Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Flip

Original poster

I can't decide what I think about this...

11 replies

Organa · 02/11/2011 13:02

yesterday i got a call from my children's school secretary to say that DS (age 9) was involved in an "incident" in the playground, his nose had been hurt and could I come into school straight away to decide what to do about it.

I dashed over there with all kinds of things racing through my mind but when I got there DS had a small bump on his nose and a slight bruise from having run into a bat during the lunchtime break. (Literally he ran into a bat that someone else was holding up!). It was almost nothing. It wasn't bleeding and the bump and bruise were so small that they had disappeared this morning.

I really love my children and want to protect them but is it better to be safe than sorry like this or does the school need a dose of realism? What if I had been at work?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

RedHelenB · 02/11/2011 13:05

What difference does being at work make? With any heasd or face injury you do have to err on the side of caution.

redskyatnight · 02/11/2011 13:05

I think the school can't win in this sort of situation ... quite possibly it looked worse straight after it happened and/or DS was very upset and/or the school weren't sure if it might be a big problem or not.

If I take phone calls from school at work, I always ask if I "really" need to come - quite often they will say they just wanted to let me know and will call back later if the DC is no better.

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 02/11/2011 13:06

Sounds as if they were being a bit OTT. Had your son been upset and crying for you maybe?

Pancakeflipper · 02/11/2011 13:08

Abit OTT but perhaps it all looked worse when it first occured? Perhaps your son was really distressed at the time?

When my DS1 was in reception I was walking to get him from school at hometime when I glanced at my phone and saw 4 missed calls from school. I ran up those hills, overtaking mummies, imagining the worst.

And as I got near the classroom the TA was leaning over the little fence waving for me.

Turned out he'd fallen from a huge height and landed smack on his forehead. They wanted to warn me because a massive lump had come up immediately and didn't want me to freak out but be caring and not shocked mummy.

And then they gave me the head injury form.

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 02/11/2011 13:09

RedHelen - I work about 40 minutes away from my DC's school. If I had to take time off and run over to their schools for a bumped nose I'd not be happy, and indeed never have in the 14 years they've all been at school/nursery. Head bumps happen all the time in these environments but that's no reason to call the parent in from work/home everytime one happens - they are (or should be) trained in first aid and know what to look for.

Original poster

Organa · 02/11/2011 13:13

he said he cried a bit but the way he said it I understood that there were tears in his eyes and he was ashamed with himself for letting people outside the family see them, so he wasn't hysterical or anything.

I asked the secretary on the phone if it was serious and did she think he needed hospital treatment and she dodged the questions. She just kept repeating that she wanted me to access the situation and decide what to do

Work would make a difference because its an hour away. Obviously I'd come wherever I was and got that call but it would make things difficult with my employer if I kept disappearing for the rest of the day (and it was the sort of thing that happens all the time at home).

OP posts:

PumpkinIroning · 02/11/2011 13:19

I was called into the school to collect my son after he slipped over,playing football,and bumped his head. He was fine when I picked him up,but developed concussion a few hours later.

Original poster

Organa · 02/11/2011 13:19

As I was racing driving over there, I was thinking "they would only call if it was important. Maybe its broken. Maybe he's been hit by another child. Whatever, it looks like I'll be at A&E for the rest of the day".

But it was really a very, very minor injury.

OP posts:

Original poster

Organa · 02/11/2011 13:20

a head bump is a big deal, especially the back of the head.

but this was a bump on the nose

OP posts:

mummytime · 02/11/2011 13:21

I had the opposite. DD was kicked in the face (by a girl doing cart wheels), I picked her up at the end of school with a very bruised face, no phone call, no letter about head injury, no quick word from the teacher, nothing. I was cross, and with my DD it took a while before I could even get the story of how it had happened out of her.

Original poster

Organa · 02/11/2011 13:24

Mummytime, i'd want to have been called into school if that happened to my child. Maybe safe is better than sorry?

OP posts:

Flip