Do/did your children suffer.....

OldDude · Apr 30, 2018

I'm hesitant to use the term "suffer" but in a sense, yes. We have 4 boys and we adopted the youngest member; a girl cousin from the stereotypical alcohol and drug abuse household. My Sweet Petunia is a Physical Therapist. They all learned early on about bumps, bruises, cuts, strains, sprains, sun burn, bee stings, road rash, splinters, and the plethora of other maladies and those incidents seldom involved going to a doctor. The youngest is now 14, so I guess, in a way their "suffering" has shaped and molded them into level headed kids who don't whine and cry over the drop of a hat. Our daughter came to live with us when she was 6; a feral, skinny, brittle, little child with rotting teeth who hoarded food under her bed until she realized we weren't going to let her go hungry. Growing up in a house full of boys has shaped and molded her into a confident, independent, well rounded, "pack member" who has adopted her brother's tough and has no trouble holding her own around them.

We've learned that some word combinations need immediate attention; ladder and trampoline, for instance. I glued a 2 cm lac under #4's eye back together in time for him to pitch at his little league game that evening.

Anytime it gets quiet, someone has been injured or something has been broken. On one occasion I was alerted by the quiet, walking out back, #3 and #4 are facing away from me, I hear #3 tell #4, "don't tell dad," as I walk around to see #3 has his hand over #4's mouth, blood dripping through his fingers. Like I might not have noticed that on my own!!!

And the list goes on...I think they're doing OK

Neats, BSN · Apr 30, 2018

We too raised our children to be self sufficient between me a nurse and their dad a special forces/delta force ranger, our kids did not get away with a lot. My mantra to them was unless you are bleeding profusely or cannot breath suck it up.

The only time they "suffered" for having parents like us was when my twin boys were into cross fit at age 16...they ended up in the back yard lying on the ground where I found them not moving...dots were connected when one chirped up... and my pee looks dark...both were in ICU for 3 days final diagnosis was Rhabdomyolysis, fortunately no damaging effects. They were just going to lay there until they were no longer stiff. To this day I let them know I gave them life twice....I would not trade my kids for anything.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Apr 30, 2018

I was rarely impressed with my kids' bumps, bruises, scrapes etc. Fortunately, they learned early on that it was going to take a lot more than a 99-degree temp to get out of chores or school. One day my youngest brought me the thermometer after complaining he was running a fever and feeling icky (he assessed himself whenever he got sick. Now he's an LPN). It registered 108 degrees! It didn't take too many questions on my part before he admitted he had put it up against the light bulb in his bedside lamp...he was nothing if not creative. But, he went to school that day.

allnurses Guide · May 1, 2018

Being a widow working nights, nobody woke up Mom unless 1)bleeding doesn't stop with pressure 2)deformity 3)puking guts up.

My oldest just put an ice pack on everything. Standard answer tended to be "yes I've been drinking enough water" from all of them.

ruby_jane, BSN, RN · May 1, 2018

I guess, in a way their "suffering" has shaped and molded them into level headed kids who don't whine and cry over the drop of a hat.
And the list goes on...I think they're doing OK

THIS STORY!!! It brought tears to my eyes.

Ruby Jane Jr. has been parented by an ER-trained nurse and a school nurse, and as a result, knows dosages and when to take ibuprofen vs. Tylenol. She could swallow pills by the first grade. She will often try OTC management first before coming to us. Unfortunately at 18 sometimes she tries to take care of whateveritis for too long before coming to one of us. Is it developmental or have we created the monster?

scuba nurse, BSN, MSN, RN · May 2, 2018

Yup, DITTO, Between me, a nurse of 30 years, and my husband, a retired navy seal and current police officer, our 4 children KNOW they cant get away with anything, and they dont even try!

BeckyESRN · May 2, 2018

My kids are surrounded by nurses-mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa. B is 8 and she's been known to tell her classmates "suck it up, Buttercup" and, my personal favorite "Not every little injury requires intervention" usually said while rolling her eyes in dramatic fashion. D is 6 and needs the "kid gloves" treatment now and then. He'll say "I'm not broken or bleeding, I think some love will help". My mother-in-law (also a nurse) was watching the kids and B told her that she wasn't feeling well "I already tried to poop and I've eaten and I'm drinking water, but my stomach still hurts"

I think it mades them more practical and more willing to try to solve problems on their own:)

ruby_jane, BSN, RN · May 3, 2018

"Not every little injury requires intervention" :)

LOVE this!

allnurses Guide · May 3, 2018

LOVE this!

for the past two years my 16 year old son has done full contact mixed martial arts as well as football.

I went to one of his MMA matches and during a time out he came to me and handed me a tooth saying, hold this for me please, I don't want to lose it!" in an other incident he came off the football field with the chin strap of his uniform full of blood (He's an defensive lineman) and I said "is that yours or the other guys" Turned out someone clipped their chin on his helmet. So cglad he's decided not to play football next year. He made the decision even though he's trying to get into West Point". He told me "Statistically I have a greater chance of catastrophic injury on the football field than anywhere else."

Here's to West Point in 2021

Hppy

allnurses Guide · May 3, 2018

I might also add that my husband and I have always stressed self reliance to our son. When he was in 7th grade he wanted to go to Washington DC with his class and my husband didn't want to him to go because neither of us could travel with him at the time. My husband was worried about him getting separated group. His teacher told my husband "With all due respect I could drop your son off in the middle of the wilderness with nothing but a pocket knife and a book of matches and he would find his way home just fine."

Hppy

MrNurse(x2), ADN · May 3, 2018

My wife and I are lifelong nurses. Our children rarely get a bandaid, OTA is best! Both knew reproduction from preschool days. My son told his friend 3 years his senior she had a lady parts, she didn't know. Her mom was not pleased (she was 9). They are told to keep their mouths quiet when we go to a hospital or urgent care, we don't reveal we are nurses until the very end, you learn so much more that way. One day they were at a friend's house where the friend had a pretty good injury and all his mom could do was hug him before treating anything. My son lamented that we are too clinical when he gets hurt, not loving. Suck it up, buttercup.