sympathetic!

Thanks for your good wishes. We made it through day 1! Dd woke up in good spirits and insisted on going to school so I let her. We arrived after the gates were opened and therfore late but neither dd nor sibling got a late mark and attendance officer said they wouldn't as long as I did this. I got into car park early to fetch them at pick up and put on audio books for 3yo as it is about 40 mins wait.

She watched telly after school with foot up, but was clearly v tired. Had ibuprofen at tea time but is now struggling to sleep, not sure if it is pain or overtired - was lights out at 1830 so a long time to still be awake.

Which throws tomorrow into doubt once more.
I have given her paracetamol.

Glad school were helpful. Fingers crossed she is ok for tomorrow.

I woke up in pain with mine in the middle of the night - hope she sleeps through.