When a child is injured parents often lose their ability to stay calm and begin looking for any person or thing towards which they can direct their anger and blame for their child being injured. While this anger is often justifiable, showing it while the child is still injured does little to help the situation and may even make matters worse. There are a few steps parents can take to ensure they remain calm even when their child is injured.

Creating a Plan

The best way to promote a calm demeanor during a difficult time is to plan for it before it ever occurs. Some steps that parents can take to prepare for a situation in which their child is injured include:

• Carrying Medical Information – Making a list of all medical providers ensures they can be reached regardless of the situation. Parents should also make a list of all the medications their child takes and any known allergies they have.
• Selecting a Primary Hospital – Knowing what hospital you want your child taken to helps to eliminate this decision making process, which can be difficult due to the chaos that often surrounds injuring events.
• Carrying Insurance Information – Having insurance information on hand ensures there are no delays once the child is in the care of medical professionals.

Having information such as this readily available eliminates most of the decision making process and enables parents to focus on getting their child the medical care they need.

Practice Calming Techniques

Even with a proper plan in place it may be difficult for parents to remain calm when their child is injured. When parents feel as though they’re panicking, they should use calming techniques to bring balance back to their thoughts.

Breathing Exercises – This type of calming technique often involves a person slowly taking in air through their nose and then exhaling it through their mouth. Doing this helps to focus the mind on the breathing and slows down the body’s natural “fight or flight” response.

Be Mindful – Being mindful means being wholly in the present and simply observing one’s own actions and thoughts. By being mindful it is possible for a person to see the situation from a more objective viewpoint and put aside thoughts and actions that only worsen the stress of the situation.

Focus on the Child – Parents should make a mental effort to put all their focus on their child and put aside their thoughts of others around them. By focusing on the child first the parent will be more likely to stay calm and less likely to direct their anger at others. This also means parents will be in a better position to care for their child’s injuries and make sure they receive adequate medical attention.

George Washington University Emergency Medical Response Group (EMeRG) by Lee Cannon / CC BY-SA 2.0