To learn about our COVID-19 health and safety procedures, click here.
Kids & Company Blog
What I Learned While on Crutches

So I managed to do my ankle in, which landed me in an Aircast and crutches. I know what you’re thinking and for the record, I was not walking and texting. In fact, I was attempting to walk and talk at the VERY same time and managed to go over on my ankle. It’s a good thing I wasn’t chewing gum or I may have ended up in a full body cast.
Clearly this cast/crutches thing is not an ideal situation for a multi-tasking mama. To further complicate the matter, Daddy-o was out of town for the week and the affected ankle was attached to my driving foot. The already difficult task of getting various children to various activities at the same time reached a whole new level of crazy.
It was an interesting experience for me, and this is what being on crutches taught me:
- My friends who deal with real-life chronic pain, illness or disability – I know you find it annoying and even a little condescending when people tell you how amazing and brave you are, but yeah, that. I am not amazing or brave – mostly just whiney.
- Six-year-olds can pack their own school lunches and will include fruits and vegetables. They will also feel proud. Kids step up when they need to.
- Crutches take the focus off a sore ankle by causing excruciating pain to your armpits. Did the people who made the crutches plan it that way? Is it some twisted method of trying to distract from pain by creating new pain?
- Not being able to drive was like a forced holiday. I contemplated prolonging the appearance of injury, but convenience and reality won out.
- There are friends and family members who are extremely helpful. But when help is offered, I must be clear with instructions. I should specifically say, for example, that “picking up bread” means a minimum of three loaves in a family of our size. That one loaf that was dropped off lasted 20 minutes.
The top lesson, of course, is to watch where I’m going. Curbs have a way of jumping out at you when you least expect it. Have you had an injury or illness that has caused temporary disruption to family life? How did everyone manage?
Posted on: Wednesday February 15th, 2012
Posted by: Julie Cole
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Edmonton
Cochrane
Red Deer
Calgary
Calgary
Okotoks
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Edmonton
St. Albert
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
St. Albert
Edmonton
Edmonton
Sylvan Lake
Edmonton
Sherwood Park
Edmonton
Kamloops
Langley
Langley
New Westminster
North Vancouver
Richmond
Vancouver
Victoria
Victoria
Port Moody
Surrey
Surrey
Surrey
North Vancouver
Nanaimo
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Schaumburg
Chicago
Winnipeg
Abington
Canton
Quincy
West Quincy
St. Peters
Lake St. Louis
Troy
Bedford
Dartmouth
Halifax
Bedford
Hammonds Plains
Lower Sackville
Eastern Passage
Aurora
Burlington
Burlington
Etobicoke
Etobicoke
Hamilton
London
Milton
Mississauga
Niagara Falls
Oakville
Ottawa
Richmond Hill - Corporate office (No child care services)
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Waterloo
Kanata
Oakville
Oakville
Toronto
Whitby
Toronto
Mississauga
Ottawa
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Brampton
Stoney Creek
Toronto
Nepean
Burlington
Burlington
Oakville
Waterdown
Oakville
Pittston
Wilkes-Barre
Exeter
Old Forge
Wilkes-Barre
Jack N Jill Abington
Aurora
Bedford (Dellridge Lane)
Larry Uteck (Southgate Dr)
Brampton
Burlington Children’s Centre
Burloak
Appleby
Beacon Hill
Bow Trail
Eau Claire
Livingston
Midlake
Millrise
Royal Oak
Smart Tech
Britannia Crossing
Marda Loop
Evanston
Beltline
Aviation Crossing
Gulf Canada Square
Canton
Jackson
Lincoln Park
Harrison
West Loop
South Loop
Fulton
Cochrane
Dartmouth
Eastern Passage
Ellerslie (103A St. SW)
Edmonton Ice District (104 Ave)
Baturyn
Diamond
Friendly Frog
Meadowlark Park
St. Charles
St. Dominic
Sunshine Factory
Tender Heart
Tamarack
Jagare Ridge
Horse Hill
Fraser
Islington
Etobicoke (Bloor & Islington)
ABC Kiddie Kampus Exeter, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Halifax
Hamilton
Hammonds Plains
Kamloops
Eagleson (South Kanata)
Tyke Town Lake Saint Louis, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Kids World
Langley (200th St.)
London Richmond
Sackville
Milton
Robert Speck Parkway
Mississauga Gateway Centre
Nanaimo
Ottawa Barrhaven
New Westminster
Niagara Queen
North Vancouver
North Van Esplanade
Oakville Ford
Oakville Cornwall
Oakville Dundas
Joshua Creek
Oakville West (3471 Wyecroft Rd)
Okotoks
ABC Kiddie Kampus Old Forge, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Ottawa Albert
Ottawa Westboro
ABC Kiddie Kampus Pittston, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Port Moody
Marina Bay
Red Deer
Richmond
Head Office
Schaumburg
Sherwood Park
St. Albert North
St. Albert Grandin
Tyke Town St. Peters, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Stoney Creek
Morgan Crossing
Surrey Professional Centre
King George
Sylvan Lake
Bloor Christie
Bloor (Bloor St. East)
Consumers
Finch
Front
Wellington
Scotia Plaza
Stock Yards
St. Andrew’s Church
Liberty Village
Rosedale
Queen West
Tyke Town Troy, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Vancouver West
Langford
Victoria
Waterdown
Tech Town
Jack N Jill West Quincy
Whitby
ABC Kiddie Kampus East Mountain, Part of the Kids & Company Family
ABC Kiddie Kampus King’s College, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Winnipeg
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Edmonton
Cochrane
Red Deer
Calgary
Calgary
Okotoks
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Edmonton
St. Albert
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
St. Albert
Edmonton
Edmonton
Sylvan Lake
Edmonton
Sherwood Park
Edmonton
Kamloops
Langley
Langley
New Westminster
North Vancouver
Richmond
Vancouver
Victoria
Victoria
Port Moody
Surrey
Surrey
Surrey
North Vancouver
Nanaimo
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Schaumburg
Chicago
Winnipeg
Abington
Canton
Quincy
West Quincy
St. Peters
Lake St. Louis
Troy
Bedford
Dartmouth
Halifax
Bedford
Hammonds Plains
Lower Sackville
Eastern Passage
Aurora
Burlington
Burlington
Etobicoke
Etobicoke
Hamilton
London
Milton
Mississauga
Niagara Falls
Oakville
Ottawa
Richmond Hill - Corporate office (No child care services)
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Waterloo
Kanata
Oakville
Oakville
Toronto
Whitby
Toronto
Mississauga
Ottawa
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Brampton
Stoney Creek
Toronto
Nepean
Burlington
Burlington
Oakville
Waterdown
Oakville
Pittston
Wilkes-Barre
Exeter
Old Forge
Wilkes-Barre
Jack N Jill Abington
Aurora
Bedford (Dellridge Lane)
Larry Uteck (Southgate Dr)
Brampton
Burlington Children’s Centre
Burloak
Appleby
Beacon Hill
Bow Trail
Eau Claire
Livingston
Midlake
Millrise
Royal Oak
Smart Tech
Britannia Crossing
Marda Loop
Evanston
Beltline
Aviation Crossing
Gulf Canada Square
Canton
Jackson
Lincoln Park
Harrison
West Loop
South Loop
Fulton
Cochrane
Dartmouth
Eastern Passage
Ellerslie (103A St. SW)
Edmonton Ice District (104 Ave)
Baturyn
Diamond
Friendly Frog
Meadowlark Park
St. Charles
St. Dominic
Sunshine Factory
Tender Heart
Tamarack
Jagare Ridge
Horse Hill
Fraser
Islington
Etobicoke (Bloor & Islington)
ABC Kiddie Kampus Exeter, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Halifax
Hamilton
Hammonds Plains
Kamloops
Eagleson (South Kanata)
Tyke Town Lake Saint Louis, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Kids World
Langley (200th St.)
London Richmond
Sackville
Milton
Robert Speck Parkway
Mississauga Gateway Centre
Nanaimo
Ottawa Barrhaven
New Westminster
Niagara Queen
North Vancouver
North Van Esplanade
Oakville Ford
Oakville Cornwall
Oakville Dundas
Joshua Creek
Oakville West (3471 Wyecroft Rd)
Okotoks
ABC Kiddie Kampus Old Forge, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Ottawa Albert
Ottawa Westboro
ABC Kiddie Kampus Pittston, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Port Moody
Marina Bay
Red Deer
Richmond
Head Office
Schaumburg
Sherwood Park
St. Albert North
St. Albert Grandin
Tyke Town St. Peters, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Stoney Creek
Morgan Crossing
Surrey Professional Centre
King George
Sylvan Lake
Bloor Christie
Bloor (Bloor St. East)
Consumers
Finch
Front
Wellington
Scotia Plaza
Stock Yards
St. Andrew’s Church
Liberty Village
Rosedale
Queen West
Tyke Town Troy, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Vancouver West
Langford
Victoria
Waterdown
Tech Town
Jack N Jill West Quincy
Whitby
ABC Kiddie Kampus East Mountain, Part of the Kids & Company Family
ABC Kiddie Kampus King’s College, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Winnipeg