Do Some of Your Kids Get Hurt More Than Others?

[stephanie]

In your experience, does one or maybe a couple kids in your group tend to get hurt more than the others? (Not serious injuries, just normal bumps and bruises from falling and playing)

I only work with toddlers but even within that group (16-36 mos) there's obviously a variety of ages and motor skill levels. And some kids are just clumsier than others, right?

I have one dcb 18 mos who seems to get hurt all the time! Meanwhile other kids who've been in my classroom for a year or more never get hurt. I just feel bad and don't want Mom to think I just let all the dcks run around unsupervised all the time.

Like today dcb got a bump on his head b/c his friend was hugging him and then she slipped and started to fall backwards on the bathroom floor, causing their heads to collide. And I was right there! I caught them before they hit the floor. Dcb didn't even cry after it happened but nevertheless he got a good-sized goose egg a few minutes later. And of course that's the same dcb that bumped his head on a shelf or something last week.

Are some kids just more accident-prone than others? I'm relatively new at this so I think I just need some reassurance.

[hope]

Yes!!! I have one dcg now 5. Last year her mom told me that she let dcg out of the car and she walked from driveway to front door and screamed in delight "I didn't fall!". This little dcg fell so often that this was the first time in her life she walked from driveway to front door without falling. She had coordination. She could focus if needed. But just seemed clumsy. Both dcm and I had many talks along with her pediatrition in regards to pt or ot. She never really needed it, she just grew out of it.

[midaycare]

Definitely. I have one is 2.5 and who is like a little money. He has been a great walker on his own since a year.

I have another one around the same age who trips on everything.

[Thriftylady]

Some do get hurt more than others, are just more accident prone it seems. But I would look at why. Are they tripping over their own feet? Walking into walls and/or door facings? Some of those things could mean they need their vision checked. That was my case when I was little.

[e.j.]

I've noticed it, too, with some of my dc kids. Years ago, I had a dcb who had poor gross motor skills. My husband used to shake his head and say, "He could trip over a painted line!"
He was always falling off his chair, tipping, bumping into walls, etc. I have one now who seems to have little impulse control. He's wild compared to the other kids. He's always throwing himself onto the floor - diving head first, jumping off anything he can climb on to, etc. He comes in all the time with bumps and bruises he got over the weekend. My other dc kids are more cautious and much less injury prone.

[spedmommy4]

I have two in my group. One is 3 and when he started with me last year he regularly tripped on his own two feet. His worst injury was when he walked out my back door (no steps) and face planted on the concrete. He is just starting to outgrow the clumsiness. So, of course, the new 18 month old I enrolled is just like him. I think some kids just take a little longer to develop their gross motor skills and coordination.

[childcaremom]

Yes. I have 4 children of my own. My youngest son is our clumsy one. He's 12, and while it hasn't disappeared, he has gotten better. If something is going to happen to one of the kids, you can bet it will happen to him, poor kid.

As far as dcks, I find that every so often I will get one that is like that in the group but I do also think that they go through stages where clumsiness just seems to be part of the deal.

[DaveA]

Oh yes. I have one DCB3 who's motto seems to be "Full speed ahead and eyes closed." His sister is the same way- DCPs joke the kids are going to take 10 years off their parent's lives.

[Play Care]

Yes. I have two toddlers in my care and one always has an "egg" on his forehead. He's also a climber/runner with no fear

I've noticed that he still has more of an "infant" body type where his head is proportionally larger than his body. He is also a little string bean - so picture this skinny guy and BIG head Mom always says "he just leads with his head!" And he does, but I don't think he has much choice, .

My other toddler who is the same age has already started to fill out body wise so while his head is still bigger, his body is bulkier and he seems to have more neck strength.

In any event I felt so bad at Christmas because I did picture ornaments for the parents and the one little guy had a huge egg/bruise on his forehead He came back after the holiday/vacation and the second he ran in he fell and got a new egg...

[daycarediva]

Absolutely. I have written more injury reports for ONE child than all the others combined in the last year. High energy, low risk assessment skills, and he literally runs with his head down (looking at his feet). ::

[mommiebookworm]

My own kid was the one from age 1 1/2 to 4 who always had bruises on her forehead and was always getting hurt!

[Play Care]

Absolutely. I have written more injury reports for ONE child than all the others combined in the last year. High energy, low risk assessment skills, and he literally runs with his head down (looking at his feet). ::

Low risk assessment skills. I like that!

[Bookworm]

I was going to start a thread about this earlier this week. I have a DCB-15mos who can't go an hour without getting hurt. He's not a rough boy, just busy. This week alone, I've written 4 accident reports for him. When he was in the baby room, he was the same way. Lucky for us, DCM knows how he is and shrugs it off.

[Jazzii]

Oh my goodness yes!! This week, I actually pulled aside a parent to ask about her son. I didn't think there was any abuse or maltreatment, as I do know the child and how he acts at daycare BUT he always has the same 2 bruises on his shin. Same place, same size, everything. So I asked if it was a birthmark, I was just so intrigued- mom kindly said; "no- just a clumsy kid!"

I have another child (currently 18m) who went home almost everyday for 2 months with accident reports...

[Unregistered]

Yes!!! I have one dcg now 5. Last year her mom told me that she let dcg out of the car and she walked from driveway to front door and screamed in delight "I didn't fall!". This little dcg fell so often that this was the first time in her life she walked from driveway to front door without falling. She had coordination. She could focus if needed. But just seemed clumsy. Both dcm and I had many talks along with her pediatrition in regards to pt or ot. She never really needed it, she just grew out of it.

Did the child have a large head for her size? Looking back, all of the children I've had that were overly clumsy had large heads including my own son. Where as my daughter didn't and she was more gracefully. I used to think it was only children who were skinny with bif heads, but one year I had a three year old who obese but had a large head and he was always falling down/getting hurt.