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How do I explain scars when a young child asks about them?

Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on May 7, 2017
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Personally, I have many younger cousins. and when they ask about my scares, I explain to them that they are my battle wounds. They show how strong I am, Of course I wouldn't tell them exactly how I got them because they are still young and don't need to know about that yet.
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Profile: Missionmagic101
Missionmagic101 on May 14, 2017
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How about telling them you were in this awesome adventure where you saved the world from an evil villain that planned to rule everything. So you got your battle scars but it's alright because you defeated the villain. Or you can just tell them a cat scratched you accidentally. The thing is, people have scars and that's part of their story. If a young child asks you about your scars you just tell them gently what you feel comfortable about. Don't be too dark. Be yourself and if you wanna shrug it off and not talk about then it's your choice.
Profile: Soulartgirl26
Soulartgirl26 on Jun 11, 2017
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Young children are curious little things so don't be straight telling them you intentionally hurt yourself. You can instead you had a pet that hurt you or just accidents...
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Jun 16, 2017
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Personally, I always described mine to small children as marks from winning a battle or hard fight in my life against someone or something that was trying to hurt me. Might be something that could work for you if you want to keep it a little whimsical for them. Could also use the route a friend of mine does, and tell them that you fight dragons in your free time.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Jun 28, 2017
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Scars are memories sculpted in our flesh. A reminder of what we´ve been through and how we have learned from what occured.
Profile: pseudotsuga
pseudotsuga on Aug 9, 2017
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It depends on the kid, and what you're comfortable with. For a kid that sees they're obviously scars and asks how you got them, you can say that you fought a scary monster. If the kid doesn't see that they're scars, you don't have to tell them. You could use it as a teachable moment about how everyone's bodies are unique -- some people are short and others tall, some have birth marks, people have differently colored hair, sometimes people get new marks like scars or tattoos or hair colors later in life, and so forth. If the kid is very small, you might be able to just tell them that you have stripes, and ask them about their favorite stripy animals like zebras and tigers.
Profile: sweetsoul1
sweetsoul1 on Aug 19, 2017
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they are war marks, i went to a war a while ago and i got them in there but soon theyll fade away
Profile: MultipleMosaic
MultipleMosaic on Sep 8, 2017
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Sometimes it's best to be vague with young children, as they don't always require an in-depth answer. Something like, "I got hurt and it left a mark." If they ask how you got hurt you could say that it was a cut or a scratch. You don't need to give more information than is appropriate for their age.
Profile: Madieeeeeeeeeeeee
Madieeeeeeeeeeeee on Sep 28, 2017
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Tell them they're proof that things get better or if they're younger children just tell them they're booboos because they probably won't understand the first reason.
Profile: SunnySophieL
SunnySophieL on Oct 18, 2017
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I always say they are my tiger stripes or each one shows an act of surrender which turned into strength.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Nov 9, 2017
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Depends on the age if they are really young I would tell them that I got hurt really bad falling or talk to the parent if the child is a little older so that the parent can explain if that is what they choose
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Nov 10, 2017
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Answer them honestly, but in a way that does not scare/worry the child. Keep it simple, and non-sugestive. Remember, kids grow up and they will learn, in-depth, about it eventually. Keeping them in the dark will only complicate things for them further on in their life and make them upset or think that it is 'okay'.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Nov 12, 2017
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With kids, it's often best to be as honest as possible. They are far less judgy than adults tend to be. You could try saying something like "This happened to me when I was having a really bad time. I am doing much better now." - oftentimes that's enough. Hugs!
Profile: frankiepamela1
frankiepamela1 on Nov 14, 2017
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Children have trouble understanding why anyone would inflict pain upon his/herself. It is a very unusual concept to them since most are very innocent and have not experienced any intense struggle. For this reason, I think it is best to give them a very vague answer. Something along the lines of, I got very hurt at one point, but I healed and I'm all better now.
Profile: NotAGod
NotAGod on Nov 22, 2017
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"They're my past, they're my mistakes but like all mistakes, we learn from them. These are just reminders to remind me to never be reminded again because I know now so don't worry about it, kid."
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Dec 1, 2017
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I say that they are memories of the past and we all have personal issues. It’s importsnt to remember that not everyone is perfect.
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You can explain scars to a young child when they ask about them as battles scars. Because you went through hard, rough times but made it out alive, some people don't.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Dec 8, 2017
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I explained them as though they are battle wounds. I told the child that I'd won a battle against a bad guy.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Dec 8, 2017
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You could say that you were fighting a battle and you won it and it helped you become who you are now
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Dec 9, 2017
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When my kids have pointed out my scars to me I am honest to an extent. What you don't want to do is lie... If you lie and they remember later on, finding out they were lied to, they can start to go through a spiral of what else they were lied to about and trust is a crucial part of childhood. There are ways you can still tell the truth. So some of mine were innocent mosquito bites that I scratched at as a child despite my own mother warning me not to as they can scar. I have one on my face due to a bout of MRSA. Others...due to physical abuse in a marriage and emotional pain dealt with in an unhealthy way as a teenager...I would tell them that they were boo boo's made due to an accident. They'd ask me, what kind of accident. I'd relate/ask them, about how you know how sometimes you think something is a good idea at first, but later find out after you get hurt it wasn't such a good idea? At this they usually relate sharing something they did that they initially thought was a good idea that got hurt. Such as pretending to be Mary Poppins in jumping off the kitchen table with an umbrella or thinking they were fine to stand on a chair until they lost their balance. Them relating really helps. When you share it this way you are not lying because I myself, at the time thought I was doing the right thing. I thought how I was coping with my emotional pain as a teen was my only outlet. I thought that staying with my husband despite the various abuse was the right thing as I loved him. In a nut shell, whether I was pretending to be Mary Poppins or sticking to my husband, both people would be in the mindset that they were "doing the right thing and everything would be alright". This not only answers the child's question, but protects them from feeling lied to later on. If it's your own child that later finds out the truth, not only will they come to appreciate your honesty, they will have a deeper understanding to your mindset at the time you received the scars.
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