to report this child to the school because she's accused my dd of 'faking' an injury.

[Northernlurker]

Dd2 sprained her ankle at school in a PE lesson last week. It is a bad sprain and has been very painful for dd. She couldn't go to school for two days last week and one day this week because it simply hurt too much for her to be able to walk enough. Yesterday she went back with a walking stick to help her balance. We have taken her to A&E, it's been x-rayed and she has exercises to do. She's got through a lot of pain medication over the last few days. This morning she struggled to get out of bed because it was so sore (having stiffened up over night). Poor lamb sat on the edge of her bed and cried. Then she got up and got on and as the stiffness eased she felt she could manage at school. She's done really well but on the way home told me that whilst everybody else has been supportive one girl had told her repeatedly that she was faking it for attention and then started making faces at her. ( They are 11 btw - not primary age) I am livid about this and I've rung the school to report it. I hope they will treat it seriously as imo telling somebody they are faking an injury or illness is a really horrible way to behave. Dd is temporarily incapcitated but is this how this girl would treat the disabled too? I feel her ideas need adjusting sharpish. Or AIBU and over-reacting because I'm upset to see my sweet, active daughter in pain?

[applefalls]

Sorry, that should say NEVER meets, posting from
Phone with v small screen. Aplologies, that sounded terribly cruel.

[applefalls]

Sledgehammer and nut, NL? She said your daughter was 'faking' and then 'made faces at her' and you reported her to school and want her brought to task.

I sincerely hope your daughter meets the kind of bullies I have dealt with in my time.

Serious over reaction and let's hope the teacher handling it doesn't mention that you rang about 'faces' or you may find your dd is a laughing stock.

I'm sure that's the last thing you want, you sound very caring. But as others have said, perhaps channel some if that maternal energy into either facing down or just ignoring such nonsense from her peers.

Hope it's better today, must be very annoying for her to be so incapacitated.

[AnyFucker]

Oh dear.

[Northernlurker]

School was fine. Falling over her sister at home and hurting the bad leg again not so fine.

Dd's form tutor had received the message and told her that the behaviour tutor person would speak to the other girl. The other girl hasn't said anything objectionable to dd today who is much happier - or was till the falling over sister occurred. I am pleased that school have addressed this promptly.

[AnyFucker]

How was dd's day at school today, NL ?

[MrsBW]

Sure, OK

OP - apologies, this has gone off tangent a bit! Hope your daughter is recovering and she's not too upset by her 'friend's' comments.

[valiumredhead]

It's effective and advised a lot.

[MrsBW]

And, as you say - before exercise to increase joint elasticity.

[MrsBW]

Heat is good with chronic injuries or when there is no swelling. I've never seen it advised for a mild sprain sprain or severe sprain/ligament tear (and I've had both many times including ankles, cruciate ligaments etc)

[valiumredhead]

Heat is good just not immediately after injury. I often soak my foot in warm water to loosen it up and then do exercises.

[MrsBW]

Heat pack? God, it would never occur to put a heat pack on a sprain. Ice all the way.

Best exercise I've found for strengthening ankles is closing my eyes while brushing my teeth and standing on one leg. Try it, but be careful...

[Boomerwang]

Tell your daughter to speak to the teacher if the kid keeps giving her hassle. Also to avoid getting into a conversation with the girl and ignore her taunts if she doesn't take the hint and shut up.

Until you've done something like this, it's unreasonable to rush off to the school and demand something be done about the bullying. How is your kid gonna get on in life if you have to do everything for her?

[valiumredhead]

Tbh keth there is ime a massive difference between physios - the difference is like night and day between a good one and one who just hands you a sheet of exercises and tells you to get one with it.

[crashdoll]

As someone who has sprained both ankles so many times, she has destroyed the ligaments completely and needs surgical repair, I have a fair amount of experience in this area. Heat packs on swelling is a definite no-no.

[MrsBW]

I dislocated my collar bone at a similar age, had it in a sling and had other kids take the piss; one even poked me in the collar bone to prove I was 'faking it'. It wouldn't have occurred to me to tll my mother, and if she'd gone to the school about it, I'd have been mortified.

As an adult, I've sprained my ankle 3 times, x rayed twice (I play a lot of sport). Every time casualty has told me to do the RICE thing together with trying to walk on it gently after an initial 3 days of keeping the weight off as much as possible. I've always been told crutches are a no-no

Your daughter has my sympathy - a sprained ankle really is very painful.

[Fiderer]

My d just sent 3 weeks on crutches after a bad sprain. She missed a couple of days of school as the pain was so bad and a couple more once she got crutches because she bashed her foot falling down stairs and (I think) her arm/chest/back muscles were sore from hopping around on the crutches.

I didn't think it would take so long to heal. We were at an orthopaedic doctor (standard referral here in Germany) who said if she had broken her foot it would have healed more quickly and been less painful. She had a few snidey comments but luckily she brushed them off. Quite unlike her but she put them down to jealousy as she and an assigned friend were allowed to use the school lift

I sympathise. Another girl then came on crutches and got a lot of sniggering and criticism for copying my d and looking for sympathy. I work at the school too and brought the girls responsible into the office for a talk. Borrowed my d's crutches and sent the ringleader to potter about the playground on them and then come back and tell me how much fun it was that someone would fake having to do it.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

I agree withwhoknowswhocares. I think giving attention to what an ignorant 11 year old says is playing into her hands.

I totally sympathise though. I agree soft tissue injuries can be worse than broken bones. I think very many people, 11 year olds included, aren't aware of this. If there's no cast, it's not serious.

If she carries on, I'd have a word then.

[butisthismyname]

I was surrounded by a group of girls in my first year at secondatry who chanted at me about my disability. I told a teacher who smiled and said 'sticks and stones...' and told my mum who told me to stop showing off. I would be steaming too :(

[amothersplaceisinthewrong]

Sorry, you have over reacted in reporting the school because a girl made faces at your daughter. Girls of that age are like this. Your daughter needs to learn to ignore.

[valiumredhead]

Oooooooo out that's a good price, that were over £50 last time I looked, thanks!

[seeker]

I think a quiet word about this other girl to the school, but under no circumstances tell your dd that you've done it. And maybe (sorry) encouraging a bit of stoicism in your dd might be a good idea? Tell her to ignore and avoid the nasty girl and just get on with stuff. Robust resilience is the best thing we can teach our children.

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

There's a wobble board on amazon

Not cheap, but you could probably sell it on when you're done with it.

[AnyFucker]

Wobble boards on Ebay ?