Family First Aid Kit

A poorly girl needs a well stocked medicine cabinet!

For our family February always seems to be the month of illnesses. This year so far I have had a wisdom tooth infection, my daughter has had an infected finger and the poor girl has now got chicken pox too! Our fridge is so chock full of antibiotics (or antibionicals as my daughter calls them) that we could run our own pharmacy.

There can't be many things more draining that being ill and looking after poorly children which is why, since becoming a mum, I have always been very paranoid about having a fully stocked medicine box. Trips to the 24hour pharmacist at 4am are not on my wish list of things to do! So here are my top tips for the perfect medicine cabinet. I just hope you don't have to use them and that good health will return with the Spring.

Calpol
At number one it has to be Calpol which seems to be a panacea for pretty much anything. We used to use buy the bottles but they always seemed to crystallised quite quickly and also if you didn't have a medicine spoon to hand  it was hard to know how to get the right dosage. Then I discovered that you could buy them in sachets which contain the liquid in 5ml doses - these have been a lifesaver as they don't go off and you can just open them and pour them into your child's mouth. They are also really convenient for taking on holiday and you can keep one in your handbag just in case.

Tea-Tree Oil
This antiseptic essential oil is great to stop bites and cuts getting infected. Just dab a tiny bit onto wounds or put a few drops in the bath if you are covered in bites. It has strong anti-bacterial properties and was used by the Australian army in the First and Second World War.

Olbas Oil Foam Bath
There's nothing worse than a stuffy nose. It makes you feel horrible and can really effect a child's sleep too. Olbas Oil has a range of products that I really like including a foam bath. This can be used for over 3s and is a gentle way to help clear blocked noses. A warm bath with a few drops of this before bed will definitely help to clear the airways.

Character Plasters
These seem to have an amazing effect on my children. In fact they have even been known to make up bumps and bruises just to get a Lightening McQueen plaster on their knee! It's always good to carry a few of these around in your handbag in case of falls and cuts

Piriton Syrup
This medicine can give relief from hayfever, allergies and bits and is always useful to have on hand during the summer as it can be used if your child gets stung by a bee or wasp too. And, as I have just found out, it can help to relieve the itching from chicken pox too.

Re-hydration Salts
Although a tummy bug is not usually a crisis for an adult babies and young children can get de-hydrated very easily especially if they are not eating and drinking. Re-hydration salts are mixed with water and can be given to replace any vital salts and minerals lost during a nasty tummy bug.

Do you have an essential first aid item? Please add it to the comments at the bottom of the post!