Call from the school nurse re:cutting...thoughts?*update!*

[mudnuri]

Just hung up the phone, and I'm still a bit confused by what just happened.

DD10, 5th grade, had an assembly this morning where the speaker gave out pins- the type you wear on your shirt.

Evidently 6-7 of the kids, were using the pins, to slide under their skin, like on the palm of your hand, slide under the top layer of skin and slide out the other side- then you can flip your hand over and the pin is still in place...does that make sense?

Not poking their skin, not drawing blood, and not doing it to eachother.

So the nurse called to tell me that she had called the 6-7 kids into her office, individually to discuss cutting, and why you should not do it, how it's not a healthy activity, and the risk of infection etc...

She was asking me to reinforce the topic at home, basically telling DD that cutting is not the right thing to do etc.

Now, I'm not too sure exactly what she is getting at. DD and the other kids were not "cutting" they were doing exacty the same thing I remember doing when I was that age...I'm not saying what she was doing was wrong, and I'm CERTAINLY not saying that cutting is no big deal. I guess I'm just thinking the nurse went a bit overboard?

What would you have done?

I will talk to DD about this when she gets home, but I dont think I'm going to make a big discussion about cutting, I will point it more to the risk of infection from the pin, and the fact that they were not paying attention to the speaker when they were goofing off....etc..???
*********************UPDATE!!!**********

Okay I spoke with DD about the incident tonight, she is at her dads but I called her regarding her saxaphone, so I brought it up....anyway...

she claims- she was putting the pin on, and accidently poked her finger, she asked to go to the nurse, since it was bleeding and she knows she needs a bandaid to cover the blood...once a couple of her friends realized she was leaving the assembly to go to the nurse, they did the "skin holding the pin" thing on there hands, to get excused to the nurse's office.....I asked her what the nurse said, and the she said the nurse was telling her about something called "cutting" about abusing your body, making it hurt to take the pain away from other stuff, and wasnt really sure what cutting was...I told her what I knew of the subject, and why it wasnt a good idea, and also explained why the nurse was concerned, and that simple poking the needle through your hand, might send the wrong message to the wrong person....


ideas

Brandy

 

[tiggersmom2]

I think the school nurse totally overreacted. I can remember doing this in middle school......

 

[mickeyboat]

Man, can't kids do anything anymore?

I would handle it just like you said. I don't see it as evidence of a propensity for cutting, just trying something new - that didn't even hurt. Heck, it was a science experiment!

Denae

 

[katymae]

I agree. She's probably been to a talk lately where they told all the nurses to look for signs of cutting and she's being excessively proactive. I would handle it the same way you did. You might even explain the difference to your dd and see what she thinks. She'll definitely be exposed to this in middle school or high school. I think you're totally on the right track.

 

[Hedy]

Seems pretty age appropriate, but given the number of cutters I know, I'd say it's not a bad idea to cya, by which I mean keep the lines of communication open.

 

[dcgrumpy]

I remember doing that as a kid. I would tell her not to do it, but I wouldn't make a bid deal out of it. I think it's just one of those stupid things we do as kids, not self mutilation like someone who is "cutting" .

 

[ElizaB39]

I agree with the other posters. I remember we did this too, and once did it with a needle and thread and "attached" all of the calluses at the base of our fingers together. We also used to pass our fingers through candle flames and I didn;t have any discussion with my mom about being a "pyro"!

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

IT does sound like an over reaction and the kids are probably mystified as to what the big deal is. I didn't even know what "cutting" was untill i saw the first part of the movie Secretary 2 years ago.
Since then have met a new Friend who did cut herself as a teenager until she was removed from her parents and placed in Foster care. She is so self concious about the scars on her arms.

 

[mommaU4]

From what you described it doesn't sound like what kids who are actually diagnosed as cutters do. Not even close.

I too remember doing that when I was younger. We'd stick pins through the calloused parts of our palms and then show them to others to freak em out. It wasn't a big deal. I even stuck a safety pin through my ear once in the 8th grade. Kids do silly things, it's nothing to get so worked up over.

Not in this case. You could mention the risk of some infection and how it's probably not the smartest thing to do, but it's not something to get alarmed over.

 

[taylor1293]

I think she overreacted.

I remember being that age, we used to hang pins from all of our fingertips. It was harmless fun.

My daughter is 12, I've seen her do it a couple of times too.

 

[Christine]

Overreacted.

I remember doing this too and, no way, have I ever been a "cutter."

Sometimes people just go way overboard.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

She overeacted.

I remember doing that as a kid, I thought it was so cool! I was no cutter!

 

[mudnuri]

THANK YOU!

I'm sitting here still baffled, wondering if I'm misisng something....shesh...

Going now to google cutting so I can see what they actually do have for 'warning' signs.

Glad to see i'm not the only one who thought this was a bit overkill

Brandy

 

[pixie3]

I really really wouldn't worry about this.

Kids do dumb stuff. We used to do sissy tests. We would take erasers and erase our skin off. This doesnt sound that bad.

 

[poohandwendy]

I think the school nurse totally overreacted. I can remember doing this in middle school......

LOL, me too.

I wouldn't worry about it. Cutters are trying to hurt themselves.

 

[noodleknitter]

I really really wouldn't worry about this.

Kids do dumb stuff. We used to do sissy tests. We would take erasers and erase our skin off. This doesnt sound that bad.

Still have the stupid scar on the backof my hand!

Total overreaction!

 

[binny]

I think the school nurse totally overreacted. I can remember doing this in middle school......

Its the same kind of thing as passing your hand over a candle. It doesnt mean youre going to be an arsonist.





really I think you handled it well.

 

[ChrisLei]

Just hung up the phone, and I'm still a bit confused by what just happened.

DD10, 5th grade, had an assembly this morning where the speaker gave out pins- the type you wear on your shirt.

Evidently 6-7 of the kids, were using the pins, to slide under their skin, like on the palm of your hand, slide under the top layer of skin and slide out the other side- then you can flip your hand over and the pin is still in place...does that make sense?

Not poking their skin, not drawing blood, and not doing it to eachother.

So the nurse called to tell me that she had called the 6-7 kids into her office, individually to discuss cutting, and why you should not do it, how it's not a healthy activity, and the risk of infection etc...

She was asking me to reinforce the topic at home, basically telling DD that cutting is not the right thing to do etc.

Now, I'm not too sure exactly what she is getting at. DD and the other kids were not "cutting" they were doing exacty the same thing I remember doing when I was that age...I'm not saying what she was doing was wrong, and I'm CERTAINLY not saying that cutting is no big deal. I guess I'm just thinking the nurse went a bit overboard?

What would you have done?

I will talk to DD about this when she gets home, but I dont think I'm going to make a big discussion about cutting, I will point it more to the risk of infection from the pin, and the fact that they were not paying attention to the speaker when they were goofing off....etc..???

ideas

Brandy

I remember tons of kids did that in middle school back when I was in school. That is in no way cutting..... My sister was a "cutter", that is when you actually draw blood for excitement. Took a while for her to get over it, but what you described and cutting are two totally different things.

 

[dizagain]

Don't tell your school nurse, but I sort of showed my DD's this trick recently - woops.

"Cutting" is serious, but what your DD did definitely doesn't qualify! Don't worry!

 

[disykat]

Just shrug it off, the nurse is probably required to react so as not to ignore anyone who might have a real problem. I got a "cutting" call too when my then 2nd grader got bored during standardized testing and entertained himself scratching. I told him not to do that and that was the end of it. I sure felt embarassed though!