Taking Care of Your Child if They Have Been Hurt: A Guide

As a parent, all you want to do is protect your child. This is why it’s so heartbreaking when they get hurt. Not only do you have to see your child be in pain, but you also need to deal with your own emotions on top of that. It can be a lot to deal with at once. 

Taking Care of Your Child if They Have Been Hurt: A Guide
[image: pexels by tima miroshnichenko]

You might find that you feel emotional and overwhelmed, and that you have no idea what to do when your child is injured. Luckily, this post is here to help.

Take care of their wounds

If your child has any external wounds, try to immediately take care of them. You can do this by gently cleaning the wound and applying an antiseptic to prevent infection. Your doctor may also suggest that you keep the wound covered. 

Keep in mind that children may be more sensitive, so it’s a good idea to look into a foam dressing since it probably won’t hurt them as much when you remove it, and it likely also won’t irritate their skin. Be sure to follow any advice your doctor gives you when it comes to taking proper care of their wound. 

Take them to see a doctor 

If your child has just had a scrape, you can probably take care of it at home. But if their injury is more severe, you should get them to a doctor as soon as possible. 

If you’re unsure about whether or not this is necessary, it’s best to take them – rather safe than sorry, as they say. Your doctor will be able to determine how serious the injury is and which steps need to be taken next. 

Many children are scared of going to the doctor, so you can follow these ways to help your child with fear. 

Support them 

Aside from the physical side effects that your child will be feeling when they are hurt, they may also feel scared or sad after the injury, which is why you need to offer them even more love and support than usual.

That being said, you shouldn’t go overboard. While it may be tempting to give them everything they want just so that they can feel better, it’s also important to build resilience in children so that they can bounce back, and this is an opportunity to do precisely that.

Keep an eye on them 

Even if the injury has been taken care of, you should keep a close eye on your child and monitor their symptoms to ensure that the injury doesn’t worsen or make them ill. In some cases, an infection can still occur despite your best efforts. 

You also need to look out for signs of a concussion if you suspect that your child has hit their head. If there is any change in their health after the injury – such as vomiting or a high fever – you need to contact your doctor as soon as possible. You can learn more about what constitutes a high fever in children here.