Medication Tips & Safety
Summer routines are different. Kids are outside more, traveling more, sweating more, sleeping less, and snacking more. Oh my goodness, the snacks. Some days, I don't think I leave the kitchen. Don't let summer also bring medication mistakes! Hot weather and sunshine can also affect medications.
Skin Conditions
Summer means more time outside, which also means parents are juggling sunscreen, bug spray, sweaty kids, and about 47 complaints about being hot, itchy, or bored. Speaking of sunscreen... here's another question for ya. Which should be applied first, sunscreen or bug spray? The answer actually matters! Using
Asthma & Allergies
Allergy medicine for kids can be tricky. There's so much to choose from on the shelf, and there's advice from well-meaning relatives to "just give them Benadryl! They'll stop sneezing and sleep great!" Don't listen to that advice, friends.
I once heard someone joke, "There's no better time to plan your vacation than during your child's illness." Truer words have never been spoken! My kids don't get sick ALL the time, but between them and their cousins, someone always manages to
Breastfeeding your infant throughout the first year or two of life is widely known as the optimal way to feed your baby. The benefits are numerous. But this isn't a post about breastfeeding. I'm not a lactation expert, but I believe that while breastfeeding provides a
What is Eczema? Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is a common skin condition that affects babies and children. It causes dry, itchy skin that typically looks like red patches. Eczema is associated with lots of discomfort and scratching. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a likely underlying cause of
If you've reached this page while desperately searching for advice on administering eye drops to a small child, please accept my condolences. Kidding. Kind of. In my experience, there is a rare, easygoing child who follows directions, sits still, and tolerates eye drops without complaint. Then there'
Ear infections in babies and toddlers are incredibly common, especially during the first few years of life. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, five out of six children will have at least one ear infection by age 3! While ear infections are practically a rite of passage in childhood,
Expert-backed advice from pediatric pharmacists. Because kids don't come with a medication guide.
Few things are more frustrating than starting a new medicine for your child and seeing no improvement. When my kids are sick and need an antibiotic (or any medicine, really), I just want it to work! Most antibiotics take some time to be effective. So the good news is that
.... and what parents frequently forget! A kid's travel medication checklist is one of those things you don’t think about until you need it. When you do, it’s usually not convenient. It's never fun to Google for the closest pharmacy at 10 PM while on
Choosing the right sunscreen for kids can be confusing. SPF numbers, mineral vs chemical options, sprays, lotions, oh my! —It’s a lot. Information overload! I'll stroll into CVS or Target to shop for sunscreen with the best intentions, only to be victimized by marketing, while also worrying
Tick bites in kids are one of those things that can send parents into a spiral. Especially if you live in an area where Lyme disease is prevalent. Unfortunately, ticks are common where I live, and my family spends a lot of time outdoors walking the dog. The pup is
If it seems like your child is constantly sneezing, sniffling, or rubbing their eyes whenever the seasons change, you might be dealing with seasonal allergies. Spring allergy season is here! Warmer climates have already seen a pollen burst, and we frozen Eskimos up in the Northern part of the country
There are many reasons why children may need medicine. Sometimes it's occasional. Your child has a high fever and refuses to eat or drink. To make them more comfortable and prevent dehydration, giving ibuprofen or acetaminophen is often recommended! Sometimes they require an occasional antibiotic when kids catch
I don’t like to brag, but I consider myself a bit of an expert at giving yucky medicine. I worked for years at a children’s hospital, where I learned all the tricks of the trade from superstar pediatric nurses. Between nursing and pharmacy, we were usually able to
I've been puked on more times in my life than I care to remember, and 99% of those times have been from one of my children bringing home the virus of the month (or week?) from school or daycare. It's like a fruit of the month
Once winter rolls around, allergy season usually winds down in our house. Personally, I don’t love the winter because cold air hurts my face (why do I live somewhere where the air hurts my face?!), but there are some perks – playing in the snow and the lack of pollen!
Cold season has a special talent for humbling parents. One minute, you are confident and well rested. The next, you are standing in your kitchen at 2 a.m. holding a humidifier manual, trying to understand the English language with only one eye open. As a parent, I will fully
My children’s holiday meals usually consist of half a roll, 14 cookies, and whatever soda or juice they manage to con out of a nice unsuspecting relative. If we’re traveling for the holidays, that one holiday meal becomes 6 to 9 meals… leading to constipation. Constipation in children,
It’s family road trip season! If you have ever packed snacks, water bottles, entertainment, and extra clothes only to realize halfway into the trip that you forgot the barf bags, you are not alone. Kids’ motion sickness has a way of announcing itself loudly, and it will leave parents
