Hi Sheryl,

I am sorry to hear about your daughter's concussion.
You wanted to hear from people that have recovered from one. Well, as has already been mentioned, this forum is self-selected to be predominantly from those of us who are still having problems. I too am in this category. I had a concussion in my fifties and I am still having symptoms....(that wasn't the good news part, it's coming up).

However, this current episode was only after having half a dozen concussion over the course of my life, and I recovered from all the other ones, completely. I know some people will say that there could have been residual damage that was hidden, but as far as matters to me, I repeat, I recovered completely and had no remaining symptoms at all. Now everyone has hit their head and it hurt. That is not what I mean. I mean being concussed in a way that makes you feel ill or out of it or something strange for at least a day or two. Well that has happened to me lots of time previously with no detectable permanent consequences, except perhaps making me more susceptible to future concussions.

The worst previous concussion that I had was when I was 7 years old and I effectively lost my sight and I felt ill for several months afterwards. It might have taken me a year or more before I had no symptoms at all, but that time did come and I went on to do very well at university and sport, as far as I am concerned as if nothing had happened.

So that is something to aim at. Recovery can and does happen. After only seven weeks there is every hope that your daughter will be in the category of people who make a complete recovery, although she might have to be more careful in the future or exclude certain activities in the future. (Heading a ball?!)

OK. Regarding "What options do we have to keep her busy and let her brain heal? "

How about reducing the question to just: "What options are there to let her brain heal?"

If a child gets a bit bored it isn't the end of the world. You don't have to be filling in your child's time-table like a soccer-Mom. That's probably the last thing that she needs. A bit of boredom might actually help. I would certainly err on the side of boredom rather than activity. When I got my concussion when I was at school, most of that year was probably a right-off. It didn't kill me. I caught up as if nothing had happened when I was healthy again. Your daughter can do the same.

So, I wouldn't bother about trying to make her less bored unless it is really driving her out of her mind. I would rather be telling her that she doesn't need to struggle to do anything, but should just take as much rest as she wants. She might actually (perhaps secretly) be relieved if you were to stop her from doing certain activities. Maybe decide together, as a family like: No sports and no going out with your friends till you don't have any symptoms at all, and probably no more soccer, ever, certainly no more heading a ball. She might actually be pleased if you discussed it and decided that this would be for the best. That might be easier for her to say that her parents have banned her than having to say to her peer group that she doesn't feel up to doing something. Her freinds probably feel that they ought to encourage her and persuade her to do more and so she will be under peer-pressure. That sort of thing is difficult for a 13 year old to resist and doing too much too early might really set her back.

I am not a parent myself, but my guess would be that a parent's role would be: rather than suggesting things for her to do, instead a more important role would be to draw the line about what she isn't going to do, at least until she is better. That could be a good investment of effort if it makes her recover sooner.

Best of luck to you all with that.
CS