PSA about wrapping kids up in towels

[Forget-Me-Not]

The daughter of a friend of mine had a bad accident where she tripped while her arms were trapped in a hula hoop. She had severe injuries to her front teeth because her arms weren't free to break her fall. Anyway, the dentist told her that he has seen several similar injuries involving kids who were wrapped up in towels after swimming or bathing. The parents bundle them up and the child trips on something and they hit their face on the ground.

 

Passing this along, because it never occurred to me that a towel could be such a hazard! Free your kids' arms before they walk around :)

[Ravin]

My DS has this one down pat. He won't leave the bathroom with a towel. He prefers to streak, wet if I don't dry him off before wrapping him up.

 

Anyway, isn't that what bath robes were invented for?

[PachiSusan]

I always put the towel under the arms. I've never felt comfortable with the full on wrap job.

[Belacqua]

Makes my teeth hurt just thinking about it. Good reminder.

 

It also makes me recall some German figure skaters from many years ago. The man was holding the woman's arms behind her when she fell face-first onto the ice. She wasn't horribly injured, but I still remember how awful that was.

[Forget-Me-Not]

Anyway, isn't that what bath robes were invented for?

 

Probably! I was mainly thinking about how many little kids I've seen wrapped up in big, trailing beach towels at the pool (on the concrete--yikes)! My kids actually have swim robes (like shorter bath robes) that we take to the pool/beach. I didn't buy them for this reason, but I was glad I'd bought them after I heard this story :)

[Parrothead]

It never occurred to me not to bundle dd up when she was little. But I would have picked her up and carried her,towel and all

[tex-bex]

My DD fell at the pool while wrapped up in a towel - arms wrapped in at her request, but that was the last time! Fortunately, it wasn't worse than a bad scrape on the chin. :(

[MomtoCandJ]

Dd wraps herself up, she holds the ends of the towel in her hand. We still use the baby hooded towel, she pretends they are capes as she streaks through the house. If dh or I wrap her up, it's under her arms

[Cindyz]

Oh, I never thought of this. I bundle my guy up when he comes out too. We'll have to stop doing that!

[beaners]

I needed one more thing to worry about. ;)

 

I vividly remember a girl scout meeting in first grade where one of my best friends fell and chipped her tooth on the concrete floor in the church basement after we spun around to get dizzy and follow an obstacle course. I've always wondered what the dentist thought about that one.

[Sara in AZ]

I think about that possibility every single time I wrap my kids in a towell up to their necks. Maybe I should stop.

[gardenmom5]

my son was playing in a large box and tripped and cut his forehead open. Of course, it was just as his older brother's bd party was ending and I had to leave to take him in for stitches. . . . . .

[MercyA]

Thanks for the reminder! Poor little kid.... :(

[Kathryn]

DS3 fell when he was 1.5 while he was walking with his hands shoved in his pockets. He couldn't break his fall and his face was a bloody mess.

[Catherine]

Similar accident here, many years ago when my middle ds was about 5-he put a round kite (yes!) around himself as we were walking to the big field where we fly kites. He tripped and fell, badly scraping his chin, cheek, but thank goodness his teeth were OK. I've been warning my youngest about stuff like this ever since...

[Lizzie in Ma]

My kids arms are always free, she just refuses to use her hands to break a fall. I don't get it.

Stitches twice now.

[*********]

Moose has a scar on his chin from stitches. He was running on pavement with his hands in his pockets, so his chin broke his fall. :svengo: He's actually blessed that all that happened was losing a chunk of skin and getting two stitches. He could've broken a bone. lost a tooth, etc. No boys run without use of their arms around here anymore.

[Georgiana Daniels]

Good grief! You're right--it is dangerous.

[fraidycat]

But, in my household - just walking is dangerous, apparently. Completely unencumbered, and without a fall a young chlld can damage their front teeth to the point of requiring future orthodontia.

 

Yes my DS walked into a freaking wall, and knocked his baby tooth backward, which pushed his permanent tooth forward so it came through the front of his gum instead of following the correct path. :glare: He'll need braces...

 

This is the same child that I had to sign an "accident report form" for when I picked him up from pre-school one day because he was *sitting down on the floor* at circle time, listening to a story, fell over sideways and smacked his head against the wall. :laugh: His poor teacher was just baffled. I then introduced her to "Professor Clunkyhead", the child who has banged, bumped, or bruised his head at least once per day (seemed like) from the day he started crawling. Not usually a hard bump, but often enough to be noticeable and earn himself a nickname.

[emcap]

I still have a scar on my chin and bruised molar from this, 28 years later. Set the arms free! :)

[butterflymommy]

I always tell my kids to hold their arms out like airplanes before i bundle them. I've just naturally done this as my kids are clumsy and unsteady on their feet. I had no idea it was a hazard for normal people. Thanks for the warning.

[crazyforlatin]

Oops, after swimming, I wrap Dd in a large towel, but I do hold onto her so that she doesn't trip over her flip flops.

[ChristusG]

Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately lol) I'm a freak and always think of possibly dangerous situations.....so my kids have never been allowed to walk while wrapped up, or with their hands in their pockets.