Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

School with broken arm.

43 replies

HereThereIsNoWhy · 05/10/2019 00:15

Posting for traffic. My 4.5 year old DS broke his arm, two broken bones in lower arm. He's in a full arm cast. Do I need to keep him off school until his first fracture clinic appointment?

TIA

OP posts:
ThisMustBeMyDream · 05/10/2019 00:17

Has he got his full cast on? Mine broke his at a similar age. School were fine with him attending - completed risk assessment and he was good to go.

BritInUS1 · 05/10/2019 00:17

What did the hospital say?

Parttimewasteoftime · 05/10/2019 00:21

Mine broke his collar bone kept him out for a week with schools support. So much bumping and energy in foundation and teacher and TA would struggle to care 1 2 1.

Parttimewasteoftime · 05/10/2019 00:22

Was only in sling mind so easier for more damage to done.

NarwhalsNarwhals · 05/10/2019 00:26

You need to ask the school, it very much depends on the child and the break. We have had children who have come in with broken bones fine but others who were much better staying at home until they had a proper cast as they weren't the kind of child who would understand why they couldn't go running round the playground/would be likely to bump it a lot.

Drogosnextwife · 05/10/2019 00:26

One of my minded kids broke their arm and I took them back a couple of days later. Pretty sure it happened over the weekend so they just came back on the Monday, the day they were suppesed to be with me. They were quite a bit younger than your ds, but I'm sure it will be fine to send him to school if you think he is OK to go.

Original poster
HereThereIsNoWhy · 05/10/2019 00:30

By the time we left we were so exhausted completely forgot to ask them about school. Yes, it's a full cast from his wrist to nearly his shoulder.

OP posts:
raspberryk · 05/10/2019 00:34

I am 2 weeks into recovery from a broken ankle and it is extremely painful and achey, I am off uni...
unless they're willing to give him pan relief every 4 hours I can't imagine he will be feeling that great. But he has 2 days now at home to see how he goes and you can decide on monday.

coolwalking · 05/10/2019 00:37

Mine broke arm at school and was back again in cast the next day. School didn't say anything - I don't live in the UK so don't know what a risk assessment is. Just expected to get on with it!

HappyHolidays75 · 05/10/2019 07:34

My 9 yr old was back in school after 1 day.
Full cast so fully protected.
Stayed in at break and no p.e.
School office would administer pain relief for the break.

CigarsofthePharoahs · 05/10/2019 07:42

When my son broke his arm I waited until his first fracture clinic appointment before going back to school. It was 4 days after the initial injury and I wanted to be sure everything was stable before risking school!
Also he was in a lot of pain the first few days, sending him to school would have been cruel.

Mumtoaperfectbabyboy · 05/10/2019 07:48

It usually depends on the school, health and safety etc. What is it he's broken if he's in a full arm cast? If it's his supracondylar I'd keep him off until he's seen fracture clinic as they are super painful and unstable.

lljkk · 05/10/2019 08:01

I've broken 2 bones in one arm (at same time). DD had a greenstick.

I would send him if...
he wasn't complaining about pain
he was content to go
school felt they could keep him from running at break time
he was going to be bored at home

I would not send him if...
he was miserable or shook up about the injury, in any way about it all
clinic advised me not to send him (could ring them today to ask)

LolaSmiles · 05/10/2019 08:04

It's fairly normal to go to school with a cast on.
Teacher judges whether outdoor play or indoor play (with aciuple of friends) is most appropriate for the child. E.g. can go outside, but no running games etc. The child sits out of PE, and sometimes a TA will write for them or they have a laptop as required.

lljkk · 05/10/2019 17:54

Given his age, my school would want him to stay at home until he's had treatment & docs are sure it's stable.
But unlikely to stay off school the whole time. So it's just a matter of when not if.

The only child I know who stayed at home until pretty much all healed, had broken his jaw. Broken arms are much more ordinary and manageable.

SinkGirl · 05/10/2019 18:09

My mum sent me in for a week with a fractured humerus before taking me to A&E... wouldn’t recommend that.

In all honestly when I’ve had breaks the pain has been very manageable once the cast is on, but with a severe break like this I think you should keep him off tomorrow and talk to the school. He may be raring to go tomorrow or he may just want to sleep and take calpol.

Original poster
HereThereIsNoWhy · 05/10/2019 18:12

Tbh I'm not entirely sure what he broke! I was a bit shocked and also focusing on him. It's both bones and it was very clearly broken, his arm was "deformed" as they say. It's in a full cast up to his shoulder. It was quite serious and there was talk of surgery if manipulation didn't align the bones (that bit of it will haunt me, it was awful).

He is still in pain but we're keeping on top of it with painkillers, and he says it's not too painful but it's clear the pain is coming when the painkillers wear off.

I will ring the school on the morning and find out. I'm not even sure what he can wear!

OP posts:
Original poster
HereThereIsNoWhy · 05/10/2019 18:14

I wouldn't expect him to stay off anytime after the fracture clinic appointment next week, I guess I'm just not sure before then, as the cast is large and heavy and he's also still needing painkillers.

OP posts:
SinkGirl · 05/10/2019 18:20

When I had a very bad arm injury i got some cheap t shirts and cut the underarm seam in the bad side so I could get them on, then wore a sort of poncho thing to keep warm and keep my arm in a sling underneath. School shorts and jumpers will be tricky so I would ask about that

AuntieStella · 05/10/2019 18:21

I went through this with one of mine, but it was a less dramatic break.

He went back to school, but some things to consider:

  • painkillers (when he went back he did not need them routinely, but I got agreement from the school they would administer a single dose of paracetamol if he complained of achiness, if that didn't deal with it, I was to pick up). He was perfectly well in himself.
  • self care (he could go to the loo unassisted)
  • uniform adjustment (I didn't want to cut up a shirt, so he wore a loose polo shirt in school colour, with a body warmer for outside)
  • excused PE, and had to sit at picnic table during break times (no dashing about and risking clunking another pupil with the cast), and they had an informal rota of friends to sit with him and play yu-gi-oh (the then craze)
NearlyGranny · 05/10/2019 18:21

Home while he is on painkillers, I reckon, then school. He will be quite the celebrity!

A collarbone is unprotected, so a bit different as the child could get bumped, but a big cast is safe. Did they offer him a colour choice?

Abibranning · 05/10/2019 18:24

Same happened with DS both bones broken manipulation to put in place no school until after first xray at fracture clinic. DS's manipulation didn't work so ended up with another op and wires (but he was bigger). Then another week off scho til clinic again. Then back at school from then on. But no playtime or PE his happened at Easter and not back to PE until after summer hols. Not a situation I want to repeat. But DS loved it he's desperate to go back and eat more hospital foodHmm. Hope you DS heals quickly.

Original poster
HereThereIsNoWhy · 05/10/2019 18:25

No, it's just plaster of Paris.

He is struggling to go to the toilet unattended, getting his trousers up and down is hard.

OP posts:
StonedRoses · 05/10/2019 18:26

My son had a horrific elbow break when 5 which required surgery and pinning. He did it on Monday pm, op first thing tues and home later that day with a full elbow cast. Back to school on Thursday. TBH we did consider sending him Wednesday because he was so well!!!
No probs at all at school with the cast. Sat in at lunch with a friend or sat quietly on a bench outside. His mates all wanted to help carry his tray at lunch! Luckily it was summer so didn’t need to get a jumper on, just wore a jacket over the cast if needed.
I did wince a couple of months later when he was put in the sack race at sports day.....
Didn’t relax till it was safely over

HelenaJustina · 05/10/2019 18:26

Work in a school, we would have them back but would complete a Risk Assessment which would say indoor at break times (or sitting on a bench outside for the fresh air) and no PE. Self care such as toileting may also be an issue but he has got one useable arm!

As a Mum, I wouldn’t send back while they still need regular pain relief.