CREATING AN AT-HOME FIRST AID KIT

We have all experienced that moment when your kids get a boo boo and you are rushing from room to room looking for bandages, ointments, and hydrogen peroxide. You always meant to get a first aid kit and now you are in a panic. The American Red Cross suggests having a readily available first aid kit at home, work, and in the car.

While first aid kits come in all shapes and sizes, there are a few things you should make sure are in your first aid kit. It can be simple to make a first aid kit at home, and can even save money for you in the future!

Take Inventory

The first thing you should consider when making an at-home first aid kit is what you already have. BayCare recommends that a first aid kit should contain bandages and dressings including gloves, gauze pads, ace bandages, adhesive bandages, and finger splints. They also recommend stocking your first aid kit with a first aid manual, a list of all allergies of each family member, antiseptic solution, sterile cotton balls, calamine lotion, hand sanitizer, a thermometer, instant ice bags, and tweezers.

One of our very favorite products to keep in every first aid kit is all-natural KeriCure Skin Protectant. It has no sting, prevents infection, is elastic and breathable, and is waterproof and sweat proof. It is perfect for helping keep scrapes and cuts from harmful germs—it can even help with cold sores.

Considering all of the things that you need in a first aid kit, it can get pricey if you are going to run out and buy each individual item. The truth is, most of us have these items around our homes. Check all of the places where you usually keep medicines or supplies and take inventory of what you have. Once you have collected all of your supplies you might be surprised to find that you have everything you need.

Store your Kit Safely

Once you have made your first aid kit, make sure that you store it in an easy to find place. All Children’s Hospital suggests making sure your kit is stored in an easy to find location that is out of reach of the kids. It is also important to make sure that babysitters know where they can find the first aid kit. A great place to store a first aid kit is in a linen closet, medicine cabinet, or kitchen cabinet too high for small children to reach.

Make sure that everyone in your family knows where the first aid kit is kept as well. Many trips to the ER are preventable and more serious incidents can be made easier by being prepared, according to BayCare, so it is always best to make sure that everyone, even the kids, know where they can find the first aid kit.

HCA also recommends making a first aid kit for your car as well as making sure that your kids that are away at college have a fully stocked first aid kit.

Check Kit Often

Another extremely important part of being prepared with your first aid kit is to check your kit often. Especially if you have younger kids in the house, you will be surprised at how quickly you go can go through Band-Aids and gauze. Rather than waiting to find out that you are out of something, check every few weeks to make sure that you are not running low on anything. This will prevent you from having to wrap your child’s skinned knee in toilet paper and scotch tape.

Teach your kids about first aid as well as you create and check your first aid kits. Teach them not to play with or waste medical supplies. With a first aid kit that is organized, your family can keep calm when someone gets a boo boo.

For first aid and CPR classes, visit St. Josephs Childrens Hospital.

For more information on first aid and emergency safety, visit TBParenting.com.