6 Tips for Helping Your Child Recover After Being Injured

Kids get hurt when you least expect it, and often in some interesting ways. When your child is injured, they’re going to need some extra support to get through their recovery, both physically and emotionally.

As their parent, you will have the most influence over their healing process, so here’s how you can help your child recover from an injury and minimize associated emotional trauma.

1. Take care of your own stress

Just like being instructed to put your own oxygen mask on first on a plane before putting one on your child, start taking control of managing your own stress right away. It’s distressing when your child has been injured, but you can’t let it get to you.

Next to worrying about your child, the biggest source of stress for you will be paying their medical bills. Even with insurance, there’s no guarantee everything will be covered. If your child was injured by someone else’s negligence, like in a car accident, consider filing a lawsuit to recover financial compensation.

2. Reassure your child that they’re safe

Younger kids will need reassurance that they’re safe and nothing bad is going to happen to them again. After an injury, some kids will worry that they’re still in danger, and if they have any obsessive tendencies, it will take some effort to help them feel safe. It’s also possible that your child could develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from the incident.

Since it’s the nervous system that controls feelings of anxiety and stress, do things that will alleviate stress and bring them out of fight or flight mode. For example, give your child extra hugs, even if they’re a teenager. If your child is really young, give them extra cuddle time and more attention.

3. Encourage your child to share their feelings

Some kids really benefit from talking when they’re upset, but they may not feel like it’s okay to express their emotions. Let your child know that it’s okay to feel fear, anger, worry, or confusion, and reassure them that they can express their thoughts and feelings to you without consequence. If they don’t want to talk, suggest writing a story or drawing a picture to express their feelings.

4. Spend more time with your child

Kids who have support from friends and family recover better after something traumatic happens, whether it’s a physical injury or a psychologically damaging event. Although, physical injuries often create psychological trauma, so your child may be dealing with both.

Spend more time with your child and include family members in your activities as much as possible. Invite your child’s friends over to hang out and spend time with everyone, too. Your child will appreciate having so many people around to love and support them while they recover. If they’re feeling down, it will lift their spirits, and positive emotions can aid in the healing process.

5. Encourage and enforce sleep

Getting good sleep is an extremely important part of the recovery process because the human body repairs itself during sleep. Encourage your child to go to sleep a little early if possible, even if all they do is lie in bed and read a book until they fall asleep. If they don’t want to go to bed early, don’t force them, but definitely enforce their regular bedtime. It will be for their highest good.

6. Consider massage therapy

For most people, massage therapy is just something you get when you want your body to feel good. It relieves stress and can be extremely relaxing. However, it can also speed up the recovery of damaged muscles.

If your child sustained an injury to their muscles or if they’ve been feeling sore, consider getting them massage therapy to help them heal. Talk to your child’s doctor first before booking them for a massage to make sure it won’t do more damage. If they’re in the clear, get them a massage at least once, if not every week for a month. Even if they don’t have sore muscles, getting a massage will help their nervous system relax, which will aid in the healing process.

Get your child back into their routine as soon as possible

An injury will disrupt your child’s routine, so ease them back into social activities as soon as possible. Ask their doctor what activities they can safely do and when. Always listen to what their doctor says, but don’t wait too long to get them back into some kind of normal life, even if all you can do is invite their friends over to watch movies. The more support you give your child, the faster they’ll heal from their injury.