12 April 2007

Personally, I blame the children.

In my area of the leisure centre, one of my responsibilities is to the large children’s soft play area. You know the kind of place that’s swarming with the under 10's and very tired looking mothers? That’s part of my working environment.

We have play leaders who keep an eye on the area and help the littler ones play and get up to the big slides etc, and serve food and drinks to keep mum/dad and children happy.

All in all it’s my favourite area to work in, especially when there are no new arrivals to be booked in and no cleaning to do. It means I can just do what the kids do, and play!

What can I say, I’m just a big kid at heart, and I love taking the excuse to ‘see if the slides need polishing’ or ‘if the frame needs cleaning’.

So, shoes off and I’m in the area with the children, running and climbing with the best of them (just avoiding low roofs, because it is for kids after all….). All is good, down the slide a few times and swap back with the normal staff.

One of the things that keep me the busiest at work when we’re full, is the accident book. I’m one of my workplace’s recognised first aider’s, and usually the one they call if anything major has happened. Also, with having so many areas in one building where different things happen, the staff will keep me fairly busy with accidents in the workplace (which obviously have to be documented).

Yesterday I had a ‘first’. I had to put myself in the accident book. Much to the amusement of many of the staff, who all magically appeared to ‘check that I was alright’ (yeah right guys).

We had a large children’s group in our soft play area (35 children) and the staff were stood around doing nothing. So I did what all good managers do, and arranged a game of ‘tag’. Staff were on versus the children. Eventually I got roped in as well, and being the ‘team player’ I am, I decided to pelt into the structure (avoiding the children of course). Quite happily avoiding being ‘tagged’ I was running across a rope bridge when a part of me body became stuck under a rope... 3 of my toes.

How I managed to not fill the air with expletives I do not know. More importantly, how I managed to get back down the slide was impressive….

One ice pack and an accident book later and I have at least one broken toe (self diagnosed). I don’t see the point in going and getting them checked out, as I’ve broken them before. They’ve gone a delightful shape and colour and hurt like hell. I’m just so very glad that one of the pairs of shoes I still have at home are my crocs.

Bloody children. I blame them.

10 comments:

Lola Cherry Cola said...

Ouch, poor toes!

caramaena said...

Ooh that looks painful. Hope you're all healed up soon :)

Unknown said...

A lovely photo for the foot fetishist amongst us.

Do neighbour strap it dear.

Sarah said...

That's what my husband's foot looked like after he kicked his boss playing 5 a side.

Dr Andrew Brown said...

Yeah, there's probably a fracture or two in there. Get the 3rd toe neighbour-strapped to the 2nd with some bandage.

Anonymous said...

ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!!!!! That looks soooo painful! How did you manage not to swear???

Health Watch Center said...

Hi Merys or Mery.s?

Oh your toes looks hurt badly...I hope you are doing well now...Well when it comes to kids then its hard to control...you can control one or two but when it comes to few then its like out of control...

New here just wanted to say hi...
Self Help Zone

The Little Medic said...

Ouch, looks very painful. I blame the children too, for everything bad that happened in my paeds OSCE today.

Anonymous said...

Yuk. Feet. Put it away!

(I've always called it buddy strapping btw)

Anonymous said...

Ouch!
Hope they feel better soon.