[elrod-tom]

I feel awful right now...my daughter is on her way to the emergency room with my wife.

A little while ago, we were fixing lunch. I made some tomato soup, and we bought Panera Bread sandwiches (pepper blue steak - mmmm!!). We often eat on paper plates and such during lunch on the weekend, as we have a lot to do and dishes are a pain.

Well, I'd no sooner poured some soup into my daughter's paper bowl and turned around when a heard a scream. Not that "I'm a bit hurt and I want some attention" scream...the real deal. The one that makes your head snap around and you KNOW that something's wrong. Turns out that she had dropped her sandwich on the edge of her bowl, and because it's a paper bowl, it tipped and threw hot soup all over her neck.

This was HOT soup too...not just hot, but full of sugars and such that don't cool quickly.

Well, I pulled her shirt off of her, and wiped the hot soup off of her neck. I ran with her into the shower, and turned on the cool water. Then I saw her neck...it has 6-8 dime-to-quarter sized broken blisters, and it's deep red. It's got to hurt like hell, and it doesn't look good either. I felt sick when I saw it.

We called the doctor, and she told us to take her to urgent care immediately. I know that if this is the worst thing that ever happens to her that I'll be pretty lucky. I'm also sure that she'll be OK, and I suspect that any scarring will be minimal. But there's something about holding your child when they are scared to death and in intense pain that can really rattle your cage. What's more, I feel like this would never have been an issue had we used real bowls.

I'm her dad...I'm supposed to protect her. I feel very sad right now.

 

[individual6891]

It's not your fault.

So long as you've always tried to be the best that you can be. No one's perfect, and you'll soon realise parenting is just another challenge.

A lot worse can happen.

 

[Gonz]

I know exactly how you feel.

We're human, not perfect. Always learning, and sometimes the hard way. You have to try to forgive yourself, which won't be easy, but just promise to be more considerate of possible dangers in the future... now you see how easily something can happen with kids.

Also, it's not the paper bowl that was the problem here, so much as serving soup so hot to a child... you gotta let it cool down first bro. She coulda spilled from a regular bowl just as easy. I'm sure you won't let this happen again.

 

[NeoteriX]

I'm sure your daughter will be ok -- these things are just a fact of growing up and doesn't reflect poorly on your parenting...

If you take real good care of burns these days, they will leave no scars.

Best of luck~

 

[1967cutlass]

she dropped her sandwitch not you, but maybe next time don't give a little kid such hot soup.

 

[john_jcb]

Tom

I know how you feel. When my son was 12 he wanted to help me with the yard work. I let him use the electric hedge clipper. Well I turned my back and the next thing you know he reached up to move the cord and at the same time started the trimmer. He cut 3 of his fingers to the bone. I applied pressure to the wounds and took him to emergency. My wife was not home and returned to a scrawled note and blood all over the tile floor.

I hope it is not too bad as burns are painful. Don't beat yourself up too bad. As vigilant as we are with are kids things are bound to happen.

 

[elrod-tom]

Thanks everyone for your well wishes.

They just got back, and she's all embarassed about her dressing on her neck.

They want her to see her regular pediatrician on Monday, and she's got prescriptions for special ointment and some better pain meds if she needs them to sleep. She's playing computer games as I type this, so she seems like she's doing better.

It's funny about the hot soup...we've done that for years with no incident what-so-ever. She's almost seven, and knows to be careful with it when we say it's hot. I won't make that mistake again...

 

[JMT]

Children are suprisingly resiliant Tom. Although I am sure it hurt a bit, and you feel like poop right now, you will both get over it.

When my first son was about 3 months old, my wife went back to her job on a part time basis (she job shared with a friend of hers). In order for the job share to happen, she and her friend both had to work for one week full time. So to facilitate this, I took a week off to stay with my son. Now, I had stayed with my son alone before, but not for 8 hours at a time. So, I did know what to do. During the second day he had a major BM. We are talking about the kind that escapes the diaper and soaks the sleeper. So, as was my norm, I turned the water on to clean him off. I normally would turn the water to hot, once it was hot I would then adjust it to warm.

This time I forgot to adjust it.

The second his little bottom touched the water he let out the most gut wrenching scream. At that precise moment, I knew what I had done (the steam coming from the water was the second indicator). I soaked the washcloth that I had in cold water and applied to his tush, it was a bright red (the tush, not the washcloth). Fortunately no blisters, but he cried that kind of cry that is not only loud, but that also tears your heart out. Especially when you know you are the cause.

He is alive and well and 18 now. I, however, never fully recovered.

 

[rickcr42]

Not your fault Tom it is just one of those things .If the bowl was glass,if the sandwich was not dropped ,if only...if,if...

As parent we try to protect our little ones from all harm but things do happen no matter how protective you are.
Can drive you nuts and I think maybe there is no more helpless feeling for an adult.
My sons have had their share of injuries,one or two extrmely bad,and I always think "I wish it happened to me and not them" but it did not happen to me so the only thing a parent can do after is be the rock,the calm one.
The little ones look to us for stability and guidence and if you really want to see a child panic just let them witness you panic or fall apart .

Be the rock man even though your guts are churning and realise you are not perfect and things happen.

I hope she comes through this fine and my thoughts are with your family .

 

[Firam]

I think something like that happens at least once to parents. You can't be watching all the time. I'm just a teen but my dad tells me stories. He said one time when I was little we were working on the lawnmower. We had just stopped it so it was still warm. I got a little close and my leg touched the exhaust. He said that I didn't cry or anything because I thought it was my fault. He only noticed it when he saw the burn on my leg. Granted I did not have to go to the hospital, I don’t remember it at all. I can just imagine how much it hurt. Great now I'm all depressed.

 

[Jahn]

It happens Tom - and probably happened less to your daughter than to my son. If she's 7 before she had to goto the hospital, count yourself lucky! I was such a brat when i was a kid i threw myself off of high places for fun - i had stitches all over by the time i was 5 lol.

my son is a little less crazy, but i feel bad when i know i did something - like clipping his fingernails and catching skin my mistake - snip, bleed, YELL, dammit. i HATE clipping, it's so damn hard too. anyhow, it's part of parenting and i'm sure it will turn out ok!

 

[Emily]

It was an accident. And accidents just happen.

My 200lb dad roller skated over one of my 7-year-old fingers, once, when I fell down in front of him in the rink.
(I was too close in front of him and he had no time to jump out of the way or stop.)

I wailed up a storm, it hurt like the dickens, but it's still attached and perfectly functional. And he immediately bought me ice cream, besides a cup of ice water to soak my finger in.

Don't torture yourself forever- trust me, once it stops hurting she'll feel worse that you feel so terrible that you were the 'cause' of it [though you're not] than she does about what happened. Don't beat yourself up, ok?

I know it kills daddies but you aren't to blame, accidents just are.
Take care, and hugs to your little girl!

 

[MrSlacker]

hey dont feel bad. i am still a kid myself but i remember when i was younger i used to get hurt every day. falling from my bike, falling from stairs while running, fences, trees, playing soccer.... all kids, get hurt, cry, then get over it. and this process hapens over and over again.

 

[Born2bwire]

When I was very little, my dad had poured a fresh cup of coffee and I had reached up and poured the cup all over my face and neck. Too early for me to remember but I'm told that the burns were pretty bad. I still have a spot on my chin where no beard will grow. I also have a scar running the length of my thumbpad on my left hand. I somehow split it open on a stone birdbath, I think it was two pieces, stand and bowl, and I got my thumb pinched between the two. Still, I've managed to beat Darwin so far.

 

[Jeff E]

not that she got burned. As others have pointed out these things happen and we titrate our caution closer to neurosis as a result. To me, the most significant point from this incident is that you felt deeply about it and even made it public. Little girls whose dads care about them are more likely to grow up to be strong, competent women. Your daughter is lucky. Now, go and look at your daughter and imagine her in the future, worrying lovingly about whether to take the car keys away from you.