It’s hard not to wince when you see someone fall, hit their head, or run into someone. When a child does it, they will usually look to an adult to see how they should react. For this reason, it’s best to keep it cool.
Photo by Bluemix.
In reply to a user who asks how to react when their child trips and falls, one Quora user explains:
That 3 second delay between the fall and the crying is usually the result of them reacting to you. You freak out, making them think something terrible has happened, so they start crying. Wait and see what they do. If they seem OK, help them up if they are still down. Let them go back to playing. Falling down is part of being a kid, and usually not an event. Don’t make it into one. If they are hurt, it’s even more important not to freak out. What a scared kid needs is someone who is in control and taking care of things. Give them first aid or take them to the emergency room, calmly.
Although I don’t have kids myself, I learned this through experience. I used to work at a day care, and anytime a kid would hurt themselves, I’d immediately freak out and ask if they were OK, even if they just tripped or bumped a table. My reaction would usually make them start bawling.
A co-worker, who was a mother, told me to fight the urge to cringe and instead smile and stay calm. I tried it, and it worked like a charm. When they looked at me, I’d say, “you’re OK, right?” and they’d usually joke it off or nod and go about their business.
If they’re genuinely hurt, of course, that’s another story. But for those minor accidents, it helps to stay calm and let them know everything is OK.
What should be my reaction if my child trips and falls? [Quora]
Comments
4 responses to “Why You Should Play It Cool When A Child Falls And Looks At You”
oppaday, up you get
We laugh at them. (yes, I’m serious) – not just because it comes in handy on the odd occasion when your kids hurt themselves in a hilarious way – but I learnt it from one of our friends before our kids were born.
If you laugh, they’ll look at you and laugh it off. If you go over and mollycoddle them, they’ll ball their eyes out over the smallest scratch.
My old flatmate used to do this when his niece would hurt herself. He’d laugh and say “I think you’ve put a hole in my floor! How big is your bum?!”
She’d laugh so hard she’d forget she hurt herself. Any minor bumps with her parents and they’d freak out and she’d bawl for half an hour.
Or distract the kid quickly which helps them forget they just fell. works well for minor falls.
Yes! Yes! Yes! This is benchmark advice to all parents. Do not freak out when your child hurts themselves. Just stare at them using the same expression and ask if they are ok.
If they are bleeding, ask if they are hurt. Get them to lead the conversation.
After doing this for a few years, my kid barely blinks at taking huge falls which make me wince. But their cousin’s cry at the drop of a hat still, taking the parents 10 mins to calm them down.
Exactly.
If they fall down and start intense crying straight away, then they are really hurt and you should comfort them / get them medical attention.
If they fall down, seem ok, and look to you with “that face”, then you should be calm and brush it off.