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Original poster

DD broke her leg today.... any tips on keeping a hyper 4 year old from losing her mind with boredom being stuck on the couch til she gets a heel on monday?

77 replies

PinkTulips · 05/09/2009 23:00

She snapped straight through the bone in her lower leg being pulled off a wall by her friend at another friends birthday party.

She's been such a trooper, i honestly didn't think there was much wrong with her but brought her to be x-rayed (50 miles in dp's old banger of a car) just to be safe. I almost turned back in the hospital car park as she was so lively and perky and her usual cheeky self. I think even the hospital staff were doubtful there was much wrong with her until the x ray came back and showed her bone was broken diagonally and slightly seperated

She's in a thigh high cast and was almost admitted, only her perkiness prevented them keeping her in overnight but we're back on monday for fracture clinic and hopefully a heel and crutches.

She's normally incredibly active and lively though, even if she's watching tv she's normally up and moving while it's on so i have no idea how she'll cope being stuck on the couch.... she was trying to climb out of the buggy i had her in at the hospital before she had the cast on!

Help! Advice! A stiff drink!

OP posts:
weegiemum · 07/09/2009 13:34

PinkTulips

How has it gone at the hospital? Did they give your dd rocker heel or not? New cast?

Let us know how it is!?

I asked dd2 "what would you say to a girl your age who had to sit down for 6 weeks"

She said

"only 6 weeks?"

and

"ask her Mummy to let her watch telly all day and colour in and play Uno!"

So there you go!!!

Original poster
PinkTulips · 07/09/2009 17:12

weegie... thank your dd for her brilliant advice for me

Hospital went well, she has a proper cast now, purple! It's really high up the thigh and no heel as she's not allowed to weight bear but they let me take a pair of crutches for her to practice with... she's not keen so far but she had a bit of a hobble around the living room earlier with lots of help.

Have been down to the school to bully them into letting her back... teacher is looking for excuses but i'm damned if she's staying home six weeks when she's barely started. She gave me a few of her school books and showed me what the've done today and will do tomorrow so we have those for later.

She's gone through a bag of pom poms and pipe cleaners, a bag of feathers, a complete set of paper and sticky things, a packet of ribbons and half a bottle of glue already doing crafts and the woman whose house she fell at called round with a bag of colouring and activity books and pencils and a doll (the poor woman feels awful ) . She's watched far too much tv and is now immersed in Mario Kart on the DS.

I'm exhausted, not helped by ds2 waking at 4.30 and spending over an hour suffering from some sort of vomiting fit and ds1 waking at 6.45. We've been letting dd stay up very late as she can't sleep so by the time we're getting to bed ourselves it's stupidly late.

Thank you all for the tips... there's a few brilliant ideas i hadn't thought of myself so will be implementing those as needed... especially letting her pull herself around on the floor once she's up to it... that would never have occured to me

have just ordered a limbo... thank you so much feetheart and mrs badger for the links

OP posts:
feetheart · 07/09/2009 18:47

Think 4 is too young for crutches. DS was given them by A&E but a friend who is a children's physio was horrified and got him a frame. Said they just don't have the balance/coordination for crutches until about 6-7. If she struggles make a BIG fuss and insist on a frame - DS hopped with his so wasn't weight-bearing

AnyFucker · 07/09/2009 21:56

I second feetheart, crutches are dangerous especially if she is only allowed to hop as opposed to partial weight-bear

you must watch her at all times

Original poster
PinkTulips · 08/09/2009 12:26

She doesn't like them anyway so don't tink we'll get far... the teacher at school is causing a fuss about letting her back and the crutches will be the decider judging by her attitude so it would be great if she could master them just to get to the loo and back. Although if she argues much more i'm going to ask what they'd do if she was permanently disabled and threaten to go to the department of education about it... apparently last year they tried to refuse to let a boy with a broken arm come in until his parents caused a fuss... weird behaviour.

It was the physio department who gave the crutches to her! Which is weird because the a&e nurse was sure they had frames for little ones

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 08/09/2009 16:35

they should have frames for little ones pt

if mobility around school is the deciding issue as to whether to let her attend, give the physio dept a ring and ask for a frame instead

if that is not possible (it should be) the get back to me, I can give you contact details of where to buy them if necessary

tbh, it is not unusual for a school to refuse attendance for this kind of problem...they have their "health and safety record" to promote, you know

such a shame though for a little one to miss so much at the start of term whn everyone is settling in and making friendships

Original poster
PinkTulips · 08/09/2009 17:47

Talked to the teacher and her attitude is 'Even when she gets the heel and if she can use the crutches i don't think it's safe for her in the classroom... she could slip on a wet patch in the bathroom' As she could any other time when she's healthy fgs!

TBH, she did so much better on the work we did at home than she had been doing at school that i'm not pushed about falling behind on work, but all the others are going to be used to the school routine, have their little playground games sorted, have their alliances of friendships.... how on earth can she just be dumped into that halfway through the term? 6 weeks time is the week before hallowe'en break, so she'll have had 4 days at the beginning of term and one week half way through and then be dumped right into the midst of things before xmas

OP posts:
Lilyloo · 08/09/2009 17:55

pinktulips what a nightmare i can't believe the teacher isn't being more accomodating given she is just starting school.
Would they be open to her coming in with you for an hour or two or playtime/lunchtime so she can sit with her friends ?

AnyFucker · 08/09/2009 18:07

pt, where are you in the country (roughly)

thesunshinesbrightly · 08/09/2009 18:35

my children have never broke anything so haven't really got any advice.

posting to say i hope your DD has a speedy recovery and to send some {{hugs}}

Original poster
PinkTulips · 08/09/2009 19:25

lilyloo.... the teacher is pretty cat's bum faced about any suggestion of dd being in the school building at all.

anyfucker... i'm in ireland

thanks sunshine... i'm starting to feel like i could do with some!

OP posts:
serenity · 08/09/2009 19:48

That's a pain about school TBH, I think the only reason they let DD back into Nursery was because I was able to stay with her (she's my youngest, and I work evenings so am free during the day) plus I used to help out anyway if they were short a TA (so was 'known') I think it was easier for her too - because it was a minor fracture she was allowed to put weight on it.

There must be some sort of compromise? It's a long time to be off school (you'll both go stir crazy!)

AnyFucker · 08/09/2009 20:17

pt, that you are in Ireland

crockydoodle · 08/09/2009 21:06

My dd broke her leg aged 3 so we had no trouble with school or playgroup as she hadn't started but I was worried about leaving her to go to work but she was ok.
She never complained. I was amazed as she is a v active child.
We just used the buggy with a pillow under the leg. Wasn't offered a frame or crutches. I suppose she was too young. When she got bored with the buggy she went to the sofa, when bored with that she rolled around on the rug with a few cushions.
She enjoyed playing with a doll's house on a coffee table beside her and also loved blackboard and chalks and plasticine on a tray.
As the weeks went on she got more mobile til about week 5 she could get up the stairs, in a flash. (Laughing to herself at how clever she was).
It was a long six weeks but now it's only a distant memory (was May last year) - leg is perfect and walking perfect.

feetheart · 08/09/2009 22:44

Think you need to make a fuss about school if you have the energy - the work isn't important but the socialising is.
Can picture cat's bum face teacher very easily - daft bl**dy woman!

Might have been 'adult' physio you got landed with who gave you the crutches. Again, if you have the energy, I'd stomp about a bit demanding a frame - she will be much more stable on it than the crutches and that might help at school though I have a feeling that a BIG fuss will probably achieve more, its just such hard work!

AnyFucker · 08/09/2009 22:49

look here

feet, are you a physio ?

thesunshinesbrightly · 08/09/2009 23:08

pinktulips

{{{{big hugs to you too}}}}}

how are you??

Original poster
PinkTulips · 09/09/2009 09:46

exhausted, have the beginnings of mastitis and ds2 is sick with something so got very little sleep last night.

dd is being great about it all but her leg was throbbing again this morning so had to give her some neurofen poor lamb.

feetheart, i'm hoping by the time she has the heel i have a bit more emotional energy to argue with the teacher (teacher is also pricipal of the school so unfortunately can't go over her head)

I'll cause a fuss at the next appointment about the frame, no point til then as she's really uncomfortable hanging the leg down... i remember myself how sore it is without the heel so i'm not pushing her to try much, one quick practice for 30 seconds on the crutches a day just to get her up and moving a little.

Can't wait for the limbo to arrive, bathing her was anightmare last night, her hair needed doing badly. Would be great for her if i could bring her swimming too to get her some excercise without having to put pressure on the leg.

AF.. no walking frame distributors in ireland unfortunately. I found anouther site that sells them online but they're 60 odd sterling and might not arrive for a few weeks so not sure i can justify the cost for something she may or may not be able to use... will go back to physio dept and beg for one there.

OP posts:
serenity · 09/09/2009 12:52

Whilst you're waiting for the limbo (I didn't know about them ) if it helps, we bathed DD by putting her leg in a bin bag and taping the top shut. Then she sat on a child's plastic chair in the bath (with the bad leg propped on the edge) and I used a shower on her. It was... interesting, but it worked.

I'm so sorry things are rough atm. Have an unMN

Original poster
PinkTulips · 09/09/2009 13:43

i cling filmed the cast and put her in th baby bath but the cast is so high up her leg she can't be in more than an inch or so of water which is a nuisance!

thanks for the hug.... could do with some real life ones but dp is doing the typical male 'I'm so much more tired than you' nonsense and doesn't deal well with drying so i can't even have a sob on his shoulder.... although a good crying session watching private practice on monday helped a bit

OP posts:
Original poster
PinkTulips · 09/09/2009 13:44

deal well with drying? no he doesn't do much laundry either but obviously that was meant to say crying

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 09/09/2009 13:47

aww

< offers shoulder for crying >

Original poster
PinkTulips · 09/09/2009 13:53

thanks AF

i realise i'm being unbearably self absorbed and miserable here but i can't be in real life as dd needs me to stay perky or she'll start to get down too so am letting all my self pity out here instead.

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 09/09/2009 13:55

self-absorbed ?

don't be silly

sounds like you have a lot on your plate (and don't forget the awful shock you must have had when she broke her leg...)

perhaps your DH needs a bit of a chat to help out more ?

Original poster
PinkTulips · 09/09/2009 14:04

tbf, he does do his fair share of the things he can do but he can't cook (no really, he can't... it's frightening how bad he is), he can't feed ds2 as i'm bf-ing and ds2 is being very clingy and difficult, he can't seem to do laundry without consulting me 50 times and it ends up being easier for me to deal with it myself and he has a really annoying tendancy to make every job takes 10 times as long so while we might be busy for the same length of time he's done one task which would have taken me a fraction of the time and i've done several things, and if i'm sitting down it's usually feeding ds2 wheras he manages to get alot of 'him' time which makes me feel quite resentful.

[aaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh!!!!]

that's better... think i needed to vent

OP posts: