From bug bites and sunburns to surprise rashes and fevers, parents need to be prepared for anything. Daily Momtivity recommends you keep the following items stocked in your medicine cabinet at all times. (Also, check out our post with tons of Mom Remedies to help out your little ones and our tips on Surviving the Stomach Flu!)
Cortisone Cream: This works great for bug bites! Some people stand by certain home remedies or Calamine lotion. I choose Cortisone because it is handy for any kind of itch and small enough in size to keep in my purse or diaper bag.
Neosporin: Cuts and scrapes will happen, and neosporin will support the healing process.
Band-Aids: Of course! I like to purchase the box with various sizes included.
Fever Reducer/Pain Reliever: A fever usually comes as a surprise, and doesn’t it always seem to hit during the night? Be sure to have a full bottle of Tylenol and/or Motrin at all times (Infants or Children’s formula, of course).
Children’s Benadryl (liquid and lotion form): You never know when your child may eat something or come in contact with something that causes a mild allergic reaction. (Severe reactions which cause swelling or difficulty breathing warrant a call to 911. This article is referring only to mild reactions, such as a small rash.) Recently my daughter woke up during the night itching and itching all over her legs, tummy and neck. Upon ruling out chicken pox and several other possibilities, we determined it was a case of hives (cause unknown) and gave her a dose of liquid Children’s Benadryl. I also rubbed Benadryl anti-itch cream on the affected areas. The cream worked very quickly to stop the itching, and the liquid cured the hives within the hour.
Nasal Aspirator Bulb: I am a huge fan of the nasal aspirator for babies and toddlers. It can be a challenge to get them to sit still for it, but if you’re successful you can relieve their runny/stuffy nose.
Humidifer: Since we can’t give babies or toddlers any cough or cold medicine, about the only thing you can do when they have congestion is run a humidifier, use the nasal aspirator or incline their mattress a bit so their passages can drain properly. Warm or cool air humidifiers are great.
Ipecac: Hopefully you will never need this, but it’s important to have on-hand should your child swallow something poisonous (and make a call to the Poison Control Center ASAP 1-800-222-1222).
Thermometer: I finally invested in a temporal artery thermometer (the kind you swipe across the forehead). It is worth every penny!! It’s so easy and you can even do it while they’re sleeping. I also keep a traditional digital thermometer around as well, because they still recommend rectal temp readings for babies.
Vitamin Water: When I was a kid, if I was stomach sick, my Mom gave me 7-Up to replenish my electrolytes. Today we have better options that are not so sugary! I keep a couple of bottles of Vitamin Water Zero Revive in the pantry. It’s more economical than Pedialyte and contains zero sugar, no dyes, and loads of vitamins such as C, B12 and electrolytes.
Hydrogen Peroxide or Rubbing Alcohol Wipes: Of course you should clean cuts or scrapes with a disinfectant (but some say that simple soap and water is sufficient.)
Robitussin or Mucinex: Now that my girls are a little older, if they have a serious congested cough, I’ll give them a little Children’s Robitussin or Children’s Mucinex to reduce the phlegm and help them sleep better.
Hopefully coughs, colds, cuts and scrapes are few and far between in your household, but it’s always good to be prepared.
What medicine cabinet must-haves would you add to our list? Leave us a comment with your suggestions.
Nicole
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Heather @ Simply Save says
Great list! Cortisone is so great for a lot of things.
Travis Scott says
Wow…so many things I didn’t think of. Looks like a trip to Walgreens is in the future for me:)
Nicole says
Quite true for most of us. Thanks for reading Daily Momtivity!
Evelyn says
Fantastic list. You’re right, the fevers always come at night; why is that? I’m home right now with my little guy who woke up (in the night) with a fever.
Jacky @ Joyful Savings says
Though my kids are no so much kiddos anymore, I remember having everything, but the Ipecac. They used to get so many stomach viruses, ear infections, fevers…. Great list, and very useful, especially for new parents!
You might also enjoy this post from JoyfulSavings: Don’t throw away your lotion tube…DO THIS First!
Aileen says
Great list! I need to stock up my medicine cabinet – especially the Ipecac. My toddler is notorious for putting anything and everything in her mouth (she enjoys eating dirt daily). We have had to call poison control a couple of times but have always locked out and she has been okay. Thanks for putting this together, Nicole.
Morgan @ Morgan Manages Mommyhood says
This is an awesome resource! My son is 22 months, and while i have bunch of this stuff, I definitely need to expand now that he’s getting older and more of a daredevil!
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says
I love the forehead scanning thermometer too. Definitely helps to take Temps of my wriggly boys whether awake or asleep. Thanks for hosting Small Victories Sunday Linkup with us. Pinned to our linkup board.
Mother of 3 says
Great list! Not sure why I have never thought to use vitamin water for stomach bugs; what a great alternative to sodas (since my boys don’t like to drink juice when they’re sick).
Faye says
Great list! I am missing a few of these so will need to stock up. In our household, humidifiers and thermometers have gotten the most use (oh and band-aids too!)
Lisa says
Great list! One think I would add is a pulse oximeter. It sounds odd, but it comes in really handy for those nights when they have a terrible cough or maybe croup and you’re just not sure if it’s bad enough to take them in – being able to quickly check their O2 sat is a great peace of mind. We have one like this and it’s worth every penny – and not very expensive: http://amzn.to/1T0yZHG
I went through several of those temporal thermometers and I could never get them to work right, they were so inconsistent. I recommend an ear thermometer instead – so much more reliable and accurate – http://amzn.to/1VktfMQ
For bandaids – we LOVE the NexCare waterproof bandages. So much better than regular ones.
Shannon says
Waterproof bandaids are a must too!! Great idea 😉