Big Question

[Amy Clark]

I kind of have a new one! When my daughter was very little, maybe 18 months (she's five now), we would paint her affected right hand with pretty nail polish so she would notice it (she used to completely ignore that arm). She would say "pretty arm" to refer to that arm, and it has stuck. Even her therapists refer to that arm as her pretty arm now! We will call it that until she stops!

[admin]

I think this is a completely personal decision. What may sound wrong to others, may sound right to someone else. We do not have names for Ella's arms, but I have caught myself as she grew up saying, Boo-boo arm. My husband would correct me and it bugged him. Looking back he was right. As some others have written, it is much easier to have a reference to the injured arm for many reasons, but what I have caused is for Ella at the age of 6 years old right now to call it her "bad" arm. I think this came about b/c when Hannah and Ella were both younger I would say to Hannah, "be careful for your sisters bad arm." Boy was that a mistake. She picked up on it and now refers to her left/injured arm as her "bad" arm. Believe me, I am trying to reverse this and having her just call it her left arm. Now that she is old enough to know which arm is her left and which is her right she can simply call them by that, which I prefer right now. I am working on this. Just don't start calling it something you would want to change b/c it really sticks with them!
I also wanted to say that I do let Ella know that her arm is not a "bad" arm and to never call it that b/c I want to encourage her and not put her spirits down by thinking she has a "bad" arm. So I do say to her, "Ella, you do not have a bad arm. It is still a good arm, etc..."
~Krista~


Message was edited by: Krista (mom to Ella)

[admin]

Amy,

That is wonderful!!! Such a great idea!

~Krista~

[karategirl1kyu]

for some reason i've always called it my bad arm, but yet again, i dont think it matters what you call it, only what you can do with it! (20)

[myhumanrevolution]

WOW

Thank you!

Jennie