Home Remedies

  • Ouch! While bee stings are life-threatening to some children (and adults), most kids experience temporary discomfort including pain, itching, swelling and redness at the site of the sting. First things first — remove the stinger as soon as you can with your fingernails or  tweezers. Next, wash the area with soap and water and apply a cold compress to relieve any swelling. The Mayo Clinic suggests taking an antihistamine like Benadryl if the itching or swelling really bothers your child, especially if he can’t seem to stop scratching the sting area, since that will only up his chances for infection.
  • Did your child wander into “leaves of three?” Wash the exposed areas as soon as possible, along with his clothes and any other items he had with him at the time, and apply a cold compress several times throughout the day. Calamine lotion, cool water and antihistamines may help relieve symptoms, however, if the rash is widespread or takes a turn for the worse, call your pediatrician.
  • Practice prevention when it comes to sunburns. Make sure you reapply sunscreen to the kids throughout the day! If your child does get a burn, cool him off with a cold compress (cool milk or freshly brewed, cooled tea can work well, too). Add a cup of cider vinegar to a bath, or apply aloe Vera or lotions that contain aloe Vera.

Pool Smarts

There’s nothing more relaxing than a summer day spent by the pool, but it’s crucial that parents be aware of safety here. Julian Stewart of Guardian Pool & Fence reminds parents to keep these tips from the National Drowning Prevention Alliance in mind (and find the complete list at our website):

  • Designate a “Water Watcher” to watch over children in the pool during gatherings. Do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.
  • Don’t ever leave a pool gate propped open.
  • Learn CPR.
  • Remember that children who have taken swimming lessons are not “drown-proof.”
  • Know the signs of drowning: Head low in the water with mouth at water level, head tilted back with mouth open; Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus or are closed; Hair over forehead or eyes; Not using legs; Vertical; Hyperventilating or gasping; Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway; Trying to roll over on the back.

Babysitting Know-How

Finding a great baby-sitter is a parent’s dream, but how does someone become a great baby-sitter? Start with taking classes, says Amy Klebanow Marks, owner of Enriching Kidz in Cincinnati.

Enriching Kidz offers Better Baby Sitters classes for ages 10 – 13 and covers skills like first aid and safety, infant and child CPR, how to handle emergencies, problem-solving, and skills like diapering, bottle feeding and infant care. Students will also get insight into the “Bill of Rights for Babysitters,” says Klebanow Marks, so kids are empowered to ask questions of the parents they sit for, and to ask questions of themselves, like how comfortable they are in the family’s house, or how comfortable they are sitting a baby versus a toddler or older child.

Enriching Kidz also offers a Kidz Home Alone class for ages 9 – 12, and an Empowering Girls with Confidence course to learn about self-confidence, role models, communication skills, and body image and the media.

Help your baby-sitter be great, too: Before heading out for the night, make sure you have a home walk thru with your sitter to introduce her to your home. Don’t wait until you’re rushing out the door to toss a bunch of instructions at her, and then leave her with a stubborn baby gate latch or no clues about your baby’s favorite toy