63.28.105.44 Comments My recommendation would be to pat the area lightly and show a hurting expression on your face. Therefore, whatever sign you choose to use should be made at the location of the hurt area.
Children quickly learn to discern the difference.
With signs, the same is often true. The signs may look similar in movement. However, the trained eye and in most cases the young eye will see the difference and cue into that difference if the signs are made in context and are made with accuracy. We adults often underestimate the abilities of our children to see subtle differences. The child may not produce the sign accurately at first, but eventually will begin to make the correct hand shape to clarify the meaning they want to convey.