Protecting your child from harm is an important job, probably the most important job a parent will have. Keeping your child safe can often consume your thoughts, especially if you are a new parent. Wanting to shield them from being hurt is a natural instinct, but it is not always possible. There will be many times, even under your watchful eye, that you child will take a spill and skin their knee or worse. All you can do is hope that your child will only endure a few scrapes and bruises along the way.

Stay Calm

If your child has an accident that requires a trip to the emergency room, remain calm. It does not mean that you are a bad parent or that you weren’t paying close enough attention. It simply can mean that you kid was being a kid. Most children do not possess the fear that we do as adults, or the knowledge of what can happen if you rough house. Children tend to be daredevils. Unaware of the consequences, they might think it’s fun to slide down the banister, jump off the steps, or shove things up their nose or in their mouth. Some things just cannot be helped. Kids are quick and their actions are swift, giving you little to no time to react.

Trips To The Emergency Room

I remember the first time my oldest daughter was brought to the emergency room, and her second and third, and so on. I cannot tell you how protective I was over her when she was small, especially since she was my first child. I watched her like a hawk, but still she found a way to hurt herself more than I would like to admit. At two years old, she climbed up onto the table of her little table and chairs set and jumped! After a deafening scream, following by many tears, I buckled her up in the car and headed to the ER. To my surprise, she had broken her ankle. We left with a cast in a color of her choosing, light green. I remember it matched her Easter dress. She wore that thing for 6 weeks, but it did not slow her down! She ran, jumped and got around as if she had nothing holding her back.

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

Not long after the cast was removed, I found myself taking her to the emergency room once again. This time it was even more upsetting, since I felt it was my fault, and my 3-year old had no problem telling me it was. It was a terrible day that not only scarred her, but me as well. As we approached my mother-in-law’s house, my little one began to run in-between parked cars, I grabbed the back of her jacket to slow her down, when she tripped and fell. Holding the back of her unzippered jacket, making her arms immobile, did not allow her to brace her fall. She hit the pavement face first and cut her head open above her eyebrow. If you are not aware, there are certain areas that tend to bleed more than others, and the head is one of them. I was horrified when my baby girl was covered in a face full of blood, screaming and crying at how it was my fault.

I had no choice but to take her to the emergency room to get stitched up, but I was so mortified at what happened. I remember worrying, that child services would pay us a visit when we arrived, especially since my daughter was blaming me for the fall. Thankfully, the hospital staff could tell the difference between an accident and child abuse. I am happy to say that we were in and out without any questions.

Broken Bones

That was not my last visit to the emergency room with a child. My other 2 daughters have been there a few times as well. We have even had the pleasure of visiting an out of state emergency room. I remember arriving in Disney World, excited to spend our Florida vacation with Disney princesses, parades and rides, only to be delayed with a trip to the hospital. That’s right! Within the first 5 minutes of arriving at the home we rented, my middle child, and oldest twin daughter, began to chase her cousin, and tripped. I was no stranger to the scream she let out. Recognizing that deafening scream as one that I had heard years before from my oldest daughter, I was almost certain that her arm was broken. Hours later an x-ray confirmed my suspicions. By bracing her fall with one hand on the wall, she had fractured her forearm. While it was quite upsetting for me, my daughter seemed to like the cast and the attention. At a certain age, most children want to sport a cast or crutches. It’s a strange thing to want, but kids enter a weird phase at a certain age. Thankfully, my daughter was able to get a waterproof cast that allowed her to swim and shower without any trouble. The trip was not ruined after all!

That’s Why They’re Called Accidents

You may have experienced your own emergency room story with your child or children, or you may not have had the pleasure of dealing with that stress yet. With any luck, you can avoid that adventure, and stick with band-aids and runny noses. If that is not the case, and you have been dealt an unlucky hand, seeing more than your share of emergency rooms, remember, protecting your child is sometimes not enough. Accidents happen. That is why they are called accidents.

Co-Pays and ER Bills

Sometimes it is next to impossible to watch over every move your accident-prone child makes. You are bond to have one hospital bill or another to make payment on. If those bills add up, like they sometimes can, you may need a little extra help paying them off. Taking out a cash advance on your pay with a payday loan may help with co-pays. No need to stress over money. It is more important to treat their bumps, bruises and broken bones.