In partnership with the maker of TYLENOL® and MOTRIN®.

According to Hopkins Medicine, more than 3.5 million children ages 14 and younger get hurt annually playing sports or participating in recreational activities. Football ranks second behind basketball in injuries, according to a study on injuries by healthgrove.com.

The question for any long-term sports parent is not “if,” but “when” your child is injured, how will you handle it?

As a sports mom for 22 years, I saw a whole variety of injuries, ranging from season-ending broken bones to minor bruises or tweaks. Through all that, I learned there is not necessarily a wrong way to react when your child is hurt, but some reactions are better than others.

RELATED CONTENT: Children can begin resistance training earlier than you think

Be prepared

The biggest challenge for parents during an emergency is thinking clearly. That’s why it’s good to think through what you will need in case of an emergency. This is the information you should store on your phone:

• Immunizations and date of last tetanus shot
• Medications used, doses and reasons for use
• Record of past hospitalizations and reasons
• Medication allergies
• Weight and height
• Pediatrician’s phone number and address
• Insurance company phone number
• Your child’s insurance care information

Having this information on hand gives you less details to worry about and will allow you to focus on the situation at hand.

RELATED CONTENT: Encouraging your children to be active in the offseason

Stay calm

Before you jump up and rush the field when your child gets hurt, wait a minute or two. Although my parental instinct was to dash down to my child’s side, I learned to give it a minute to see how severe the injury was. I knew the coaches — and hopefully a doctor or trainer — were attending to my child and they didn’t need an anxious mom running out on the field.

If I saw my child get up and walk back to the sidelines, I breathed a sigh of relief. At that point, I’d watch closely to see how he was being treated, and sometimes I’d go down and check on it. Even then, I never let my child see any panic I was feeling; I knew that would only add to his worry.

When my daughter broke her arm playing soccer, I immediately knew she was in a lot of pain and crying and at that point, I did not hesitate to go down on the field. Staying calm, though, was still necessary; we had a long night ahead of us in the emergency room and panic would only make a bad situation worse.

RELATED CONTENT: Cheer for your child, and other team members, too

Know when to see a doctor

You, as the parent, have the final say in whether or not your child goes to a doctor. It’s important that you know what types of injuries are fine to treat with rest, ice, heat or over-the-counter pain relievers such as Tylenol or Motrin, and which ones require a doctor’s care.

Some injuries can be deceiving. Not all fractures swell and bruise; on the other hand, many simple sprains can look swollen and bruised. If the pain is significant enough to keep your child from sleeping, or from moving the body part, a physician should examine it.

If the swelling doesn’t go down in a day or two, it’s probably a good idea to see a doctor.

Don’t insist your child push through pain

Telling your child to “toughen up” and “push through it” is not the best option. If it’s apparent the injury is minor and the doctor says your child can play with a little discomfort, then you and your child must choose whether or not to play.

When my daughter broke her little toe, the doctor said she could continue to play volleyball if she could stand the discomfort, assuming we properly protetcted the toe. She played, because that’s just how much she loved the game.

But there are definitely times when working through real pain will only make the injury worse. Your child does not need to “take one for the team.” It’s better to take the time to heal and return to the game when once your child is pain-free.

Always contact a physician if:

• Your child has severe pain, swelling, or numbness
• Old injuries return or swell
• The joint feels unstable or otherwise not normal
• Your child cannot put weight on the area

 

Remember the growth plate

Your child’s growth plate (the area at the ends of the bones where cartilage is converted into bone) is the “weak link” in the system. Small fractures are more likely to occur near these, and are often more common than sprains. In most cases, these fractures are not displaced and will heal without problems, but any injury to a growth plate may cause changes in the bone’s growth and development.

There were times when my kids got injured and the doctor was overly cautious because the area was on or very near a growth plate. Don’t mess around when it comes to growth plates. Gambling with that could affect your child’s movement later in life.

Janis B. Meredith is a sports parenting blogger, podcaster, and life coach. She provides resources to help parents give their children a positive and growing youth sports experience. Her book 11 Habits for Happy & Positive Sports Parents is available on Amazon.