Harmless attention seeking or something more?

The first time I saw a friend at school with a plaster cast on her arm, I remember being fascinated. I didn’t know anything about broken arms so seeing how they were mended seemed strange yet intriguing at the same time.

I secretly wished I had a cast too. I liked the idea of the whole class swarming around me with their felt tip pens eager to sign it and leave supportive messages. I suspect I secretly wanted to receive that same level of attention.

Now IJ is the same age I was then and she is looking at a friend with a broken arm in the same way I did. She has said she would quite like to have a broken arm too, although she doesn’t seem to understand it really would hurt.

But she does have a scab on her arm from falling over in the playground. She’s got tangled up in a skipping rope one lunch hour while playing with friends.

Yesterday she had planned to arrive at school with her arm covered in tissue. She’d picked the scab and had created her own cast with a white tissue. Thankfully the small wound healed quickly and she forgot about the tissue.

Was she simply wanting to appear injured like her friend or is she really in need of some additional attention?

I’m at a slight loss here.

Photo credit.

Comments

[notSupermum]

I think it's harmless, and quite normal. There's something strangely fascinating about a plaster cast, I always wanted to have my arm in a sling but never managed to do it. Come to think of it, I might do it this weekend just for the hell of it. Don't worry, IJ will be fine x

[Jody Brettkelly]

I actually prefer that white old school cast you have pictured. My kids chose the dayglow ones and they don't have the same appeal I don't feel!

[Jody Brettkelly]

Oops just misspelt my own blog, so had to return. Obviously I am not one that you would want to sign your casrt. cast, carstt.

[Jo Beaufoix]

I've seen that child at school and have to admit even I looked a little wistfully at that pot. I think it's kind of a novelty/celebrity thing and absolutely nothing at all to worry about. :D

[Lorraine The Party Times]

sure quite natural - I mean they do look cool!

[Liz]

Honestly, I really wouldn't worry about it. Kids do get envious of other children getting attention from time to time - as long as they don't try to hurt the focus of attention it's perfectly fine. It sounds as though she thought the attention might be nice and also as though she was curious about what it's like to wear a cast, but it sounds as though she moved on pretty quickly and that's exactly how it should be. xxx