First Aid

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The summer is ripe with opportunities for our children to really get out and explore the world around them, and living in the country increases the interactions with nature. But with the beauty and wonderment of nature comes encounters with stings, bites, burns, cuts, splinters, etc.

When your youngster comes running in with an injury is not the time to scramble for a remedy. Having a well-stocked first-aid kit in a designated place will make any injury less overwhelming and get them back out to playing in no time flat. An inexpensive flat plastic tackle box can be purchsed for less than $5. An ideal home first aid kit will have:

• First Aid Handbook

• Rounded Scissors

• Thermometer

• Safety Pins

•Disposable medical gloves

•ToothSaver

•Burn gel/cream

•Disposable Hot/Cold Packs

•Sterile Water (ideally w/ a syringe to irrigate wound)

•Triple antibiotic ointment or spray (after cleaning with water or peroxide)

•Band-Aids/SteriStrips—(Various sizes w/cool designs too)

•Benadryl gel (for bites, stings, or rashes)

•Sterile gauze pads (for bleeding wounds)

•Triangular bandages (for injured shoulders, elbows, arms, etc.)

•Tweezers (for splinters or anything tiny dug in)

•Drawing Salve (for those splinters you just can’t get to)

•ACE wrap(s) (for those strains & sprains)

•Pediatric medications (Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Benadryl, Antidiarrheal)

Many injuries can be attended to at home or by checking in with your primary physician or urgent care center. But do not hesitate to call 911 for any injury or other complaint that you feel needs emergent assessment or treatment. We hope you and your family have a safe and exciting summer!