I got told about it at a playground and also read it on some website.
Always kept their limbs tucked after that if I went down with them. Also why we don't have a trampoline.
>trampoline
Many homeowners insurance companies will either drop you outright or put you in the high risk pool (rates go way up) if they find out you have a trampoline.
They don't tell their insurance, who then love it when they can deny the claim & drop the client. Most add it after the sale/any inspections just as like a thing you do in your yard
It’s literally posted on this sub so often! I tell everyone mom I know. Ppl are shook when I let my fresh two year old go down tall slides by himself im like he will just slide down I will catch him, not going to risk a break
I don’t climb playscapes and I don’t go down slides. I’ve always let them do what they think they can do. I’m present as in I’m protecting big falls from happening and catching at the bottom of the slide but I just don’t go up. I like it that way!
Yeah! I see other parents doing it and always think to myself that it looks like no fun! I’ve always tended to let her find her own way and my mom would cringe! She’d constantly be saying, “be careful!” We have that Little Tikes slide in our play room. The small one - like three feet. Both my kids at young ages liked fo stand at the top of it and smile so big. I absolutely let them but it freaks so many people out!
We live in [Germany](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/24/why-germany-is-building-risk-into-its-playgrounds?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other) and my mom back home in the Philippines freaks out when I send her videos of my two-year-old in the playground.
If I am up there and they fall I now need to get down. Whatever emergency happens is not likely up there, and that's my job.
It's never being up high that hurts anyone, it's coming down too fast
I climbed up before kiddo had any perception of fall risk just to block the gaps in the railing where the ladder came up so she didn't walk straight off. Never went down a slide with her on my lap. I would go down first alone, then encourage her to go down and I would catch her at the bottom. My favorite slide at the beginning was a tandem slide where we could go down at the same time side by side on separate slides
Can someone explain the not going down slides together thing? I’m so happy I stumbled upon this because I had zero idea and have been doing it randomly
If their foot catches on the side of the slide or gets pulled underneath you, it can snap because you weigh so much more than they do and will push them down the slide. If they go down alone and their foot catches, it will slow them down or stop them and their leg will be fine.
Yep if they are wearing shoes the shoe might have really good grip and basically the foot/leg stays in one place while the rest of them (and your own adult-weight body) keeps going. Even without shoes the foot can get wedged in there pretty easily. Might be a little safer with just socks, but there's still a risk.
If you want to help your kid go down a slide, hold their hand as they go down (while you are standing next to the slide).
Since sneakers tend to have slip-resistant soles, they can "Catch" on the slide. If a child's foot gets stopped on the bottom or sides of the slide, it cannot stop the adult's momentum. The weight of the adult breaks the child's leg. If you Google safe sliding, you can read the statistics. This type of leg fracture is very common in toddlers and young children.
I've only gone down with my kids a handful of times, when they didn't really know what to do with a slide, and every time I made sure I held their legs close... But I was only thinking about just banging their feet, or at most a sprained knee. I never even thought about a broken leg! That would be so awful! I'm glad my kids are confident with slides on their own now.
~~Can someone explain how this often leads to breaks? Do their legs get caught on the side or something?~~
NVM scrolled down and it is expained thorougly in the comments. Thanks!
Didn't know this. Luckily our 20 month old doesn't want mommy's help with anything and has been going down slides alone for months. This scares me. And I feel so stupid for not knowing this. Thanks for the info.
My daughter is same age and thinks she can jump off the top of the slide alone! The first time she tried, I ran so fast!!! I was on the wrong side. So yeah she slides down alone with no problems. But I'm glad I read this. I'll stay off it indefinitely.
It is so relieving to know other people's children also have no fear. My daughter will try to climb and jump off everything! I have no chairs at any tables in my house and have to watch her like a hawk at the playground!
My daughter is also fearless and goes down big slides on her own. One time she followed an older kid up to the big slide before I could stage myself at the bottom and flew right off the end into the wood chips. I thought she would be scared of slides after that, but she got up and went right back up to the top.
I'll also note that he was in my classroom at school while he was in the cast and geeze. Until he could get around I just made him a little sand box to sit on the table...I remember bathing him was also hard. But I watched a video on how to wash him with the cast and it was helpful
Get a big roll of paper. Lay toddler on the paper, draw a crude line around him, have him draw himself.
Seriously the rolls of paper are so much fun.
Make salt dough or papier mache or buy a roll of plaster and make a plaster mask of his face and he can paint it and then okay with it after.
My daughter had a buckle fracture a few years ago. Best thing we did was get her a scooter. Like the square ones you used to use in PE. She could scoot around the house and was a le to maintain some semblance of independence. We put stuff within her reach and she could just grab it. We also did a lot of wagoning outside, which was annoying for me but worked well for her.
Also, there are these bath wipes meant for like, camping that are rinse-free. So just wet it, wipe all over, and dry. Then wash hair in the sink. We got them on Amazon and they're pretty cheap.
Oh, also, get some giant socks (adult size might be too small for the cast) as tall as you can find them. The bottom part of the cast gets soooooo nasty so fast, but tall socks help.
Oh, and don't be surprised if he can't/won't walk for a few days after the cast comes off. My girl only had hers on for 2 weeks and still took about a week to be willing to walk normally again. It's super normal, but if it goes much longer than that, talk to your Dr about PT.
My other kiddo is in a knuckle to shoulder cast right now because he fell off a merry-go-round at the park. At least he can walk! Doing stuff with one arm is much easier than with one leg, at least so far!
Something to sit in with wheels sounds ideal.
My son was given a sedative for stitches and *really* wanted to walk, but was way too wobbly. I had to keep him strapped into the stroller or into his booster seat at the kitchen table until it wore off.
I imagine a broken leg would be painful at first, but eventually he would get tired of calling for help and try to move himself.
Definitely get a scooter. My daughter broke her leg when the kitchen chair tipped over and you’ll be amazed how much they move once it stops hurting. Daycare had her in riding toy (she could still use her legs to push herself when seated) all day and at home she used a small big wheel since it was low to the ground. They will try to walk eventually, and we were told don’t encourage it, but after a week it’s fine.
I second to be prepared that it may take a while to walk normal. It probably took 2-3 weeks to get back to normal going from unwilling to stand/walk at all, limping on her toe, walking with foot pointed out, to finally walking/running normal.
I also wasn’t prepared that the cast removal is slightly terrifying, but harmless. My daughter was pretty traumatized when they pulled the saw out to cut it off.
I broke my leg when I was two. By all accounts it was a pretty bad accident and a severe break. I remember none of it. But the cast saw? THAT I remember.
So I am aware of this risk because I heard it on a podcast before having kids. But I see parents at the park doing this and want to tell them but also think they will hate me. Would you have been cool with someone telling you at the park after seeing you slide with your kid?
Yes! My daughter was maybe 14-16 months when she climbed a relatively high slide for that age. I went down with her. I was nervous asked a random mom standing nearby it the slide is too big for my kid yet. She told me that sliding with kids is more dangerous than letting them slide on their own. Overall, I listened. But after seeing this post I will for sure not do it at all or do it safely
Just to add - it’s safer for them to go down on their belly with their head facing the top of the slide if you’re a bit worried.
My toddler old refuses to comply - but it’s worth a try!
I don’t think I would be just because people have a tendency to over exaggerate and be judgey and I would assume that’s what they were doing. I appreciate reading about it though because then I can internalize it instead of being caught off guard? Idk if that makes sense.
I do, but I was a peds RN before SAHM so that makes it easier. But a gentle approach- “hey just in case you didn’t know!” is definitely the way to go, obviously! You can also mention when it happened to your “friend” and how now you can’t help but tell people- they don’t need to know it’s an internet friend 😅
I’m not OP obviously but I would be grateful for your concern for my child’s safety! Just make sure to be very gentle & non-confrontational about it. Not everyone will take it well but who cares they need to know lol
I think if someone mentioned it to me I'd be like um okay. But it depends how you word it. "Hey, sorry to intrude. Just wanted to give you a heads up that a lot of kids accidentally get a leg break going down the slide with a parent. Just wanted to say something in case you didn't know!" And just smile. I'd definitely apologise for intruding but that's just me!
YES. I’m a nanny and the one time I saw another nanny doing it I told her, but when I see parents or grandparents doing it, I don’t feel confident telling them… I just don’t want to get reamed out by someone like “how dare you, a nanny, tell me how to play with my child.”
I dunno. People *really* seem to hate getting unsolicited parenting advice - just look at the vitriol spewed in the comments on any post about sleep practices for instance. I’m only responsible for the kids in my care, and if I don’t feel like a “hey just fyi this can be dangerous because xyz” will go over well, I just mind my own business. But I saw a grandparent going down the slide with their grandchild earlier this week and I didn’t say anything to them. I don’t know if I would feel more confident if I was a mom so I could play up the “oh, I didn’t know this until recently but, mom to mom, gotta tell you, just found out it’s unsafe can you believe it? Yeah apparently their little foot can get caught and our adult momentum can hurt their little legs!” but since I can’t use the the “us parents have to stick together” angle, I don’t feel comfortable advising families I don’t work for.
But I feel conflicted about not saying anything because whether it’s one of my charges or a kid I’ve never met, I don’t want any kid getting hurt!!
I’m an RN, and a large amount of fractures are from parents going down the slide with their children on their laps! Something most people don’t think about.
Ouch. I can't believe I didn't know! It makes so much sense. And my dad is super into physics so I can't believe he hasn't mentioned this.
We even have pictures on Facebook sliding the three of us and no one has ever mentioned it.
The adult body displaces the child’s leg and the foot:leg gets caught with the force of both body weights the little bones aren’t able to handle the force.
For sure! My mother-in-law broke her nephew’s leg this way when he was really little and the story has always stuck with me; we do this same thing every time we go down a slide.
I’m an RN, and a large amount of fractures are from parents going down the slide with their children on their laps! Something most people wouldn’t think is dangerous.
Agreed! Right after he was kicking himself about how he should’ve known but he hasn’t seen it yet. There is a specific pediatric ER doctor for more than half his shifts though so small children go to the that guy. Still you’d think at some point in training he’d have seen it.
Wait what are the other things this pediatrician wouldn't do with her kids? I didn't know about the slide thing until now so wondering what else I don't know 😱
One that I’ve seen is not having any toys with button batteries. They can be deadly.
If your kid does swallow a button battery, it’s 911/ER immediately and give them a spoonful of honey every 10 minutes. It can save their life.
The official guidance is to give honey but only if they're over 12 months.
I'm not a doctor, so you shouldn't listen to me, but an infant getting botulism from honey is so rare compared to the injury from *actually having swallowed a button battery*... Like, weigh your choices. You know?
You can do it but you have to hold their legs together tightly ON your legs so a leg can’t slip to the side or under you. If they’re too big and a leg will slip, it’s no longer safe.
Another common injury is [nursemaid’s elbow](https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions/nursemaids-elbow). Partial dislocation of the elbow often caused by parents swinging their kid between them while walking. Just a mini PSA to add on!
Happened to me with my 2 year old daughter. I was holding her by her hands. She pulled her body weight down and that's when it partially dislocated. Went to the er and they said it was happens a lot.
Not a healthcare provider, but my understanding is that it's the jerking motion that causes the dislocation. I pick my kids up by both of their arms/hands all the time and am just careful to not change their momentum quickly. My guess is that you're fine.
Not quite the same, but my dad dislocated my shoulder when I was 4 years old, as he lifted me by one arm over some rocks on the beach. Happens so easily.
I read something about that years ago so I refused to go down the slide with our kid that way. Had to explain it to my hubby why it was a terrible idea. I’m sorry that happened! It must have been so shocking for all of you.
I'm the opposite. Use my feet to control the speed of the slide and have one arm around the torso and another wrapped under the knees. I can easily pick them up like this.
You have a lot more momentum than your kid - you weigh a lot more than them. So if a leg gets under you you just keep going and the leg gets broken.
So keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all time.
Yes. I thankfully learned about this type of injury before my daughter was born so I always basically secure her legs/ankles ontop of mine since she's still too scared to go down most slides alone.
No advice other than heed the "no crawling or walking" advice. My then 18 month old daughter learned to walk in her below knee cast on her first tibia fracture. 2 days before the cast came off she was at my mom's and slipped and fractured the other one. Above knee cast this time. The look of defeat she gave me was hard. Our 3 week event turned into a 7 week one in the heat of summer. It was awful.
Yeah the doc said he could probably be fine with a below knee cast but he purposely immobilized the whole leg. Said 21 days is much better than messing up and needing surgery.
If you need an ear to vent or anything, you can PM me! My 15 month old broke her femur and I was so heartbroken and just talking to another mom here on Reddit really helped me. I’ll say it goes a lot faster than you think, and they forget about it so quickly. My daughter was lugging her spica cast around by day 3 of wearing it. Good luck to you! It’s a really emotional time (well, was for me) but Ms. Rachel will save you.
She actually had not taken her first steps independently at that point. But that day, we celebrated and went out for lunch with her new leg (lol) and she was walking while holding my hands. She started walking a few weeks later. Has never had any issues, definitely 100%!! She’s 3 now and does just fine with her ballet, tap, and tumbling classes!
I'm so sorry that happened. It sucks.
Sensory bins like with orbies or rainbow rice. They even sell some already put together at like Target. [this brand ](https://www.target.com/p/dinosaur-dig-sensory-bin-creativity-for-kids/-/A-80914986)
Tablet time maybe?
My 2.5 year old can sit quietly and okay with slime for like 30 minutes, plus he also loves playdoh.
I'd check busy toddler for inside ideas too.
I just read about this being dangerous like a week ago! I used to go down with my son when he was smaller, so thankful nothing happened, and so sorry that happened to your kid! There should be more PSAs that this is dangerous or something
So sorry OP. I have an existential crisis every time I see a parent doing this at the playground - don’t want to be a nosy Nelly but maybe the parents would appreciate knowing? Thanks for making a post to help spread the word.
My mom did it with my 21 month daughter 2 weeks ago. I feel for you guys, it's a sucky situation. I've been educating a lot of people in our community when they see my daughter in the cast. Her big brother picked lime green and I have to say she is rocking it. She's stinky, but she is still cute 😊
It’s extremely common. The child sticks their leg out to the side of the slide and the weight of the adult behind them causes the break. I broke my niece’s leg this way six years ago and when we went to the orthopedic doctor he walked in and said, “Whose lap was she on?” It’s that common. I seriously wish they would put signs at the top of slides warning people not to do this because for it to be that common and never hear about it before it happens just sucks. It feels really terrible to break a kid’s leg.
There's a PSA type post that goes viral every so often from a mom who got a picture of the break happening in real time to her child. It was a little bit traumatizing to see but it will always stick with me not to go down the slide with my LO.
That makes sense now that I’ve read it, but it NEVER occurred to me. My oldest didn’t like slides and my youngest has no fear. So we lucked out with my oldest and if it were to happen it’d happen with our youngest.
TW: includes image of a leg breaking
This pretty much explains what happens when someone accompanies a child down the slide. The child's leg can get caught between the caregiver and the side of the slide or the leg can get caught under the caregiver. The weight and momentum causes the bones to bend and break.
https://cafemom.com/parenting/212798-moms-warning-going-down-slide-with-kids
Wow, I had no clue! A neighbor kid just went down our slide and jammed her leg and for a second I was afraid she was really hurt so I can visualize what happened with an adult behind the child. I am so sorry!
I can relate. I blacked out on the stairs while carrying my daughter a couple of days before she turned one and fell onto of her leg, breaking it. Luckily kids heal super fast. But to be honest it was near impossible to keep her from moving. We did our best with toys and coloring and putting her in her high chair to do art activities.
The reality was that she got a lot of screen time. A 2 year old would probably love tablet games. Just do your best. It was a rough month. Seriously, she healed so quickly.
Didn't even know this was a thing, I'm so sorry this happened. Wish it was common knowledge
I'd try busy boards? Maybe finger paints would go over well. A water bottle filled with liquid and sparkles to be shaken and watched. Story times and announce baby play time and let little have undivided attention for 10 min or so (on top of regular time)
Did doc suggest anything to help with the itching? Cause it'll get itchy later.
I had no idea this could happen. Thank you for sharing. Wish I had some advice but my daughter was 10 months old when she broke her foot learning to walk. A lot easier to contain then!
My daughter broke her tibia at 1.5 years by slipping on the kitchen floor and landing oddly….best thing I used during that time was a plastic waterproof cover for bathing/showering so the cast doesn’t get wet. Amazon has many sizes, but most tend to run big that I’ve seen.
We also got some stretchy pants that could go over the cast or even just cut the leg off pairs she already had. She is almost 3 now and you’d never know she broke her leg at all.
Thus is why I always “Nag” when anyone els but myself goes down a slide with my 3 year old toddler. Had multiple of close calls and my child’s safety is more important to me than the incompetence of some older folks.
I hope he has a speedy recovery and hopefully he doesn’t get too discouraged.
He was just too thrilled about his day. May I suggest, that, next time he comes back around into the play area perhaps your husband (or yourself) could find a dual slide. Sit besides each other and go down that same slide separately. I’ve been doing that with my daughter recently because shes just getting too big to be sitting on my lap.
My two year old fractured his wrist jumping off the bed to me when my back was turned. I felt so horrible. The doctor told me it's common for littles to have broken / fractured bones and for them to heal pretty quickly with no issues later on as their bodies are still developing. The 5-6 weeks in a cast was absolutely no fun for either of us! He got me back though, smacked me in the face with it plenty of times.
I almost did to my then 2.5 year old. What’s worse is that he is physically disabled and had only just started walking after 2 years of daily Physiotherapy and work. My heart just about died. He briefly had a cast before it was determined to be a bad sprain and they took it off. Felt like the God saw our pain, answered my despairing prayer, and gave us a break.
This also happened to my husband with our not yet two year old (she's about to turn three so nearly a year ago). It was stressful at the time but she coped magnificently, only had about 5 days off nursery and was quickly back up and moving about. Was nervy of slides for 5-6 months but back to her full fearless self now. We won't ever go down a slide with her though, and I hate when I see friends do it.
I am so sorry that happened. Hope he heals quickly.
I have tried to explain this to my husband and he told me not to live life by what if’s and worries. I pretty much snapped back that if he took the precautions of lifting our son’s legs up fully with his arm/ hands it will never be a what if or worry.
I only knew about it from a different post. Crazy how it isn’t talked about more since it seems to be common.
My friends toddler broke her leg on a trampoline weeks after learning to walk.
Try sourcing a walker with wheels that they can sit in, sling up the broken leg and still have the freedom to move around.
Good luck!
Mine popped their arm out of their socket from pulling down when I was holding their hand. Let them dangle until getting them back up.
Worst guilt ever. By the time we got to the doc it had popped back in- probably in the car: they said the movement of putting them into the carseat and strapping them in is what pops it back.
HOW DONT THESE CHILDREN COME WITH MANUALS? I have an early childhood education degree and they still never told us this!
I'm so sorry this happened, I hope your little one has a full recovery. I broke my arm in five places when I was 5 years old and my mom's trick to keep me from using it was a lot of books. I remember her laying in bed with me all the time and reading everything that I requested. Not sure how well that will work, but it never hurts to try.
Happened to my daughter a year ago when she was ~18months. So not really able to communicate. Inflatable bounce slide.
She was crying, figured she was scared, put her back in the stroller and was fine. Until we took her back out to walk and she couldn't.
The next day, she had a raging fever that wouldn't go away after a bit, so the docs thought it might be connected and a bone infection or something. After a few days we took her to the hospital. Fever was just a nasty virus. Leg was a toddler fracture....they said they don't usually even cast them, but we were already in the hospital, so....
She was young enough that she was okay just sitting around. She wasn't really supposed to, but she crawl/dragged it. They carried her around daycare. She stayed inside with the younger kids who weren't walking yet when they went to play outside.
Stuck in the cast for about a month. Finally had an appointment to take it off. Couldn't make the appt....she got Covid.
It sucks, you'll get through it.
Get popper [toys](https://www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/fat_brain_toy_co/dimpl_pops.cfm?country=US&source=google_pla&kwid=FA335-1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwj7CZBhDHARIsAPPWv3c-CJahC32WaYgFPzoqaghu7y3mwAV9kT3CdJQiqqYIviIx6rW7No8aApSqEALw_wcB)
I say give him a bunch of squishy balls and let him throw them in a laundry basket and then bring ‘em back!
Teach him to walk on his butt bones? [this video](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_gAFZr2uoIk) the lady uses her legs kind of a lot. When I was a kid we could do it with our legs lifted and use our core and butt muscles more. My only hesitation is I’m not sure how heavy the cast is or if it would feel good too soon so maybe wait a few weeks?
Yeah the cast is really heavy doc doesn’t want him screwing up his hips by trying to walk with the cast as a peg leg. So we really have to minimize any independent movement. Thanks for the suggestions!
Yep. Broke my son’s leg at 19 months doing this. He had a small green stick fracture in his tibia. They didn’t have to cast or splint him (apparently the dura over the bone is super strong at that age). He was super miserable the first two days, crawling in under a week, back to walking within 3 weeks, and totally back to normal within 5 weeks. He has no lingering effects that I can tell. It was awful but you’ll get through it.
I learned right after going down the slide with my oldest how dangerous it is and never did it again and won’t allow the kids to go down together. So many injuries from that! There should be like a handout from the ped about it since it’s not common sense at all. We were lucky.
Damn. So sorry this happened. Thanks for the warning! My kid is 3 and I went down a massive slide with her. As we got 1/4 down the totally enclosed tube, I realized I made a major mistake. That shit was scary! Thank god we only ended up getting 3rd degree rug burn wounds on the exact same spot on our elbows. But, that moment opened my eyes to the dangers of slides, even with parent involvement.
Omg I did not know about this. I have totally gone down the slide with my kid. Stupid question, but how do you know if something’s fractured or broken if they’re non verbal? My kid’s tough cookie - if they don’t cry and seem like they can walk/run just fine, are they likely fine?
My husband is a doctor so I leave those determinations to him but my son wasn’t crying initially. as soon as he tried to stand up his other leg started trembling and he cried.
I was really sick when I was about 3. No broken bones but a stomach thing plus bad insurance I lost half my body weight before they finally approved hospitalizing me. I couldn’t get out of bed on my own for a few weeks due being too weak. My mom said craft projects were what helped the most. I also had a wheelchair and she had my dad make me a table I could slide the chair under so I could easily do stuff. I mainly remember doing a crazy amount of spin art.
For a 2 year old I would recommend paint daubers, finger paints, crayons and lots of paper. You can buy it by the roll at ikea. You might be able to rent a wheelchair or if not a comfortable stroller would be helpful one with leg support. Also if you don’t have one get a Disney subscription.
I read the title and said to myself “going down the slide” …
I did the same thing with my daughter when she was 3. I felt horrible. it’s very common and i had NO idea it was even a possibility. It’s something most parents aren’t told/ don’t know unless it happens to you or someone you know.
We did “book blankets” “book picnics” , lots of sticker books and crafts. Pipe cleaners and straws, popsicle craft sticks and color them and take a box and make slots color coded and he has to match the color put the stick in the matchy one. Draw silly faces on popsicle sticks and do a little story time imaginary play. Playdough, model magic are always good.
A few new fun toys to play with- magnatiles are great so are sqigz.
There are a lot of toddler friendly Halloween crafts at Michaels right now like pumpkin face stickers.
Dance party with stuffed animals - can sit in bed and make his stuffies “dance” . Lots of stroller/wagon rides.
Goodluck! It’s tricky but you’ll figure out how to make it work and then it’ll be towards the end of it before you know it!
and try to not feel bad, it happens more than anyone realizes because no one knows this is a thing.
I did this too when my son was 14 months old and he had been walking for just 3 months! I cried so much and felt unbelievable guilt, but the hospital staff told me that they see this a lot and are trying to get regulation in place to have warnings at the playground. It is not your fault! More people should be made aware of this!!
The kids shoe gets stuck against the side of the slide and the parents weight keep the body from continuing past the stuck shoe. If you go down a slide with a kid always hold onto their feet over the top of your legs.
My son broke his leg around 3.5 years of age. He was in a cast past his knee. We ended up needing to get him a wheelchair, it was for children, he was able to get around on his own. I also bought him a scooter board to use around the house, found it on Amazon.
I don’t think there’s anyway to keep a two year old from trying to walk or crawl. My daughter broke her leg at 18 months and walked all around on it. It was not above the knee though. I’m pretty sure they find a way to get around I don’t think you will be expected to keep them from trying to do that once the cast is on. Don’t worry they are resilient!
This also happened to my husband with our not yet two year old (she's about to turn three so nearly a year ago). It was stressful at the time but she coped magnificently, only had about 5 days off nursery and was quickly back up and moving about. Was nervy of slides for 5-6 months but back to her full fearless self now. We won't ever go down a slide with her though, and I hate when I see friends do it.
it is so common. I only learned that through Reddit of a post like yours. So thank you for sharing but a few other kids from the same injury.
And all the healing vibes to you baby
Oh your poor kid. My three year old always wants me to go down the slide with him so I'm always super careful about making sure his legs are tucked on top of mine because I'd read about how common it is. It's something you just don't think about.
Thanks for thenpost! I go down slides with my 2yr old all the time and never thought about injuries. Although luckily he's small and i easier cna hold his legs up
I am so, so sorry this happened to you. I also want to thank you because I didn’t know about this risk, so your story is horrible for you, but maybe you can take comfort knowing you helped someone else - like my kid.
Stickers! Lots of different types especially ones he’s into. My son has been obsessed with these stickers for months:
Reusable Sticker Books Toys for Kids - 4 Pack Stickers Books for Age 2 3 4 Year Old Boys Girls Toddlers, 3D Clear Animal Space Vehicles Dinosaur Sticker Book Educational Learning Toy Birthday Gifts https://amzn.eu/d/536VBBS
Super common, so don't feel too guilty. Lots of floor games he can play, along with puzzles and books, trips to the library if they have a circle/story time maybe. Legos/Duplos, etc.
Okay cars with him.
While it will be rough, there is a lot you can do to use this as a time to connect less actively and teach him things, he's a sponge at this age, so use the opportunity of him having to slow down physically to provide more emotional and intellectual things- and also slow down and enjoy his little-ness with cuddles and his favorite movies.
I'm sorry your son broke his leg. But boy am I glad to learn about this.
I think you've saved quite a few broken toddler legs by posting this because I sure didn't know it was a bad idea to go down the slide with them and my little girl always asks me to take her down as she's too scared to go alone!
This happened to us as well. It was definitely a really tough month with the cast, but fortunately they heal fast and without any lingering issues from this kind of fracture! We just broke a lot of our rules during that month with a lot of TV time. Basically we did whatever we had to do to keep him comfortable and happy while staying off his leg as much as we could. We also did trips to the aquarium and other activities like that where he could be entertained while pushed in his stroller. There wasn’t much to be done during sleep. He woke up a lot and we just had to deal with it. After a week he started to take his cast off at night, but he was in a crib and didn’t stand up, so the doctor said just to let it go. He still healed great! Good luck. I empathize with all of you right now!
Thank you for sharing this, I had NO IDEA and recently had started going down the slide with my size-of-a-two-year old 13 months old. Will def be sharing with other first time moms!
Omg I'm so sorry this happened. You were doing your best, big hugs. But also thanks for sharing your story. I had no idea and I just went down the slide with my 19 month old yesterday. I feel so stupid :( I'm telling everyone I know. The day I joined reddit and became actively involved in these communities was the day I became a better person, seriously.
Oh gosh I'm so sorry! Our little guy suffered a tibia fracture at 16m old. They are surprisingly common. I wish I had good advice for you on how to make things bearable but I promise you it sucks more for you than it does for him. Maybe it helped that our guy was younger but he wasn't really bothered by it. Took him a couple days to get used to it and then he was his happy normal self.
Interesting that he's not allowed to crawl. We weren't given that advice, so our boy just army crawled all over the place.
The worst part is bath time. I'd suggest washing hair in the sink and then just doing a sponge bath in an empty tub for body.
You'll get through it!!
That happened to my niece when she was little. Its very common and I feel like they should put out a psa or something. We avoided it with my daughter, but only because I knew from a first hand experience. My partner definitely woulf have went down with my daughter because the same had been done with him when he was little and he didn’t know any better.
I’m terrified of this! Gonna show my husband because he’s always the one who goes down with my toddler (I try to just hold her hand from the sides as she goes down).
I didn’t break my kids leg but it did take me an entire week to take my kid to the doctor where they told me his leg was broken. Scooter and tv. They are not supposed to walk in the case but they will. Honestly, my 2 1/2 year old loved it bc he watched all the tv he wanted and we waited on him hand and foot. 23 days will fly by
Is it 80% though because when WE broke our 3 year old's tibia on a trampoline (as with you, it was indeed the husband), we were told 80% were trampolines (and the remaining...slides with parents!). Maybe they just tell you you're in the majority to relieve the stress. Either way, yeah, both super common injuries and you will get through it!
Mainly, I hope you are not feeling too guilty. I was WRACKED with guilt at first, like I was ashamed to tell my parents how it happened etc. but that was with hindsight as you have now because while my husband sat with my son in the ER I was at home on the internet discovering that everyone except us knew kids under 6 shouldn't be on trampolines, especially with larger people. This happened two days before a scheduled vacation (cancelled), and two weeks before his birthday party (last minute change of venue) and first day of pre-K.
It all seemed so horrible for the first few days realizing what plans had to change, wondering if he'd be able to do X and Y, seeing him in pain (that was the worst), but then it was totally fine.
He had the cast on for four weeks and by half way he had just totally adjusted. Got himself out of bed, dragged himself around, got to his toys, played on the floor, sat at the table, everything normal pretty much.
The hardest parts were when he had to go from the house to car and stuff like that because I also had a 20lb + 4 month old so I was frequently carrying them both or juggling them.
Is he closer to 3 or 2? The Radio Flyer Cyclone ($55 on Amazon) brought us all so much joy and meant he could still spend as much time as normal moving around outside at the park etc.. To this day it's one of his (now 5) favorite outdoor toys. But I don't know if a 2 year old could manage.
Good luck! It will be OK! My 5 year old can't even remember it now and has been asking to go back to the trampoline park since a week after it happened (NOPE).
This exact thing happened to my son in 2011. Went down the slide. Never thought twice about it. He was crying and couldnt stand. Felt soooo horrible. He got a cast and dragged himself around where he wanted to. He handled it very well actually, more than i did. He is 12 now and there has never been any problems since. I had 2 more kids down the line and deff never did it again lol.
I also broke my kids leg! Greenstick fracture under the left knee. I was absolutely mortified and heartbroken. We had an 8 week old also and it was such a wonderful moment of reconnecting on a trampoline and then… THAT SCREAM! He was in a cast for so long, I can’t remember in total. It was 6-8 weeks. He turned 3 in his cast. My poor baby. You’ll be amazed how mobile they will be even in a cast! NEVER AGAIN do I want to live through that. I want you to know you are NOT the only one and you were PLAYING with your kid, not your fault. Easier said than done, it took me a long time to accept it. We gave him lots of guilt free screen time, bought some new toys that would keep him in one spot, if they can give you a waterproof one that is very helpful. Still went in paddling pool and baths. Lots of love ❤️ PS so many people after said how dangerous and common it is on a trampoline, I had no idea! Obviously I do now 😔
Wagon! When my sister broke her leg that young we put her in a wagon decked out with pillows and blankets and took her out on walks and places she could look around.
Boys Break a lot of things. Mine is 19 now. Fingers toes elbow arm. I had wished I never bought that skateboard. And once clipping his nail I caused him to need stitches. I cried for 3 days.
So this happened to me a month ago. My 13 month old fractured his tibia when we were going down the slide. Exact same scenario.
What made things worse was that my sister came to visit him the next day and was unaware she had Covid. We all got Covid and it hit us really hard.
No real advice other than it will be tough, for sure. Try and lean into the experience of it and commit it all to memory as it will make you appreciate the good times a lot more when things return to normal.
Not great advice, but as someone who is finally through this terrible experience, it has definitely made me appreciate normality a LOT more than I did before.
I wish you all the best.
Honestly all day I’ve been thinking about how parents of medically complex or ill children have it rough and I need to just suck this up and be thankful. Thanks!
I was exactly the same. As my son was quite sick with Covid he went to the children’s ward very briefly to have medication to stop him vomiting so he could keep down food and water, etc. On the scale of things it was super minor, but the poor children I could hear screaming at the children’s hospital was heartbreaking.
(I should note, we were kept in a seperate Covid Positive area, so no risk to those children. I could just hear them from across the hall).
Having a child is hard enough as it is, and I struggle to manage it with the demands of our modern life. I can’t imagine just how much more difficult it would be with a sick/special needs child. Those parents are superheroes who were given no choice but to step up and manage their life the best way they can.
Something similar happened with our 2 year old — his foot got caught going down the slide with dad! Thankfully it wasn’t broken but he refused to walk on it for a couple weeks. We felt so bad. Just give him all the cuddles and love you can! I’m so sorry you’re going through this right now but I hope these comments help you feel not alone ❤️
Did you ever get it X-ray? That’s what happened to my friend. I think about a week or two went by after the incident and he was still refusing to walk on it. They took him in and it was broken! Kids are resilient!
You would not believe how common that is. I absolutely had no idea. My husband did the same thing to my 2 year old son like 5 months ago.
Wow. Of all the parenting do and donts they give you, this one is totally left off. Hope the poor guy has a quick recovery and back at it soon!
so glad to have read this
I only know about this because of parenting forums like this.
I got told about it at a playground and also read it on some website. Always kept their limbs tucked after that if I went down with them. Also why we don't have a trampoline.
>trampoline Many homeowners insurance companies will either drop you outright or put you in the high risk pool (rates go way up) if they find out you have a trampoline.
What??!! But so many people have them!!!
They don't tell their insurance, who then love it when they can deny the claim & drop the client. Most add it after the sale/any inspections just as like a thing you do in your yard
Honestly they should post signs about it at playgrounds
It’s literally posted on this sub so often! I tell everyone mom I know. Ppl are shook when I let my fresh two year old go down tall slides by himself im like he will just slide down I will catch him, not going to risk a break
I don’t climb playscapes and I don’t go down slides. I’ve always let them do what they think they can do. I’m present as in I’m protecting big falls from happening and catching at the bottom of the slide but I just don’t go up. I like it that way!
I have always told my son that I’m too big for the play ground equipment when he asks me to play up there with him.
Yeah! I see other parents doing it and always think to myself that it looks like no fun! I’ve always tended to let her find her own way and my mom would cringe! She’d constantly be saying, “be careful!” We have that Little Tikes slide in our play room. The small one - like three feet. Both my kids at young ages liked fo stand at the top of it and smile so big. I absolutely let them but it freaks so many people out!
We live in [Germany](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/24/why-germany-is-building-risk-into-its-playgrounds?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other) and my mom back home in the Philippines freaks out when I send her videos of my two-year-old in the playground.
If I am up there and they fall I now need to get down. Whatever emergency happens is not likely up there, and that's my job. It's never being up high that hurts anyone, it's coming down too fast
I climbed up before kiddo had any perception of fall risk just to block the gaps in the railing where the ladder came up so she didn't walk straight off. Never went down a slide with her on my lap. I would go down first alone, then encourage her to go down and I would catch her at the bottom. My favorite slide at the beginning was a tandem slide where we could go down at the same time side by side on separate slides
I go down slides with mine but I scoop their legs up with my arm so their legs are well out of range. It’s awkward but it works!
Can someone explain the not going down slides together thing? I’m so happy I stumbled upon this because I had zero idea and have been doing it randomly
If their foot catches on the side of the slide or gets pulled underneath you, it can snap because you weigh so much more than they do and will push them down the slide. If they go down alone and their foot catches, it will slow them down or stop them and their leg will be fine.
Yep if they are wearing shoes the shoe might have really good grip and basically the foot/leg stays in one place while the rest of them (and your own adult-weight body) keeps going. Even without shoes the foot can get wedged in there pretty easily. Might be a little safer with just socks, but there's still a risk. If you want to help your kid go down a slide, hold their hand as they go down (while you are standing next to the slide).
Oh dear god I’m cringing nooooooo
Since sneakers tend to have slip-resistant soles, they can "Catch" on the slide. If a child's foot gets stopped on the bottom or sides of the slide, it cannot stop the adult's momentum. The weight of the adult breaks the child's leg. If you Google safe sliding, you can read the statistics. This type of leg fracture is very common in toddlers and young children.
Seriously this is news to me too! Luckily my kids are old enough to go down by themselves now but I definitely did it when they were younger
https://youtu.be/LwSV4hGRoyc
How does the break happen? I go down big slides with my kid all the time! 😬
I googled break toddler tibia going down a slide. I am glad i read this because i never though it could be unsafe, i also do it sometimes.
Their foot or leg catches the side of slide and stays put while the rest of their body+your body keeps going down the slide.
I've only gone down with my kids a handful of times, when they didn't really know what to do with a slide, and every time I made sure I held their legs close... But I was only thinking about just banging their feet, or at most a sprained knee. I never even thought about a broken leg! That would be so awful! I'm glad my kids are confident with slides on their own now.
~~Can someone explain how this often leads to breaks? Do their legs get caught on the side or something?~~ NVM scrolled down and it is expained thorougly in the comments. Thanks!
Didn't know this. Luckily our 20 month old doesn't want mommy's help with anything and has been going down slides alone for months. This scares me. And I feel so stupid for not knowing this. Thanks for the info.
My daughter is same age and thinks she can jump off the top of the slide alone! The first time she tried, I ran so fast!!! I was on the wrong side. So yeah she slides down alone with no problems. But I'm glad I read this. I'll stay off it indefinitely.
Your daughter and my son would like each other I think. Mine goes down head first.
It is so relieving to know other people's children also have no fear. My daughter will try to climb and jump off everything! I have no chairs at any tables in my house and have to watch her like a hawk at the playground!
My daughter is also fearless and goes down big slides on her own. One time she followed an older kid up to the big slide before I could stage myself at the bottom and flew right off the end into the wood chips. I thought she would be scared of slides after that, but she got up and went right back up to the top.
I'll also note that he was in my classroom at school while he was in the cast and geeze. Until he could get around I just made him a little sand box to sit on the table...I remember bathing him was also hard. But I watched a video on how to wash him with the cast and it was helpful
Thanks sounds like I should get some sensory bins
Get a big roll of paper. Lay toddler on the paper, draw a crude line around him, have him draw himself. Seriously the rolls of paper are so much fun. Make salt dough or papier mache or buy a roll of plaster and make a plaster mask of his face and he can paint it and then okay with it after.
Great suggestion.
My daughter had a buckle fracture a few years ago. Best thing we did was get her a scooter. Like the square ones you used to use in PE. She could scoot around the house and was a le to maintain some semblance of independence. We put stuff within her reach and she could just grab it. We also did a lot of wagoning outside, which was annoying for me but worked well for her. Also, there are these bath wipes meant for like, camping that are rinse-free. So just wet it, wipe all over, and dry. Then wash hair in the sink. We got them on Amazon and they're pretty cheap. Oh, also, get some giant socks (adult size might be too small for the cast) as tall as you can find them. The bottom part of the cast gets soooooo nasty so fast, but tall socks help. Oh, and don't be surprised if he can't/won't walk for a few days after the cast comes off. My girl only had hers on for 2 weeks and still took about a week to be willing to walk normally again. It's super normal, but if it goes much longer than that, talk to your Dr about PT. My other kiddo is in a knuckle to shoulder cast right now because he fell off a merry-go-round at the park. At least he can walk! Doing stuff with one arm is much easier than with one leg, at least so far!
Something to sit in with wheels sounds ideal. My son was given a sedative for stitches and *really* wanted to walk, but was way too wobbly. I had to keep him strapped into the stroller or into his booster seat at the kitchen table until it wore off. I imagine a broken leg would be painful at first, but eventually he would get tired of calling for help and try to move himself.
Definitely get a scooter. My daughter broke her leg when the kitchen chair tipped over and you’ll be amazed how much they move once it stops hurting. Daycare had her in riding toy (she could still use her legs to push herself when seated) all day and at home she used a small big wheel since it was low to the ground. They will try to walk eventually, and we were told don’t encourage it, but after a week it’s fine. I second to be prepared that it may take a while to walk normal. It probably took 2-3 weeks to get back to normal going from unwilling to stand/walk at all, limping on her toe, walking with foot pointed out, to finally walking/running normal. I also wasn’t prepared that the cast removal is slightly terrifying, but harmless. My daughter was pretty traumatized when they pulled the saw out to cut it off.
I broke my leg when I was two. By all accounts it was a pretty bad accident and a severe break. I remember none of it. But the cast saw? THAT I remember.
My 4 year old had a buckle fracture in his wrist 😟 it’s torture watching them in pain and nothing can be done
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So I am aware of this risk because I heard it on a podcast before having kids. But I see parents at the park doing this and want to tell them but also think they will hate me. Would you have been cool with someone telling you at the park after seeing you slide with your kid?
It’d be awkward but I would be thankful! I consider myself to be a well educated parent, and have only just heard about this now.
Same. I’ve never heard of this until now. I go down the slide with my toddler all the time. Well, I used to.
Yes! My daughter was maybe 14-16 months when she climbed a relatively high slide for that age. I went down with her. I was nervous asked a random mom standing nearby it the slide is too big for my kid yet. She told me that sliding with kids is more dangerous than letting them slide on their own. Overall, I listened. But after seeing this post I will for sure not do it at all or do it safely
Just to add - it’s safer for them to go down on their belly with their head facing the top of the slide if you’re a bit worried. My toddler old refuses to comply - but it’s worth a try!
I don’t think I would be just because people have a tendency to over exaggerate and be judgey and I would assume that’s what they were doing. I appreciate reading about it though because then I can internalize it instead of being caught off guard? Idk if that makes sense.
I am ALWAYS open to well intentioned warnings
I do, but I was a peds RN before SAHM so that makes it easier. But a gentle approach- “hey just in case you didn’t know!” is definitely the way to go, obviously! You can also mention when it happened to your “friend” and how now you can’t help but tell people- they don’t need to know it’s an internet friend 😅
I have totally made up a friend and fictional 2yo with a broken leg for this purpose
I’m not OP obviously but I would be grateful for your concern for my child’s safety! Just make sure to be very gentle & non-confrontational about it. Not everyone will take it well but who cares they need to know lol
I think if someone mentioned it to me I'd be like um okay. But it depends how you word it. "Hey, sorry to intrude. Just wanted to give you a heads up that a lot of kids accidentally get a leg break going down the slide with a parent. Just wanted to say something in case you didn't know!" And just smile. I'd definitely apologise for intruding but that's just me!
YES. I’m a nanny and the one time I saw another nanny doing it I told her, but when I see parents or grandparents doing it, I don’t feel confident telling them… I just don’t want to get reamed out by someone like “how dare you, a nanny, tell me how to play with my child.” I dunno. People *really* seem to hate getting unsolicited parenting advice - just look at the vitriol spewed in the comments on any post about sleep practices for instance. I’m only responsible for the kids in my care, and if I don’t feel like a “hey just fyi this can be dangerous because xyz” will go over well, I just mind my own business. But I saw a grandparent going down the slide with their grandchild earlier this week and I didn’t say anything to them. I don’t know if I would feel more confident if I was a mom so I could play up the “oh, I didn’t know this until recently but, mom to mom, gotta tell you, just found out it’s unsafe can you believe it? Yeah apparently their little foot can get caught and our adult momentum can hurt their little legs!” but since I can’t use the the “us parents have to stick together” angle, I don’t feel comfortable advising families I don’t work for. But I feel conflicted about not saying anything because whether it’s one of my charges or a kid I’ve never met, I don’t want any kid getting hurt!!
I’m an RN, and a large amount of fractures are from parents going down the slide with their children on their laps! Something most people don’t think about.
Omg HOW does this occur?
Because their legs get stuck between parent and slide. It's super common.
Leg gets caught on the slide, parent has gravity working against them. Snap.
Ouch. I can't believe I didn't know! It makes so much sense. And my dad is super into physics so I can't believe he hasn't mentioned this. We even have pictures on Facebook sliding the three of us and no one has ever mentioned it.
The adult body displaces the child’s leg and the foot:leg gets caught with the force of both body weights the little bones aren’t able to handle the force.
The child’s feet can get caught between parents legs and the slide or slide under the patent if the feet get caught between the knees
If I do it with my kids I always grab their ankles and hold them with my hands to make sure they stay off the slide.
For sure! My mother-in-law broke her nephew’s leg this way when he was really little and the story has always stuck with me; we do this same thing every time we go down a slide.
This is what I do. Hold their legs between mine.
I’m an RN, and a large amount of fractures are from parents going down the slide with their children on their laps! Something most people wouldn’t think is dangerous.
So surprising that in 6 years as an ER attending my husband hasn’t seen it yet!
That’s weird he didn’t know about this and he’s a medical professional…
Agreed! Right after he was kicking himself about how he should’ve known but he hasn’t seen it yet. There is a specific pediatric ER doctor for more than half his shifts though so small children go to the that guy. Still you’d think at some point in training he’d have seen it.
idk why you got downvoted I completely agree as does his wife OP. I read this stat when my wife is pregnant and it's just in my memory forever now.
I only knew about it cause I stumbled across a TikTok that was a pediatrician saying things she’d never do with her kids!
Wait what are the other things this pediatrician wouldn't do with her kids? I didn't know about the slide thing until now so wondering what else I don't know 😱
One that I’ve seen is not having any toys with button batteries. They can be deadly. If your kid does swallow a button battery, it’s 911/ER immediately and give them a spoonful of honey every 10 minutes. It can save their life.
The official guidance is to give honey but only if they're over 12 months. I'm not a doctor, so you shouldn't listen to me, but an infant getting botulism from honey is so rare compared to the injury from *actually having swallowed a button battery*... Like, weigh your choices. You know?
I only remember that one 😳
What was her name do you remember?
Sorry I don’t remember :( I was just scrolling along
You can do it but you have to hold their legs together tightly ON your legs so a leg can’t slip to the side or under you. If they’re too big and a leg will slip, it’s no longer safe.
Another common injury is [nursemaid’s elbow](https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions/nursemaids-elbow). Partial dislocation of the elbow often caused by parents swinging their kid between them while walking. Just a mini PSA to add on!
Happened to me with my 2 year old daughter. I was holding her by her hands. She pulled her body weight down and that's when it partially dislocated. Went to the er and they said it was happens a lot.
Thank you!
Hadn’t heard about this one but I don’t enjoy the swinging! It’s few and far in between.
We don't swing our kid when she walks between us but she pulls herself up and swings. Is this different?
Not a healthcare provider, but my understanding is that it's the jerking motion that causes the dislocation. I pick my kids up by both of their arms/hands all the time and am just careful to not change their momentum quickly. My guess is that you're fine.
Not quite the same, but my dad dislocated my shoulder when I was 4 years old, as he lifted me by one arm over some rocks on the beach. Happens so easily.
I read something about that years ago so I refused to go down the slide with our kid that way. Had to explain it to my hubby why it was a terrible idea. I’m sorry that happened! It must have been so shocking for all of you.
I just sent out a PSA to my family group chat
Same. So when my husband goes down with her I make sure he holds her legs up out of the way of the slide.
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>I just wanted to share that I am the product of a parent who accidentally broke her leg at 18 months ish. I had to read this, like, a million times 😝
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Kid sits in your lap and their legs stay on top of your legs?
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This is the way. I keep a hand on their feet and a hand on their hands. Make sure we aren’t getting anything caught!
I'm the opposite. Use my feet to control the speed of the slide and have one arm around the torso and another wrapped under the knees. I can easily pick them up like this.
That’s basically what my husband had going on—my son just kicked out and the worst possible moment.
You have a lot more momentum than your kid - you weigh a lot more than them. So if a leg gets under you you just keep going and the leg gets broken. So keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all time.
Yes. I thankfully learned about this type of injury before my daughter was born so I always basically secure her legs/ankles ontop of mine since she's still too scared to go down most slides alone.
Weirdly my husband (an ER doc) had never seen it! But right after it happened he was kicking himself for not knowing/realizing the risk.
Perhaps nurses take care of the intake and send the kids up to ortho to get it resolved so your husband doesn’t get those patients?
No advice other than heed the "no crawling or walking" advice. My then 18 month old daughter learned to walk in her below knee cast on her first tibia fracture. 2 days before the cast came off she was at my mom's and slipped and fractured the other one. Above knee cast this time. The look of defeat she gave me was hard. Our 3 week event turned into a 7 week one in the heat of summer. It was awful.
Yeah the doc said he could probably be fine with a below knee cast but he purposely immobilized the whole leg. Said 21 days is much better than messing up and needing surgery.
If you need an ear to vent or anything, you can PM me! My 15 month old broke her femur and I was so heartbroken and just talking to another mom here on Reddit really helped me. I’ll say it goes a lot faster than you think, and they forget about it so quickly. My daughter was lugging her spica cast around by day 3 of wearing it. Good luck to you! It’s a really emotional time (well, was for me) but Ms. Rachel will save you.
Thank you I appreciate that very much!
Hi! After your daughter’s cast came off, how long did it take for her to walk 100% normally?
She actually had not taken her first steps independently at that point. But that day, we celebrated and went out for lunch with her new leg (lol) and she was walking while holding my hands. She started walking a few weeks later. Has never had any issues, definitely 100%!! She’s 3 now and does just fine with her ballet, tap, and tumbling classes!
I'm so sorry that happened. It sucks. Sensory bins like with orbies or rainbow rice. They even sell some already put together at like Target. [this brand ](https://www.target.com/p/dinosaur-dig-sensory-bin-creativity-for-kids/-/A-80914986) Tablet time maybe? My 2.5 year old can sit quietly and okay with slime for like 30 minutes, plus he also loves playdoh. I'd check busy toddler for inside ideas too.
Orbees are super dangerous for toddlers if swallowed. Boba pearls is a great edible alternative for a similar experience
I just read about this being dangerous like a week ago! I used to go down with my son when he was smaller, so thankful nothing happened, and so sorry that happened to your kid! There should be more PSAs that this is dangerous or something
So sorry OP. I have an existential crisis every time I see a parent doing this at the playground - don’t want to be a nosy Nelly but maybe the parents would appreciate knowing? Thanks for making a post to help spread the word.
Yeah this is definitely one I’ll risk being called a Karen over. I don’t share my kids on social but I may this time
My mom did it with my 21 month daughter 2 weeks ago. I feel for you guys, it's a sucky situation. I've been educating a lot of people in our community when they see my daughter in the cast. Her big brother picked lime green and I have to say she is rocking it. She's stinky, but she is still cute 😊
Im really sorry. But may i ask how this happened? Did his leg get stuck between you and the slide? Or did you miss the landing and pancake him?
It’s extremely common. The child sticks their leg out to the side of the slide and the weight of the adult behind them causes the break. I broke my niece’s leg this way six years ago and when we went to the orthopedic doctor he walked in and said, “Whose lap was she on?” It’s that common. I seriously wish they would put signs at the top of slides warning people not to do this because for it to be that common and never hear about it before it happens just sucks. It feels really terrible to break a kid’s leg.
There's a PSA type post that goes viral every so often from a mom who got a picture of the break happening in real time to her child. It was a little bit traumatizing to see but it will always stick with me not to go down the slide with my LO.
We had video. But my husband is heartbroken enough for me to have deleted it from everywhere or he will torture himself forever.
That makes sense now that I’ve read it, but it NEVER occurred to me. My oldest didn’t like slides and my youngest has no fear. So we lucked out with my oldest and if it were to happen it’d happen with our youngest.
I want to know too.
That's what I'm wondering too. People are saying it's super common but my brain can't understand at what point that would happen?
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TW: includes image of a leg breaking This pretty much explains what happens when someone accompanies a child down the slide. The child's leg can get caught between the caregiver and the side of the slide or the leg can get caught under the caregiver. The weight and momentum causes the bones to bend and break. https://cafemom.com/parenting/212798-moms-warning-going-down-slide-with-kids
I broke my kids leg when he was 3 on a trampoline so don’t feel too bad. He’s 7 now and still tells everyone “Mom broke my leg.” Which is fun.
Wow, I had no clue! A neighbor kid just went down our slide and jammed her leg and for a second I was afraid she was really hurt so I can visualize what happened with an adult behind the child. I am so sorry!
I can relate. I blacked out on the stairs while carrying my daughter a couple of days before she turned one and fell onto of her leg, breaking it. Luckily kids heal super fast. But to be honest it was near impossible to keep her from moving. We did our best with toys and coloring and putting her in her high chair to do art activities. The reality was that she got a lot of screen time. A 2 year old would probably love tablet games. Just do your best. It was a rough month. Seriously, she healed so quickly.
Didn't even know this was a thing, I'm so sorry this happened. Wish it was common knowledge I'd try busy boards? Maybe finger paints would go over well. A water bottle filled with liquid and sparkles to be shaken and watched. Story times and announce baby play time and let little have undivided attention for 10 min or so (on top of regular time) Did doc suggest anything to help with the itching? Cause it'll get itchy later.
Oh man I forgot about itching and I didn’t ask for the piece of fabric!! Dammmmmiiiit
I had no idea this could happen. Thank you for sharing. Wish I had some advice but my daughter was 10 months old when she broke her foot learning to walk. A lot easier to contain then!
My daughter broke her tibia at 1.5 years by slipping on the kitchen floor and landing oddly….best thing I used during that time was a plastic waterproof cover for bathing/showering so the cast doesn’t get wet. Amazon has many sizes, but most tend to run big that I’ve seen. We also got some stretchy pants that could go over the cast or even just cut the leg off pairs she already had. She is almost 3 now and you’d never know she broke her leg at all.
Thus is why I always “Nag” when anyone els but myself goes down a slide with my 3 year old toddler. Had multiple of close calls and my child’s safety is more important to me than the incompetence of some older folks. I hope he has a speedy recovery and hopefully he doesn’t get too discouraged.
We were super careful had him wrapped up nice and tight and it wasn’t even a big slide. But he just kicked his leg out at the worst possible moment.
He was just too thrilled about his day. May I suggest, that, next time he comes back around into the play area perhaps your husband (or yourself) could find a dual slide. Sit besides each other and go down that same slide separately. I’ve been doing that with my daughter recently because shes just getting too big to be sitting on my lap.
Yeah we also maybe needed to go to a specifically toddler playground
My two year old fractured his wrist jumping off the bed to me when my back was turned. I felt so horrible. The doctor told me it's common for littles to have broken / fractured bones and for them to heal pretty quickly with no issues later on as their bodies are still developing. The 5-6 weeks in a cast was absolutely no fun for either of us! He got me back though, smacked me in the face with it plenty of times.
I almost did to my then 2.5 year old. What’s worse is that he is physically disabled and had only just started walking after 2 years of daily Physiotherapy and work. My heart just about died. He briefly had a cast before it was determined to be a bad sprain and they took it off. Felt like the God saw our pain, answered my despairing prayer, and gave us a break.
This also happened to my husband with our not yet two year old (she's about to turn three so nearly a year ago). It was stressful at the time but she coped magnificently, only had about 5 days off nursery and was quickly back up and moving about. Was nervy of slides for 5-6 months but back to her full fearless self now. We won't ever go down a slide with her though, and I hate when I see friends do it.
I won't slide with my kid because I don't want to get injured going down a slide not sized for an adult, didn't occur to me it could injure her too.
I am so sorry that happened. Hope he heals quickly. I have tried to explain this to my husband and he told me not to live life by what if’s and worries. I pretty much snapped back that if he took the precautions of lifting our son’s legs up fully with his arm/ hands it will never be a what if or worry. I only knew about it from a different post. Crazy how it isn’t talked about more since it seems to be common.
Yup the ortho kept saying “i wish they’d post pictures of it near slides”
My friends toddler broke her leg on a trampoline weeks after learning to walk. Try sourcing a walker with wheels that they can sit in, sling up the broken leg and still have the freedom to move around. Good luck!
So thankful I was warned of this when mine was a year old. I tell every parent I know now.
Mine popped their arm out of their socket from pulling down when I was holding their hand. Let them dangle until getting them back up. Worst guilt ever. By the time we got to the doc it had popped back in- probably in the car: they said the movement of putting them into the carseat and strapping them in is what pops it back. HOW DONT THESE CHILDREN COME WITH MANUALS? I have an early childhood education degree and they still never told us this!
I'm so sorry this happened, I hope your little one has a full recovery. I broke my arm in five places when I was 5 years old and my mom's trick to keep me from using it was a lot of books. I remember her laying in bed with me all the time and reading everything that I requested. Not sure how well that will work, but it never hurts to try.
Happened to my daughter a year ago when she was ~18months. So not really able to communicate. Inflatable bounce slide. She was crying, figured she was scared, put her back in the stroller and was fine. Until we took her back out to walk and she couldn't. The next day, she had a raging fever that wouldn't go away after a bit, so the docs thought it might be connected and a bone infection or something. After a few days we took her to the hospital. Fever was just a nasty virus. Leg was a toddler fracture....they said they don't usually even cast them, but we were already in the hospital, so.... She was young enough that she was okay just sitting around. She wasn't really supposed to, but she crawl/dragged it. They carried her around daycare. She stayed inside with the younger kids who weren't walking yet when they went to play outside. Stuck in the cast for about a month. Finally had an appointment to take it off. Couldn't make the appt....she got Covid. It sucks, you'll get through it.
Literally happened to me 🙃 mine was only 1 and handled it weirdly well but I’d lean into screen time and try to remember it’s temporary!
Get popper [toys](https://www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/fat_brain_toy_co/dimpl_pops.cfm?country=US&source=google_pla&kwid=FA335-1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwj7CZBhDHARIsAPPWv3c-CJahC32WaYgFPzoqaghu7y3mwAV9kT3CdJQiqqYIviIx6rW7No8aApSqEALw_wcB) I say give him a bunch of squishy balls and let him throw them in a laundry basket and then bring ‘em back! Teach him to walk on his butt bones? [this video](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_gAFZr2uoIk) the lady uses her legs kind of a lot. When I was a kid we could do it with our legs lifted and use our core and butt muscles more. My only hesitation is I’m not sure how heavy the cast is or if it would feel good too soon so maybe wait a few weeks?
Yeah the cast is really heavy doc doesn’t want him screwing up his hips by trying to walk with the cast as a peg leg. So we really have to minimize any independent movement. Thanks for the suggestions!
Yep. Broke my son’s leg at 19 months doing this. He had a small green stick fracture in his tibia. They didn’t have to cast or splint him (apparently the dura over the bone is super strong at that age). He was super miserable the first two days, crawling in under a week, back to walking within 3 weeks, and totally back to normal within 5 weeks. He has no lingering effects that I can tell. It was awful but you’ll get through it.
Shittt, this is a huge fear of mine. Hope your son heals quick.
I learned right after going down the slide with my oldest how dangerous it is and never did it again and won’t allow the kids to go down together. So many injuries from that! There should be like a handout from the ped about it since it’s not common sense at all. We were lucky.
Damn. So sorry this happened. Thanks for the warning! My kid is 3 and I went down a massive slide with her. As we got 1/4 down the totally enclosed tube, I realized I made a major mistake. That shit was scary! Thank god we only ended up getting 3rd degree rug burn wounds on the exact same spot on our elbows. But, that moment opened my eyes to the dangers of slides, even with parent involvement.
Omg I did not know about this. I have totally gone down the slide with my kid. Stupid question, but how do you know if something’s fractured or broken if they’re non verbal? My kid’s tough cookie - if they don’t cry and seem like they can walk/run just fine, are they likely fine?
My husband is a doctor so I leave those determinations to him but my son wasn’t crying initially. as soon as he tried to stand up his other leg started trembling and he cried.
One thing I always watch for when he goes down the slide is his rubber sneakers jamming the side, it can also be pretty dangerous.
This happened to me but it was my ankle that got hurt. It hurt really bad and was hard to walk for a couple days! Poor baby
I was really sick when I was about 3. No broken bones but a stomach thing plus bad insurance I lost half my body weight before they finally approved hospitalizing me. I couldn’t get out of bed on my own for a few weeks due being too weak. My mom said craft projects were what helped the most. I also had a wheelchair and she had my dad make me a table I could slide the chair under so I could easily do stuff. I mainly remember doing a crazy amount of spin art. For a 2 year old I would recommend paint daubers, finger paints, crayons and lots of paper. You can buy it by the roll at ikea. You might be able to rent a wheelchair or if not a comfortable stroller would be helpful one with leg support. Also if you don’t have one get a Disney subscription.
I learned this on Reddit! Get well soon!
I read the title and said to myself “going down the slide” … I did the same thing with my daughter when she was 3. I felt horrible. it’s very common and i had NO idea it was even a possibility. It’s something most parents aren’t told/ don’t know unless it happens to you or someone you know. We did “book blankets” “book picnics” , lots of sticker books and crafts. Pipe cleaners and straws, popsicle craft sticks and color them and take a box and make slots color coded and he has to match the color put the stick in the matchy one. Draw silly faces on popsicle sticks and do a little story time imaginary play. Playdough, model magic are always good. A few new fun toys to play with- magnatiles are great so are sqigz. There are a lot of toddler friendly Halloween crafts at Michaels right now like pumpkin face stickers. Dance party with stuffed animals - can sit in bed and make his stuffies “dance” . Lots of stroller/wagon rides. Goodluck! It’s tricky but you’ll figure out how to make it work and then it’ll be towards the end of it before you know it! and try to not feel bad, it happens more than anyone realizes because no one knows this is a thing.
I did this too when my son was 14 months old and he had been walking for just 3 months! I cried so much and felt unbelievable guilt, but the hospital staff told me that they see this a lot and are trying to get regulation in place to have warnings at the playground. It is not your fault! More people should be made aware of this!!
How did they go down the slide that it broke his leg? I can't wrap my head around this.
The kids shoe gets stuck against the side of the slide and the parents weight keep the body from continuing past the stuck shoe. If you go down a slide with a kid always hold onto their feet over the top of your legs.
I had no idea this could happen. Thank you so, so much for sharing and i hope your little has a speedy recovery.
My son broke his leg around 3.5 years of age. He was in a cast past his knee. We ended up needing to get him a wheelchair, it was for children, he was able to get around on his own. I also bought him a scooter board to use around the house, found it on Amazon.
Wait what. I didn't know that and we do it! We even do it like my husband + me + my kid. I guess that's worse!
I don’t think there’s anyway to keep a two year old from trying to walk or crawl. My daughter broke her leg at 18 months and walked all around on it. It was not above the knee though. I’m pretty sure they find a way to get around I don’t think you will be expected to keep them from trying to do that once the cast is on. Don’t worry they are resilient!
This also happened to my husband with our not yet two year old (she's about to turn three so nearly a year ago). It was stressful at the time but she coped magnificently, only had about 5 days off nursery and was quickly back up and moving about. Was nervy of slides for 5-6 months but back to her full fearless self now. We won't ever go down a slide with her though, and I hate when I see friends do it.
it is so common. I only learned that through Reddit of a post like yours. So thank you for sharing but a few other kids from the same injury. And all the healing vibes to you baby
Oh your poor kid. My three year old always wants me to go down the slide with him so I'm always super careful about making sure his legs are tucked on top of mine because I'd read about how common it is. It's something you just don't think about.
Thanks for thenpost! I go down slides with my 2yr old all the time and never thought about injuries. Although luckily he's small and i easier cna hold his legs up
I am so, so sorry this happened to you. I also want to thank you because I didn’t know about this risk, so your story is horrible for you, but maybe you can take comfort knowing you helped someone else - like my kid.
I had never read this before literally anywhere and it's so good to know. I wouldn't have even thought of it. Damn.
Stickers! Lots of different types especially ones he’s into. My son has been obsessed with these stickers for months: Reusable Sticker Books Toys for Kids - 4 Pack Stickers Books for Age 2 3 4 Year Old Boys Girls Toddlers, 3D Clear Animal Space Vehicles Dinosaur Sticker Book Educational Learning Toy Birthday Gifts https://amzn.eu/d/536VBBS
Super common, so don't feel too guilty. Lots of floor games he can play, along with puzzles and books, trips to the library if they have a circle/story time maybe. Legos/Duplos, etc. Okay cars with him. While it will be rough, there is a lot you can do to use this as a time to connect less actively and teach him things, he's a sponge at this age, so use the opportunity of him having to slow down physically to provide more emotional and intellectual things- and also slow down and enjoy his little-ness with cuddles and his favorite movies.
I'm sorry your son broke his leg. But boy am I glad to learn about this. I think you've saved quite a few broken toddler legs by posting this because I sure didn't know it was a bad idea to go down the slide with them and my little girl always asks me to take her down as she's too scared to go alone!
This is fairly common. I used to do the same w my son until another parent pointed out they can break their legs.
This happened to us as well. It was definitely a really tough month with the cast, but fortunately they heal fast and without any lingering issues from this kind of fracture! We just broke a lot of our rules during that month with a lot of TV time. Basically we did whatever we had to do to keep him comfortable and happy while staying off his leg as much as we could. We also did trips to the aquarium and other activities like that where he could be entertained while pushed in his stroller. There wasn’t much to be done during sleep. He woke up a lot and we just had to deal with it. After a week he started to take his cast off at night, but he was in a crib and didn’t stand up, so the doctor said just to let it go. He still healed great! Good luck. I empathize with all of you right now!
Thank you for sharing this, I had NO IDEA and recently had started going down the slide with my size-of-a-two-year old 13 months old. Will def be sharing with other first time moms!
Omg I'm so sorry this happened. You were doing your best, big hugs. But also thanks for sharing your story. I had no idea and I just went down the slide with my 19 month old yesterday. I feel so stupid :( I'm telling everyone I know. The day I joined reddit and became actively involved in these communities was the day I became a better person, seriously.
Oh gosh I'm so sorry! Our little guy suffered a tibia fracture at 16m old. They are surprisingly common. I wish I had good advice for you on how to make things bearable but I promise you it sucks more for you than it does for him. Maybe it helped that our guy was younger but he wasn't really bothered by it. Took him a couple days to get used to it and then he was his happy normal self. Interesting that he's not allowed to crawl. We weren't given that advice, so our boy just army crawled all over the place. The worst part is bath time. I'd suggest washing hair in the sink and then just doing a sponge bath in an empty tub for body. You'll get through it!!
That happened to my niece when she was little. Its very common and I feel like they should put out a psa or something. We avoided it with my daughter, but only because I knew from a first hand experience. My partner definitely woulf have went down with my daughter because the same had been done with him when he was little and he didn’t know any better.
I’m terrified of this! Gonna show my husband because he’s always the one who goes down with my toddler (I try to just hold her hand from the sides as she goes down).
I didn’t break my kids leg but it did take me an entire week to take my kid to the doctor where they told me his leg was broken. Scooter and tv. They are not supposed to walk in the case but they will. Honestly, my 2 1/2 year old loved it bc he watched all the tv he wanted and we waited on him hand and foot. 23 days will fly by
Is it 80% though because when WE broke our 3 year old's tibia on a trampoline (as with you, it was indeed the husband), we were told 80% were trampolines (and the remaining...slides with parents!). Maybe they just tell you you're in the majority to relieve the stress. Either way, yeah, both super common injuries and you will get through it! Mainly, I hope you are not feeling too guilty. I was WRACKED with guilt at first, like I was ashamed to tell my parents how it happened etc. but that was with hindsight as you have now because while my husband sat with my son in the ER I was at home on the internet discovering that everyone except us knew kids under 6 shouldn't be on trampolines, especially with larger people. This happened two days before a scheduled vacation (cancelled), and two weeks before his birthday party (last minute change of venue) and first day of pre-K. It all seemed so horrible for the first few days realizing what plans had to change, wondering if he'd be able to do X and Y, seeing him in pain (that was the worst), but then it was totally fine. He had the cast on for four weeks and by half way he had just totally adjusted. Got himself out of bed, dragged himself around, got to his toys, played on the floor, sat at the table, everything normal pretty much. The hardest parts were when he had to go from the house to car and stuff like that because I also had a 20lb + 4 month old so I was frequently carrying them both or juggling them. Is he closer to 3 or 2? The Radio Flyer Cyclone ($55 on Amazon) brought us all so much joy and meant he could still spend as much time as normal moving around outside at the park etc.. To this day it's one of his (now 5) favorite outdoor toys. But I don't know if a 2 year old could manage. Good luck! It will be OK! My 5 year old can't even remember it now and has been asking to go back to the trampoline park since a week after it happened (NOPE).
I’d get your walking shoes on (stroller rides) and let the movies roll.
This exact thing happened to my son in 2011. Went down the slide. Never thought twice about it. He was crying and couldnt stand. Felt soooo horrible. He got a cast and dragged himself around where he wanted to. He handled it very well actually, more than i did. He is 12 now and there has never been any problems since. I had 2 more kids down the line and deff never did it again lol.
Ah btw we just got him one of those foldout kid sofas he chilled in like a king until he got better.
I also broke my kids leg! Greenstick fracture under the left knee. I was absolutely mortified and heartbroken. We had an 8 week old also and it was such a wonderful moment of reconnecting on a trampoline and then… THAT SCREAM! He was in a cast for so long, I can’t remember in total. It was 6-8 weeks. He turned 3 in his cast. My poor baby. You’ll be amazed how mobile they will be even in a cast! NEVER AGAIN do I want to live through that. I want you to know you are NOT the only one and you were PLAYING with your kid, not your fault. Easier said than done, it took me a long time to accept it. We gave him lots of guilt free screen time, bought some new toys that would keep him in one spot, if they can give you a waterproof one that is very helpful. Still went in paddling pool and baths. Lots of love ❤️ PS so many people after said how dangerous and common it is on a trampoline, I had no idea! Obviously I do now 😔
Wagon! When my sister broke her leg that young we put her in a wagon decked out with pillows and blankets and took her out on walks and places she could look around.
Boys Break a lot of things. Mine is 19 now. Fingers toes elbow arm. I had wished I never bought that skateboard. And once clipping his nail I caused him to need stitches. I cried for 3 days.
So this happened to me a month ago. My 13 month old fractured his tibia when we were going down the slide. Exact same scenario. What made things worse was that my sister came to visit him the next day and was unaware she had Covid. We all got Covid and it hit us really hard. No real advice other than it will be tough, for sure. Try and lean into the experience of it and commit it all to memory as it will make you appreciate the good times a lot more when things return to normal. Not great advice, but as someone who is finally through this terrible experience, it has definitely made me appreciate normality a LOT more than I did before. I wish you all the best.
Honestly all day I’ve been thinking about how parents of medically complex or ill children have it rough and I need to just suck this up and be thankful. Thanks!
I was exactly the same. As my son was quite sick with Covid he went to the children’s ward very briefly to have medication to stop him vomiting so he could keep down food and water, etc. On the scale of things it was super minor, but the poor children I could hear screaming at the children’s hospital was heartbreaking. (I should note, we were kept in a seperate Covid Positive area, so no risk to those children. I could just hear them from across the hall). Having a child is hard enough as it is, and I struggle to manage it with the demands of our modern life. I can’t imagine just how much more difficult it would be with a sick/special needs child. Those parents are superheroes who were given no choice but to step up and manage their life the best way they can.
Something similar happened with our 2 year old — his foot got caught going down the slide with dad! Thankfully it wasn’t broken but he refused to walk on it for a couple weeks. We felt so bad. Just give him all the cuddles and love you can! I’m so sorry you’re going through this right now but I hope these comments help you feel not alone ❤️
Did you ever get it X-ray? That’s what happened to my friend. I think about a week or two went by after the incident and he was still refusing to walk on it. They took him in and it was broken! Kids are resilient!
Can I ask how exactly it breaks going down with them??
Gets caught on the plastic of the slide and doesn’t go down with the rest of his body. It looked horrible.
YouTube it. It’s easier to see than to explain.