How to make the "owie" go away

ONE of the things parents of toddlers and babies dread the most are the bumps and bruises that can happen. When your baby starts to walk, it is the start of the series of bumps, bruises and even wounds that come along the practice steps. Here are several remedies for those "owies" (what my son Jai calls them after the word "Ow!" when he hurts himself).

Ice the Bump

Kids who get bumps with lumps usually dislike the ice pack. My suggestion is to get a terrycloth animal, one that can hold a single ice cube. It can be a dog and you can call it the"ouch puppy". You can make the ouch puppy come out when your child falls and a bump appears. Jai usually lets me make the ouch puppy dance on the bump and he ends up giggling after.

Kiss the Hurt Goodbye

Ask your baby to point where it hurt. Then tell him/her "Mommy is gonna kiss the boo-boo away." My son Jai sometimes asks for an extra kiss when the hurt is really bad. Then he goes back playing, knowing that Mommy's kiss always makes the hurt go away.

Red Washcloth Hideaway

A minor scratch or scrape usually involves a little bleeding. When kids see blood on the wound, they usually end up scared and start crying. Hide the bleeding with a red washcloth. Tears dry much faster as they cannot see you wipe away the blood from the wound.

Laugh Away the Hurt

When Billy, our seven-month old baby started walking last week, he ended up with a small bump on the forehead after a fall. After picking him up and soothing his tears away, I started poking him lightly on the side and asking "Let me see, does it hurt here? Or here? Or maybe here?" I move my hand quickly from the side to his back, to his armpits then back to his sides until he starts smiling and giggling because Mommy is so silly.

Put the Magic Band-Aid

A kiss, some ointment, and a Band-Aid never fail. Even if there is nothing there, put a Band-Aid to help calm down your child. Jai thinks there is some kind of magic in a Band-Aid, and I am so thankful that he believes that the owie will go away after the Band-Aid is place over it.

Of course, we should always bring our children to the doctor if we feel that the accident or wound needs to be attended to. Never try ignore a wound that would not stop bleeding, a woozy and confused child or when a child lapsed into unconsciousness. Call your doctor right away.*

A mother of two, Doddie is a PR practitioner and a seasoned writer who met her husband on the Internet. You may email the author at doddie@philippinestoday.net

AVAIL OF OUR VERY SPECIAL PROMO FOR ONLINE ADVERTISEMENTS

THIS SPACE CAN BE YOURS!

For more details, CLICK HERE.