Aches & Pains in Children 2–5 Years

Pain is your body’s way of trying to protect or heal itself. For example, if your child has a sore elbow or knee, pain is the body’s way of ensuring that joint isn’t used so that it can heal.

While children’s pain is usually caused by a trip and fall or a sports or recreation injury, some children experience growing pains. Growing pains are unpredictable and children between the ages of 4 and 12 are most susceptible to them. While we don’t know what causes them exactly, we do know they cause very real and sometimes intense pain. What we know for sure is that growing pains are perfectly normal and that they:

• Usually occur at night
• Affect your child’s lower limbs
• Can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours

If you’re unsure if your child’s pain warrants a visit to the doctor, read “When to call the doctor about your child’s pain” found on the Tips for Relief of Your Child’s Pain page.

While your child is old enough to tell you they’re in pain, they may not have the vocabulary or communication skills to tell you how much pain they’re actually feeling. If that’s the case, try the following exercise:

• Layout a set of buttons or poker chips
• Tell your child that each button or chip represents a level of pain
• Ask your child to pick up the how many pieces of hurt they feel

In some cases (like when they don’t want to leave the playground or birthday party), your child may try to hide pain from you for as long as they can. Watch for these tell-tale symptoms:

• Overly silent or withdrawn
• Restlessness
• Change of heart rate
• Irritability
• Lack of appetite

Your child’s gender may also play a role in how they show pain:

• Girls tend to be fearful and anxious when they’re in pain
• Boys tend to be angry