If your toddler has been cooped up inside all winter, then he is probably going hog wild in the great outdoors this summer, playing, running, swimming and climbing. While there is no shortage of fun to be had at the park or in your backyard, there are also plenty of opportunities for your toddler to get hurt.
Your tot’s summer fun can translate into bumps and bruise as well as cuts and contusions, so it’s best to be prepared. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents keep a well-stocked first aid kit on hand both inside their homes and outside, especially if you have a large yard or swimming pool.
To help alleviate common summer ailments doctors recommend filling a kit, bag or box with essentials such as band-aids, bug spray, topical antibiotics, sunscreen, tweezers, ice packs, gauze, tape and scissors.
Other items that you should consider having on hand if you are planning to host summertime activities are blow dryers. A hair dryer is a great tool to help prevent swimmer’s ear. Doctors say if a child is complaining of having water in his ear, placing a hair dryer on low heat a foot away from the kid’s ear can help. The goal is to gently dry out the moist areas before infection sets in.
Another item to have handy this summer is a pair of tweezers. The tool comes in handy when your child is screaming in pain after getting stung by a bee or other bug. If you don’t have a pair of tweezers on hand, then use a credit card to gently scrape out the stinger. There’s some debate as to whether tweezers should be used to extract stingers. Some experts contend that tweezers are not ideal to use as they break off the stinger and leave a portion of it in the skin.
Regardless of what you use to extract a stinger, doctors agree that you should use ice or a cold cucumber to help ease swelling caused by bee stings. Another option is to make a paste of baking soda and water, and apply to the infected area. Both home remedies help soothe swelling.
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