Splinter Saga

**AmyBoz** · 05-21-2004, 09:53 PM

Oh my Lord! Have you ever tried to remove a splinter from the finger of a 3 year old? Don't. Just don't even try. Or maybe my kid is the only one who screamed so loudly, I went around and shut the windows so the neighbors wouldn't call the police.

She got two splinters this morning at the park. I tried to get them out myself, but she wasn't having it. I didn't want to fight it because the baby was getting agitated too, and it was just me and the kids. So, we waited until Daddy got home. Yeah, it wasn't any better then. With me holding on to her, hugging and kissing her and Rob holding her little hand as tightly as possible without hurting her, he was able to get one out. She was screaming and hot and sweaty and out of control. Rob actually got teary because he was worried she'd never trust him again. So, we tried a different tact for the second one. Mommy tried to "kiss" it out. Rob asked her questions about her day to distract her while I tried to kiss the splinter out. Every now and then I would try to push it out with my teeth or suck it out, but had to get right back to kissing, cuz my little girl is no dummy. She totally knew what I was doing. After a half hour, I told dh we were just putting neosporin on it and a band-aid and putting her to bed. (Please, don't even get me started on bedtime lately...another battleground...sometimes I don't even recognize my sweet little girl.

)

The reason we worked on it so long was that dh kept telling me that it would get infected if we didn't get it out. Of course, after both kids were in bed and he was off to hockey, I hopped online and found that if it's wood, as long as you keep the finger clean, it will eventually work itself out or the body will absorb it. So, all that misery for nothing. Poor kid. I'm so wound up from all the crying and trying to calm her down, I'll be up all night. I'm just glad she's sleeping safe and sound now. I felt absolutely terrible about the whole ordeal, but I was concerned for her safety. I didn't want her to get an infection. Parenting is the best job in the world, but whoo-boy...it takes a lot out of you!

**Missy** · 05-21-2004, 10:02 PM

It is hard to get out splinters. A few times I have put the kiddos in the bath with their splinters and gave them lots of washcloth toys to play with (poofs, terry cloth bath toys, sponge toys and so on) toys that would keep their hands wet and busy. By the end of bath time the splinter generally works its way out or the skin is softened enough that it glides out easily when I remove it.

Sorry it was such a ordeal tonight. I hope next time is better.

**Sara Noel** · 05-21-2004, 10:25 PM

I took Zachary to the dr for this very thing last summer. Zachary got it off the mulch at the park.

It took the dr all of 20 seconds and it was done and over. I know it's just a splinter and we could have done it here at home, but I figured it was worth it to me to go into the office and have our family dr handle it instead of us here at home.

Our dr knows how anal I am and now all of you guys do too. lol

Hoping it's out soon.

**AmyBoz** · 05-21-2004, 10:31 PM

Well, I'm certainly wishing I had gone that route instead of trying to do it ourselves. What a nightmare. Now, if she gets another one (if...ha! She's three...I'm sure there will be many more) it will always be a nightmare because she'll remember this event. We may take her to the doctor tomorrow anyway just to get it out because we'll both obsess on it until it's out.

**Dixie** · 05-21-2004, 10:43 PM

**lucy979** · 05-22-2004, 02:26 AM

Yeah, I have been there and done that! She still acts that way sometimes and she's 7! But it is getting better.

Hope it comes out soon Amy!

**dz_blonde_girl** · 05-22-2004, 09:44 AM

That brings back memories! I'm going to have to remember Missy's bathtub idea. Seems to me that I used ice to numb up one or more of ds#1s fingers before removing a splinter. With dd, though, I might try sneaking up on her when she was sleeping.

**mrscornbread** · 05-22-2004, 10:16 AM

Reading that post was making me teary eyed! Rob has a soft heart indeed.

Then I laughed because once my daughter told me that she had washed the baby's hair and left it to dry uncombed and it dried that way. Later on that day, she was trying to comb it. My granddaughter cried so hard and loud someone called the police on her. The police came and checked things out and left. A few minutes later the officer ( a woman ) came back with a bottle of "No more tears" detangling spray!

Hope your owie is better soon Julia!

**guest2** · 05-22-2004, 05:54 PM

I always numbed the area with ice first on my kids and that seemed to work pretty well. I also popped in one of their favorite videos to distract them while I worked on the splinter.

Praying that you get it out soon without many more tears.