Bathroom Blitz

Parenting Essentials For Your Family Medicine Cupboard

These bathroom cabinet must-haves are a parenting hack for any family

As parents, we are all too familiar with watching our children learn and grow through their bumps and falls, expecting the unexpected at any moment. A well-stocked medicine cabinet will allow you to respond quickly and effectively, be it a tumble, temperature or tummy bug.

We've rounded up a bathroom cabinet 'must' list to help you in getting prepared. Remember to keep medicines out of reach of children, and always check with your paediatrician before administering medication.

1. Thermometer
Having a thermometer at the ready when you've got a sick child is essential. When even a few tenths of a degree can make a difference, accuracy is a must in monitoring a fevering child to manage their temperature and act accordingly.

2. Pain relief
Relieving your child's pain often comes with a sense of urgency, with many parents looking to try natural alternatives before administering medication. Paracetomol and Ibuprofen are often the fastest and most effective relief for headaches and fevers, and should be used in line with your health care professionals advice; however, growing pains and body aches can be treated naturally and safely with topical magnesium. Australian body care brand, Abundant Natural Health, offers an innovative range of natural products that pairs natural, highly concentrated, certified organic magnesium with cucumber extract high in citric acid to help parents and children alike.

3. Sun safety
Slip, slop, slap; but be delicate in doing so. Your child's skin is new, soft and sensitive, so using the right product is important when protecting those tiny hands, feet and faces from the harsh sun. It is best to try using a water-resistant formula that is free from sulphates, petrochemicals, parabens, artificial preservatives and fragrances, which reduce the risk of reaction and eliminates the use of chemicals on new skin.

4. Cuts and grazes
Allowing our children learn and grow will, undoubtedly, end in tears at some point or another. One of the most common results of those minor accidents will be cuts, scrapes and grazes. Stock the cabinets with sanitizer or rubber gloves to keep wounds clean during treatment. A clean flannelette face towel should always be available for immediate use to help stop the bleeding, alcohol swabs to clean the area, tweezers on hand to remove dirt or debris and sanitiser lotion for use once the wound has been treated. A collection of various sized dressings, including medical gauze, medical tape and ban-aids, is also needed to cover and protect during the healing stage. Prevent or reduce scars with SCARmed. Convenient and easy to use, the odourless, transparent is paraben-free, with fast-drying characteristics that make it ideal for use under sunscreen or cosmetics, and suited to scars large and small, from small nicks, to post-surgical scars, burns and even skin grafts.

5. Sleep
Magnesium is essential for children in order to effectively function, and when children are suffering from poor sleep habits, the use of magnesium has been found to help. Magnesium regulates the neurotransmitters to help calm and relax children. It also works alongside melatonin to control your body clock and sleep-wake cycles. Using a topical treatment is both easy to use and perfect for incorporation into night time routines.

Photo by Steven Ungermann on Unsplash