Medicine cupboards

Medications are a necessary part of life when living with kids.  Especially essential is having a good first aid kit and the right medications are important.

Plasters of all sizes are a must but make sure they are not in reach of toddlers and young children otherwise you will be going through boxes by the day, especially the character plasters.

Expired Medication

Go through all your medicines and check expiry dates.  All expired medication should be taken to your pharmacy for proper disposal.  There are also some GP’s who collect medication which has not expired and which you no longer use.  They then distribute them to patients who have no money and need those medications.

First aid kits

A very important item in every home is the first aid kit! You can either put the first aid kit together yourself or you can buy one from your pharmacy, supermarket and other places. First aid kits do not come with any type of medication.  Remember that it is illegal to give someone medication. Parents can give to children and family members but in your office the health and safety act says that you may not give even a paracetamol for a headache.  This is to prevent the possibility of allergic reactions or toxic interactions between what you give your colleague or employee and what they have taken at home whether chronic or once off.

What to keep

A good idea is to speak to your doctor about keeping the following items on hand at home; pain relief medication for headaches, mild antispasmodics for the occasional abdominal cramp as well as over the counter mild antihistamine, antiseptic cream, and an allergy cream.

It is important to store them correctly in a cool dry place and out of reach of kids.  We took it one step further and also had a safety lock box as my son liked to climb and open cupboards when he was little.

Don’t accidentally overdose or poison someone

Please remember that adult dose vitamins are toxic to children and should also not be left lying around.  However, even the kids vitamins can cause problems because the chewable vitamins often taste like sweets and children like to eat them.  Certain vitamins are toxic if they are taken in excess, it is, therefore, not a good idea to tell kids that they are getting a sweetie each day.

While paracetamol is one of the safest medications available, an overdose can have severe and permanent repercussions.

Here is a link to a video of what to put in your first aid kit.

Do you have a first aid kit? Do you have more than one? What is your most essential item in the kit?