Seeing your little ones get hurt is no fun for anyone, but making those owwies go away makes it a little better — and better yet is helping them feel better without the use of medications!
1. Use a Bandaid. Kiddos love Bandaids and most of the time, for minor injuries, a Bandaid is all it takes to make the tears go away.
2. Throw the ouchie away. Dr. Stefan Friedrichsdorf, medical director of the Department of Pain Medicine, Palliative Care, and Integrative Medicine at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics in Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul, suggests that you encourage kids to just “throw away the pain” to help them feel relief.
3. Focus on something else. In our house, we sing. It might be an owwie animal that comes out when someone gets hurt, or a special song. Anything to redirect the focus.
4. Laughter. Do anything goofy — pretend to be hurt yourself, fall down, tell a joke, sing off key. Anything that makes them laugh will help break through the tears.
5. Blow bubbles. This is common at a lot of hospitals and doctor’s offices. Have them blow raspberries or real bubbles to help exhale when going through something painful.
What do you do to help your kids cope through pain?
