Falling down

I wonder at what age we become embarrassed about falling down? I've just had a week-end away with my Cub Pack. At age 8 to 10 1/2 it's part of the day's work to fall over, run into things and generally get into scrapes. However, the younger members of the group tend to fall and wail BUT they stay down until they or some-one else decides that there has been no damage done. Most adults' immediate reaction is to hope desperately that nobody has noticed and to get up as quickly as possible whislt vigorously refusing help.

Probably staying on the floor is the most sensible option to allow our brains a short time to assess if there is a problem. I have never known anything other than kindness and maybe a bit of gentle leg pulling (no pun intended) when I have hurt myself by tripping or falling and yet I know that my reaction is to try to pretend it didn't happen. I can't really claim that I've got up to get out of danger, it's always due to embarrassment. How odd!