Recently in Playground Injury Category

OK, so, I promise:  This is the last entry related to The Broken Pinky at The Playground Saga.  This one is serious.  I started thinking, "If I can get hurt sliding down a slide, what can happen to a kid?"

"You can't exercise too much caution," says Gary Kleeblatt, spokesman for The Department of Children and Families.  "It's surprising if you look at the data how common injuries are."

According to DCF, playground mishaps are the leading cause of injury to kids in childcare and to children ages 5 to 14, who are attending school.

"Make sure your child is using equipment that is age appropriate," adds Kleeblatt. "It's easy to be distracted but you need to watch your kids like a hawk."

Dr. Andy Caputo, an Orthopedic specialist with Hartford Hospital, believes good footwear is also key in avoiding injuries. 

"In general, wear shoes," advises this hand, wrist and ebow expert.

DCF has created a website designed to be of assistance to parents on a wide range of topics, such as health, safety, social development and fun.

Check out CT Parenting, DCF's new website for Moms and Dads

Bottom line?   We should keep the parental chit-chat to a minimum at the playground.  It's easy to think it's a playdate for adults, too.  But we need to stay focused.

Honestly, I hope we can avoid more broken bone issues.

No fun.

OK...after my blog post last week about The Broken Pinky at The Playground Saga, I put a shout-out on my Facebook page..."What are YOUR parent injuries?" 

Here were my responses:

My college friend P.J. Louis wrote:   "I was being chased 4 weeks ago by a friends 6yr old daughter and my son with squirt guns. I was in flip flops and went to jump over a beach chair, but tripped on a hula hoop and went flying and I broke 2 ribs...best part was I knock the wind out of myself and it hurts bad and i am laying on the ground, with one flip flop on, under a broken chair and hula hoop the kids are just pounding me with squirt guns and I can't even say stop while people are laughing at me."

OUCH!

No, Ben didn't flip me the bird again.

I'm talking about my pinky.

The broken pinky.

What a saga it's been.

I was hanging out with Ben at the playground while Sam was at baseball practice.  I was actually being "Fun Mom"...running around pretending to be "The Evil Love Witch" (don't ask) with my little Tiger and his friend, James.  Well, after an hour or so, it was time to GO.  Ben has trouble with this concept.  Transition is hard...you've seen it before. 

"NO!" he cried...as he proceeded to climb up onto the SIDE of the TOP of the slide...I don't know, I guess in an effort to get away from me.  Well, all I could imagine was him teetering and falling backwards off the top of the slide...so, I swooped down, scooping him up with my left arm...and we both slid down the slide.  As we slid, I felt the SNAP in my right hand.  OUCH.  I knew I'd done something pretty big to that little finger.

So, then came the emrgency room...a splint...more swelling...more hanging...an Orthopedist...a re-break featuring novacaine and long needles (disgusting)...and a weird, little cast-contraption that was supposed to stay put for 2 weeks.

Well, how is a mother of two crazy boys supposed to keep a hard, ace bandage clean????

It became almost a symbol of my life. A little ketchup stain here, bbq sauce there...add on some dirt from baseball.  It became really, really smelly and gross.  (see above)

But, my life isn't neat and tidy...and I like it that way.  The boys have shown me the joy of stomping in a mud puddle...the fun of being buried up to my neck in sticky sand.  Actually, from where I stand, a "clean" life sounds really boring. 

As of yesterday, the cast...the "buddy taping"...it all seems to be over.  My pinky is truly on the mend.  It's been a funny five weeks...a time to reflect on my role of "Mom" and the journey I'm on with these two little men.

(What are your Mom Injuries?)