Why Parents Can’t Always Trust That After a Head Injury

Your child takes a tumble off the monkey bars. They pop back up, dust themselves off, say “I’m fine,” and keep playing.

You breathe a sigh of relief. Crisis averted.

But two days later, they’re complaining about headaches and struggling to focus in school.

What you’re seeing? Delayed concussion symptoms, and they’re more common than most parents realize.

Why Kids Say “I’m Fine” (Even When They’re Not)

Kids – especially young athletes – don’t want to:

• Stop playing
• Let their team down
• Admit they’re hurt
• Worry their parents

So they downplay symptoms. They say they’re fine. And sometimes, they genuinely feel fine at first – because concussion symptoms don’t always show up immediately.

⏰ The Delayed Symptom Timeline

Concussion symptoms can appear hours or even days after injury:

• 0-2 hours: Headache, dizziness, confusion
• 2-12 hours: Nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light
• 1-2 days: Sleep problems, mood changes, irritability
• 3-7 days: Memory issues, difficulty concentrating, school struggles

🚨 Red Flags in Children

Watch for:

• 🤕 Worsening headache that won’t respond to medicine
• 🤢 Repeated vomiting
• 😶‍🌫️ “Brain fog” or confusion
• 😴 Unusual drowsiness or sleeping more than normal
• 😡 Personality changes or extreme irritability
• 📚 Sudden difficulty in school

🏈 Return-to-Play Protocol

If your child plays sports, this is critical: they cannot return to play until medically cleared.

A second concussion before the first has healed can cause serious, lasting brain damage.

What We Do at Stone Ridge

• Thorough concussion evaluations
• Return-to-play medical clearance
• School accommodation letters
• Recovery monitoring & guidance

When your child says “I’m fine,” trust—but verify.