Bumps

The bumps, the bruises, the grazed knees...their appearances are inevitable, now that Stardust is walking around by himself.

MDH and I both want Stardust to be a brave boy who manages pain well, so we always try to maintain a calm exterior when accidents happen. We know from experience that a vulnerable person needs lots of assurance from their authority figures. It is not enough to simply reassure with gentle words and smiles - one's body language has to be relaxed as well. Any show of tension will only reinforce the feeling of anxiety in an already vulnerable person.

This calm, relaxed expression is a very well-practiced facade that has been cultivated over the years of medical training. We know that it makes a big difference to a patient when the doctor is confident and cheerful, instead of fearful and stressed.

So Stardust falls over and scrapes his knee, I restrain myself from exclaiming loudly in surprise and immediately scooping him up into my arms. Instead, I smile and say "Whoops!". I wait for him to pick himself up. Then, I help him to dust his hands and knees off, and we continue on our way. Afterwards, I will rinse his cuts under running water and make sure they are clean.

But in my head, I am observing his walk for signs of a limp, I am watching his face for signs of pain, I am wondering if his shoes are giving him enough support and I am considering whether to apply a dressing over his cuts or paint them with antiseptic.