17 month old first fall

[LoveYouHoneybear]

My 17 month old took her first bad tumble on the weekend (she's done lots of other tumbles, but this one was quite bad) and I'm just not able to get over it. She's been going down our front steps on her bum, which is what we've taught her and usually she does it absolutely fine... I was right there with her but just let go for a moment to finish putting my jacket on... Well, that's when she fell forward and banged her head on the pavement. I cannot get the image out of my mind, it was truly horrific. We took her to A&E and the doctor was not concerned at all, although she has a bad bruise and bump. She has been acting totally normal ever since, but I am so shaken up by it, I can't stop crying. I usually have low-level anxiety but this has pushed me over the edge. Please can anyone tell me to get a grip?!

Poor you. It's awful isn't it?! Don't worry it will fade in time. Try to let the reliving just wash over you without getting to stressed each time. But you don't need a grip. I was reliving my baby tumbling down the stairs for a good while too. Years later I can still conjour up that moment of horror but not in the same way that tortured me back then. I'm glad she's ok

You’re really going to need to toughen up a bit. I’m not being mean but kids crash bikes, walk in front of swings even when you’ve warned them they slide on ice, they fall off walls they flip on trampolines they come skidding off roundabouts and they bite each other in nursery. She’s going to get hurt. You dealt with it, she recovered, she’s fine. Take stock of your first aid supplies while she’s young.

Thank you both! Both the gentle and the tough approach LOL. This is the kind of talk I need to snap out of it. I truly appreciate it.

I honestly think if someone came up with toddler crash helmets for 24/7 wear then they’d make a fortune. We all have moments where we wonder how much more our kids heads can take! It might be important to remember in the future how bad it looked versus how OK she was (i.e. that it often looks much worse than it is!)

crash Helmets don’t cover the skint knees, grazed elbows, road rash palms or other body parts. OP will be like us in no time, lamenting to an audience about various mishaps that seem funnier now than they did at the time.

Eldest fell of a pony at Christmas and landed with a thud in the dung heap. Haven’t let him live it down since but it was a slow motion heart in mouth moment as it happened.

can't wrap em in cotton wool op, she was bound to fall down a couple of stairs at some point, just wait until she goes crashing down the entire flight into the hoover then you'll know what a heart attack feels like 😂

It’s horrendous isn’t it OP? 😬 My DS managed to slip and bang his forehead on a wooden windowsill (and when I say “bang” 😭 the noise was unreal!!). He cried so hard that he just couldn’t catch his breath and the egg that came up on his head was unbelievable 😩 That happened at lunchtime and I sat up all night and held him while he slept because I was convinced he had major concussion 🙈 DH thought of lost the plot.

I have also lost track of the number of bruises he has at any one time 😅 he’s only 22m old and dives around like a 4 year old - it’s ridiculous. I’ll say his name in a firm voice as a warning if he gets out of hand and he replies “mumma say ‘BE CAREFUL’” 🙈🤣

I had a work colleague a few years ago who’s 3 year old fell down their front stairs and knocked out her 2 front teeth 🙈

It’s horrible to watch and obviously it’s our job to minimise risk but toddlers are a complete law unto themselves 😅

What do you normally do about the anxiety OP? There will be lots of things that worry you as your child gets older. You need strategies that work!