hello moms
Our 3 year old was jumping on our bed last sunday & fell off...breaking her clavicle bone. ( left side & shes a lefty) So, its summer & we are home & sorta stuck as doc said to keep her as mellow as possible...thats funny! A three year old keeping still for 4 to 5 weeks?! My question to you all is what can we do with her ? We are open to any & all suggestions u may have about how to entertain her while we are supposed to be keeping her left arm/side as still as possible? MOvies, yes...but what else. He ( doc)said the pool is okay but again no real jumping around, no swim lesson's ( we had plan to take them) Reading to her, yes!!! But whats a mom to do? This as my brother put it today seems the impossible task!?
Oh....Also, any advice from other moms who have had a child with a broken clavicle would be much appricated!!!!
So sad starting summer with a big Ouchy :0(
Many thanks in advance for your time & effort~!
Brooke,
What a horrible way to start the summer! My bestn ideas would be arts and crafts, trips to museums, the aquarium, painting, coloring. If the doctor didn't give you a sling that keeps her arm close to her body, you can make one out of a favorite fabric that you can get at the sewing store, that way she can "run" around, but not move her arm.
i did this when i was about your daughter's age. i was jumping on the couch and landed on the coffee table. i supposedly came to the dinner table tilted. i did not want to get in trouble for jumping on the sofa. my mom knew immediately there was something wrong. they took me to the hospital and my mom says "they trussed me up like a chicken". honestly, not sure what that means...my mom is scottish. i'll have to ask her how she kept me still as i was extremely active.
best of luck. the good news...she will not remember any of this as i only have the stories that my mom and dad tell.
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!". Sorry. It had to be said. Arts and crafts are the way to go! Besides coloring, you can have her string macaroni on a string or a shoe lace. Playing in a sandbox might be alright as long as she doesn't pick up anything heavy on her hurt side. Read stories to her, or take her to story time at the library. Make shapes with playdoh. Mix up some different shaped dry pasta in a bag and have her separate out the different shapes.
I feel for you. Trying to keep a 3yo still is difficult.
I also have an active/jumpy 3yo girly girl and here are some ideas I might try: 8-25 pc puzzles, crafts, washable paints (outside where I can clean up the mess), sidewalk chalk, dress up/role play (she has some princess clothes but she also luvs putting on my clothes), legos, have a real or pretend tea party or picnic (include daddy if you can), go on a bug or flower hunt.
My son, who is now 4, loved playing with a sticker activity book (600 stickers variety). Last year, we used the book to identify new words try to do the some of activities in the book. My DD on the other hand rather take the stickers and stick them on herself or on others. It still kept them both occupied (my son more than my daughter). Since my DD is more of an active learner, one of her daycare teachers suggested that I spread shaving cream on a table and have her draw letters on it. I am sure just playing around with shaving cream would be fun and rinse off in the sprinklers/garden hose.
I hope some of this helps. GOOD LUCK!!
oooh noooo! poor thing (you and her both!)... i broke my humerus (the upper arm bone) when i was 4, the very last day of school falling off the monkey bars... for some reason, i remember all of this VERY vividly! i know i was bummed that i couldnt play with the other kids, but i found a lot of cool stuff to do. i LOVED chalk, fingerpaints, making sand castles when my mom took my and my little brothers to the lake, ice cream always made me feel a bit better ;), and other simple things like having one of my parents push me on a swing. i loved going to walks (my mother says this was a godsend, bc it wore me out without getting me all wound up!)... kids heal super fast... just do the best you can to keep your daughter happy, but dont go overboard and spoil her a lot more than normal. and remember to take time for yourself!... you cant take care of your 'baby' if youre not taking care of yourself :) GOOD LUCK and i truly hope she feels better!!
Hi Brooke,
My nine year old broke her collarbone last November and we put it in a sling and followed up with an orthopedist after about three weeks. He took an x-ray and showed us how healed the bone already was after that short a time. So take heart, because kids generally heal VERY fast. That said, I wonder what besides "keep her mellow" the doctor advised, particularly since "mellow" can be used to describe very few three year olds, especially the ones that jump on the bed. Anyway, keep her arm in a sling and keep her off the playground equipment for a few weeks. If the doctor did not recommend a sling then you should get/make one to keep her from using her left arm. Maybe she would like to listen to books on tape (from the local library) or music, draw, paint, use Play-Doh, play with sand or mud outdoors (plenty of that with all the rain we have been having). I am sure you will find some activities to keep her busy, but if she is an active one (mine has ADHD) it may stress you a bit. Sorry you have such a start to your summer -- I hope it gets better soon!
I'm sorry to hear about your daughter...poor thing. Makes me think twice about when my (almost) 3 year old is jumping on my bed. Maybe try alot of arts and crafts. Lots of paper and glue!!!
By a kids cookbook and have fun!! But keep it healthy - sedatary and food are not a good mix! And keep her off the bed.
