Infant/Toddler Survival Guide

 

After another especially challenging weekend, I wanted to share some thoughts on what to have in your house at all times when you have a young child. Some of these items may seem obvious, others you wouldn't think of until you need them at 2 am on a Saturday... 

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1. TWEEZERS. On Friday evening, as we were settling down for the night, Little J stood up and winced.  I immediately took him to the bathroom, put him up on the counter and saw a splinter. After trying to calmly remove it, and being punched, kicked and screamed at.... I called for help. As I pinned down my toddler (I'm not proud), my husband removed the splinter. Have a good set of tweezers on hand, and know where they are- just in case! Tweezerman is the brand that we have, and the sharp tip really helped grab the splinter. They come in a variety of colors, if you prefer.

2. A good thermometer.Until your child has had a fever, you may not

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think of needing one of these. If you have, you can be sure that you have the wrong one. I had a thermometer, but when I spoke to the doctor about Mayhem he told me I needed to have a rectal thermometer. Really?! Because the child is already miserable, I don't want to do that to him. There are a variety of types: ear, digital, rectal, oral, and my favorite- pacifier thermometer. Use what works best for you, but when you give the doctor the temperature make sure you tell them what kind you have used.

3. Baby Tylenol/Children's Tylenol. Having this on hand for fevers is a must, in my humble opinion. If you don't, know where a 24 hour pharmacy is so you can get it at a moment's notice.

4. Extra set of sheets/bedding. I can't tell you how many times I've had to change sheets in the middle of the night. Starting when they are newborns, children have a variety of ways to force you to do this- diaper blowouts, spit up, sweat, drool, etc. Also, having the ability to change the crib sheets while not awake is a helpful skill.

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5. Coffee. While it would be great to have a coffee shop in your house, you need to know where the closest one is and how early it opens. I'm completely serious. Unless you are one of those people who I don't understand, that can live without coffee. I'm pretty sure that the only reason I survived this weekend was espresso.

Is there anything I've missed? What do you have in your 'survival kit'?