My son (13) rides a scooter. He fractured his finger at the lowest nuckle 3 weeks ago, so he's of course in a cast. The 1st week after the injury, he laid low and moped around the house complaining of boredom. At the end of that week, he told me he was going to the park~ low and behold, he took his scooter with him. As his mother, I just shook my head thinking boys will be boys/ kids will be kids.
He started out going easy, now he's going off the ramps again. My thought is that he knows his limits, and heck~ he's got extra protection on that hand/ wrist right now... or am I completely in the wrong???
I've now got someone screaming the words negligence and social services my way. In my head, my son is having absolutely no pain from this, so why should he be confined to sitting in front of the TV? But if I AM in the wrong or being negligent, then I want to know.
Parents of other sports-driven kids seem a better source for valid opinions on this matter~ I'd greatly appreciate any! Thanks:)
Depends on What Doctor Says
What does your child's pediatrician say? If your child risks re-injuring the finger, perhaps he should wait until the fracture has healed before he heads back to the skate park, or, at the very least, doesn't engage in high risk tricks or stunts (which probably were what got him injured in the first place).
You clearly don't want your son becoming a couch potato during the time his finger is healing, but, at the same time, you don't want to expose him to an unreasonable risk of re-injury.
Ultimately, it is up to you as his parent to set limits and to keep him safe. Your son is old enough to be involved in making the decision of just how far it is reasonable to push it at the skate park. Maybe a trip to the park yourself to see what he is up to and agreeing with your son on limits makes the most sense.