there's got to be a bull's eye on that part of the forehead because they all hit that spot sooner or later!

Similar situation, except I ended up sitting in the ER for the night with my youngest and a huge bump on the back of his head...my two were playing on a blanket (or something like that) and my oldest pulled the youngest really fast around the corner of our tile floor down the hall and back again.  Same think, Don't do it, STOP before you hurt yourself or your brother, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, stop running...NOW!  Two seconds later,  WAHHHH!  My youngest has smacked his head square on the corner of our tile floor (where the carpet ends and the tile begins) and is screaming bloody murder!  I grab him, sit on the floor with an ice pack and try to calm him, my other son and myself down while I assess the damage.  (He has a huge and getting bigger by the moment knot at the back of his head and so I call my MIL, who works for a head injury clinic, for advice).  Hubby is still at work, and by the time he arrives home (about 45 minutes after the accident) I am trying to wake the kid up from a quiet rest after the crying stopped - with no luck.  

By then, I have shoes on with my youngest in whatever he was playing in that afternoon (no shoes on him) and am out the door as hubby walks up the walkway....we'd been on the cell a few times.  Thankfully, the staff at the ER were helpful and got us in quickly....in about 3 hours.  We ended up sitting, getting seen by the triage nurse and then asked to wait for the dr., sitting, waiting for the CT scan, and then waiting for the results....thinking the worst case scenario and praying for a miracle.  Anyway, all was well, and the scan was clear.  He slept the entire time, even through the exam!  The only time he woke up was being put on the cold table for the CT scan...since he was sleeping in my arms the rest of the time.  I still remind my sons of that eventul night, when mom had to take brother to the hospital and spent most of the night in the ER while dad and older brother were at home....waiting.  

Like you kids, mine have found fun in running around the house with blankets, towels, hats on their heads...and I always say, stop before you end up in the ER, like Caden did....that will usually stop the horse play....for a while anyway!  Hang in there....it's all part of being the mom....and part of your kids growing up.  I remember doing things like this too....but, I remember stopping when mom said so.  Something my kids like.... making a tent in the living room out of blankets and chairs, or a folding table....that may help save your sanity and keep the kids happy too!     :0)

I definetly relate to that.  and as cold as it may sound, when they just don't listen, they end up learning the hard way, which can be a good teacher.  Certainly not the preferred method, but it works.  Sometimes.

I was told if you tell them "don't" they hear "please do", so you have to phrase it in a positive negative, I know that sounds silly, but don't start the sentence with a negative word.  Sort of like telling yourself you won't be late for an appt. and you are late, if you tell yourself you will be on time, then you are usually on time (or close to it).

A year ago, before we moved to Bakersfield from Indianapolis, I was working in my home office when I heard a shriek in the living room, followed by an agonizing howl of pain. I ran down the hall to check on the kids and found my then 2-year-old son, in T-shirt and diaper, holding his head as my then 5-year-old daughter looked on, mouth agape.

"What happened?"  I said, alarmed as I literally watched my son's head swell before me. It was like the cartoons. His forehead blew up like a balloon before my very eyes.

My daughter's story was that J. slid on his tummy into the wooden leg of the ottoman, which I don't really buy because our house had wall to wall carpeting and the wood part of the leather ottoman is only about 4 inches tall. But a year later that's her story and she's sticking to it. My son couldn't talk then, so I had to take her word for it. This account, I should add, followed admonitions in previous weeks not to use the springy leather ottoman as a trampoline, but I digress.

Within seconds, J.'s head was so huge I felt it warrented a trip to the emergency room. All three of us were still  wearing what we slept in as I drove like a mad woman to the hospital at 7 am on a Sunday. His head was so big that they saw us immediately even though there were several others in the waiting room who got there before us.

To test his cognition, they asked him some questions that he answered as well as a 2-year-old can. They had him walk to see if he was unstable on his feet. He walked fine. The resident who examined him called in a supervising doctor for a second opinion. They both agreed that subjecting a toddler's head to radiation should only be a last resort, and since he seemed to be OK they said they weren't going to X-Ray him. Just give him some baby Tylenol for the pain and ice it and it should go down by itself in "two or three weeks."

It's been a year.  If you look carefully, you can still see a little lump there. I think it may be with him for life.

Count your blessings, honey.