1. Bactine: The spray stuff that disinfects without hurting. I use it at least once a week for scraped knees.
2. Sting-eeze: It’s a goop you put on bee stings or fire ant bites – made my daughter stop crying almost immediately. (It takes care of the pain, but doesn’t help allergic reactions)
3. Age-appropriate Benadryl: Just in case of an allergic rash, or when that nose needs to stop running at night to let a child sleep.
4. Age-appropriate Tylenol & Motrin: You don’t want to be caught with a 106º fever and nothing to battle it with – been there, done that.
5. Vicks vapor rub: I slather it on my kids’ feet at bedtime if they’re coughing. It helps – I don’t know how, but it does.
6. Honey: Mix it with a bit of lemon juice and give it by spoonfulls when someone has a cough. It’s all around good.
7. A box of mixed character bandaids: I don’t dress my kids in character shirts or plaster their rooms with them, but when someone is teary over a scrape or cut, a little Spiderman or Care Bears accessory protects it and makes my kid happy. Wel worth it.
8. Hyland’s remedies – for whatever your family needs. Sniffles & sneezes, teething tablets, calming, ear aches – stock up because they really work. And they’re homeopathic – even better!
9. A really good humidifier, and a stock of vinegar to clean it with.
10. Neosporin/polysporin – some type of ouchless antibiotic cream (not ointment) to help cuts heal faster.
11. An easy to reach, well identified stock of any medications your child might need in a hurry – epi pen, anti-seizure meds, asthma inhaler.

Additionally, a good stock of gauze, medical tape, and a stretchy ace-type bandage – because there might come a day when you’re glad you have them on hand. What’s more? Keep it organized – there’s nothing worse than knowing something’s in that medicine cabinet, only to find that it’s so cluttered you can’t find it.

Fluoride was recognized as a lethal poison right here in the US of A in the 60s, and is currently recognized as being more toxic than lead. So we take toys off the shelf that test positive for lead, but hey, let’s pack 99% of toothpastes with an even more toxic substance. Sound like a good idea? Yeah, I don’t think so either. Fluoride is known to make bones more brittle, and can lead to crippling arthritic deformities of the spine and major joints of the body. That doesn’t sound so great to me.

Once upon a time it was reported that there were some areas in the United States where there were relatively high levels of natural fluoride in the drinking water supply, and that there appeared to be lower rates of dental cavities in those areas. So for the sake of a correlation with lower cavities, we’ve put a toxic chemical in our toothpaste – including our kids’ toothpaste. Does anyone else find this disturbing?

The information below about fluoride toxicity comes straight from the ModernMom article linked to above (and she got it from softdental.com).

The facts about fluoride toxicity are:

Early symptoms of acute fluoride toxicity (e.g. gastrointestinal pain, nausea, vomiting, headaches) can be produced at doses as low as 0.1 to 0.3 mg/kg.

Swallowing fluoride at the amount 5 mg/kg can be fatal.

Ingestion of as little as 1 percent of a tube of flavored children’s toothpaste can produce acute fluoride toxicity in a young child.

The most common symptoms of acute fluoride toxicity include:

Nausea (97%), Vomiting (68%), Diarrhea (65%), Abdominal cramps (53%), Headaches (41%), and Burning sensations in the throat or chest (12%).

SOURCE: Penman AD, Brackin BT, Embrey R. (1997). Outbreak of acute fluoride poisoning caused by a fluoride overfeed, Mississippi, 1993. Public Health Reports 112:403-9.

Want to know what the 3 magic routines are? My guess is, if you’re reading this blog, you already practice them.

1. Family meals at least 5 times a week. TV off, everyone at the table. (In other words: talk to your kids, make time for them, and let them take part in adult conversation. The meal is an accessory to what’s really going on.)
2. Limit TV time to 2 hours a day. (In other words: Let your kids play! Motivate them to play! Get them off the couch!)
3. At least 10.5 hours of sleep each night. (In other words: have a bed time, presumably that’s before yours, and enforce it.)

So, different studies over time have addressed each of these, but apparently this is the first to combine the 3. Let me tell you what I think. You knew I would, didn’t you? Families that practice these 3 things are typically: more involved in their kids lives because a) they eat dinner with them and b) they don’t use TV as a babysitter or mute button; they’re generally more educated – I’m not talking Harvard or PhDs, I’m talking parenting research. Anyone who reads parenting articles, parenting books, and stays up to date with research in childhood development knows that kids need sleep and benefit from routines. So they put their kids to bed at an earlier bedtime. And they eat meals with their kids and they limit screen time.

These aren’t 3 magic routines that will melt pounds off overindulgent children. These are 3 consistencies recognized in stable upwardly mobile homes. And unfortunately, they’re things that a lot of single-parent homes and financially struggling families see as a luxury. These 3 things often require parents being home with their kids after school, and if both parents work – that may not be an option. They require a more active parenting style from mom and dad – willing to get on the floor and play with a toddler or run outside and play in the grass. It requires turning off the computer, putting down the laundry, and investing time in your kids.

And guess what? I don’t think it’s the 3 routines that make the difference. It’s the fact that the same parents who do those routines also try to buy healthy foods. They avoid HFCS and sugary sodas. They don’t let Timmy veg all afternoon in front of the TV with a bag of Doritos. Their fridges are full of carrot sticks and hummus and applesauce and grapes and yogurt for snacks. And their kids like those things. Those kids would rather build a Lego dinosaur and play ball outside than sit in front of the TV. Their day is structured with routines, like bedtime – and like snacktime. They have food at predetermined times, and they don’t snack just because they’re bored.

So, thanks, Journal of Pediatrics. Suggestions taken and understood. But let’s not simplify it to believe that 3 simple steps will take our nation’s kids from HFCS-craving screen-monsters to active, healthy kids practicing positive choices about food, routines, and relationships.

Do you have any idea how many problems this solves?

1. Recess is often being taken away, meaning kids who need activity to keep their minds going are languishing behind stationary school desks in classrooms that reward quiet inactivity (leading to obesity, diabetes, etc.).
2. More and more kids are on the free and reduced lunch programs (as well as free breakfasts in many states) because of soaring unemployment leading to scores of people on food stamps. These programs – while necessary – are draining much needed funds from overstretched education budgets. Gardens that supplement food available to the schools (while unlikely to be considered self-sustaining) would certainly make a dent in school food purchases.
3. Most kids think they don’t like veggies. Some think they don’t like fruit. What do we think? We think they’ve been told they don’t like veggies. “Here, honey, I’ll douse those peas in ketchup till they swim. Then you won’t have to taste them.” “I didn’t give you many carrots. If you’ll eat what’s there, I’ll give you ice cream later!” But kids who are involved in growing and harvesting food are much more willing to try the fruits of their labor. Get those veggies in, and they just might discover that they like them!
4. French fries are often the only vegetables some kids eat in a given week. Why? It’s cheaper to buy potato chips and ding-dongs than fresh produce. And junk foods require zero prep. Open bag, stuff mouth. Repeat. Hard working families have little time for meal prep and reach for tummy-filling foods that are sure to please. Kids get to school, receive their free lunch, and pick at what resembles what they think they like. Obesity rates and diabetes sky-rocket. At school we have a captive population, and they’re much more likely to eat healthy if they are involved in the process.
5. And yes, kids learn that peas aren’t made in a can, cucumbers can be more than just pickles, and produce doesn’t start its lifecycle on the shelves of Super Walmart.

My kids’ school has at least an acre or two of unused land. On rare occasion it provides extra parking space for school events, and once a year it’s used as the location for ‘field day.’ Think of how much daily use – and education value – would come from converting 1.5 acres into a food-producing garden. And being in Florida, the garden would be viable year round.

Then there is the user review factor. I like to know if other people like this product. Obviously, we all have different tastes but I still find other peoples comments to be very beneficial. In fact, they help calm that twitch of buyers anxiety that starts to well up inside of me when I walk into the store or get ready to submit an online order.

So, I’ve done the research and I’ve read the reviews and I’ve tested the products myself. It took trial and error to find out what our family liked and what worked best for each of us. Over the next few weeks (months, years, however long it takes) I will be sharing with you, our loyal readers, my very own product reviews.

One of my most recent and favorite finds is this…

Weleda Children’s Tooth Gel

My daughter did not like my toothpaste which led to her not wanting to brush her teeth. I didn’t like the struggle to get her to brush, but I didn’t feel like the fruity toothpastes would make for a very easy transition when she was older. I went on a search and when I found this product it had RAVE reviews for it’s gentle minty flavor that isn’t too overpowering for little mouths. Its Skin Deep rating was a 1, which is great to me, but kids don’t always care about ratings. I was a bit skeptical but I hit send on my online purchase anyway. I really talked up her new toothpaste. By the time it got here she was so excited. We ran the the bathroom and tried it right away and to my surprise she LOVED it. She brushed and brushed and then asked for more! Now there is no more struggle and each time she brushes her teeth she has to brush once, then have just a little bit more…

If you have kids and you are looking for a natural, fresh scent toothpaste, this is definitely one to try!

In solidarity with our friends who are snowed in (but still have electricity and internet), share a few of your favorite indoor games to entertain the kids.

Yes, I’m aware that the best medicine is prevention. But now that my 3 year old son experimented with ‘finger painting’ using big sister’s  Hello Kitty purple swirly lip gloss, What. Do. I. Do??? (Other than let loose on said son with a vengeance?)

I’m assuming Helly Kitty lip gloss is made of petroleum and lard and things that I’d rather not think about, and that the pretty purple swirly color comes from something like red dye #2 and non-washable chemically-based colorants. Is there a carpet doctor out there who would like the glory for saving my carpet?

Q from a reader: I don’t particularly care if my child likes to mess things up or get dirty. What i can’t stand is repetition. The worst is coming home “Everyday” and there are toys everywhere and i’m tripping all over the place. Or if my daughter repeatedly spills her milk all over the sofa. Individual messes are okay with me but continuous picking up after them starts to give me anxiety.

I agree! And a lot of it depends on their ages. Kids can be taught to clean up after themselves, but it requires effort and a healthy dose of age-appropriate realism. Appreciation for ‘order’ and a ‘picked up house’ are an acquired taste, so to speak. It’s not something that kids are born with, and most don’t learn it until they see a meaningful benefit in it. For instance, when a child learns that he can’t play his favorite toy because he can’t find the pieces, he may begin to see the value in tidying up. Too often though, that development doesn’t happen until college or after. So, what can parents do to help their kids develop a taste for an ordered home?

First, kids do what they live. In other words, they naturally pick up their parents’ habits. Keeping your own bedroom and living spaces tidy helps them acquire the desire to keep their things clean.  That effect is even more powerful if tidying up is a social activity. Ask for their help to clean up a room; build clean-up time into the day – and clean up with them; make it a part of time spent with their friends either at your home or theirs – everyone is responsible for cleaning up before going home.

Next, give your child age-appropriate tasks starting early. For instance, a 2-year old might be responsible for getting his dirty clothes into the laundry bin or gathering all the books together for you to put on the bookshelf. A 4-year old can actually put the books on the bookshelf and help separate laundry into lights and darks. A six year old can reasonably be expected to keep a bathroom picked up, with clothes in the laundry bin and counters neatened. You get the idea.

Also, kids don’t necessarily do what you expect, they do what you inspect. Giving the task your attention to check it over gives it value in their eyes and teaches a valuable lesson in doing things well.

Lastly, there’s that old adage, if my child spills milk on the sofa once, shame on him. If he does it twice, shame on me. In other words, don’t underestimate the powerful effect of hands-on parenting. That can be one of two things, depending on your situation. Either don’t give your child milk to take to the sofa (keep it at the table or in a spill-proof cup), or create consequences that will put the burden of spilled milk on her, not you. In other words, if she spills milk she has to clean it up, even if that means she doesn’t have time to play with friends. The threat of hard work may be enough motivation to keep her milk at the table.

Basically, lay the foundation early for a tidy home, but remember that cleaning is a taught skill. And yes, it’s possible to have a clean home even with kids.

Studies have shown honey to be more effective to treat a cough than OTC cough medicines. When I first saw the report last year I wondered how I’d get honey into my kids – would they really lick super-sweet honey off a spoon? Mine are too young to stir it into hot water as some people suggested.

This week I got my answer. 2 parts honey mixed with 1 part lemon juice liquifies it a bit and the acidity of the lemon juice makes a spoonfull of honey easier to swallow.  I tried it this week – first on two of my kids (and it worked like a charm) and then on myself when coughing kept me awake. It’s like magic! Honey has the double impact of being high in antioxidants and also being effective at killing certain microbes.

In fact, my Moldovan mother-in-law suggests that I slather some on the kids’ backs and cover it with a raw cabbage leaf to make them feel better. If someone else wants to experiment with that I’d love to hear the results…

Please note: Do not give honey to babies under a year old.

Parents of infants take note! The Mylicon drops so many of us use to soothe our babies when their tummies are upset have been recalled. There’s a possibility that they could contain metal fragments from the manufacturing process. Click here for more information about the recall. It effects only the non-staining (“good”) drops that are free of dyes, sold in 1/2 oz. and 1 oz. bottles. They say the medical risk is low, but contact your healthcare provider if you’re concerned. Instructions are given at the link above for how to contact Johnson & Johnson.