Wasp Sting and Bee Sting Treatment and Prevention for Kids

“Fly bug, mom! Fly bug!” My toddler, like many others of his age group, has always had a deep fascination for creepy crawlies. They are all bugs to him. Spider bugs, worm bugs, beetle bugs, and of course, fly bugs. The obvious problem is not all fly bugs are harmless. Before he was a year old, my son had already been stung three times, and things didn’t look good for a decrease in his toddler years. Bee sting allergies run in my family, so I worried he might get stung in the face or throat someday and end up with more than a boo-boo.

How can you can prevent kid wasp stings, hornet stings and bee stings?

Teach. The nice thing about bees, wasps, and hornets is they have a very distinctive appearance. Reading books about stinging bugs and doing art projects can help younger kids separate them from other bugs while learning to respect our environment. Then you can teach them that the stripped “fly bugs” are dangerous and should be left alone.wasp sting treatment

Bee proof. Next, your child’s primary play spaces should be bee-proofed, so to speak. Be sure to check your yard and house eaves regularly for the beginnings of hives. Keep trash receptacles tightly sealed, plant flowers away from your toddler’s play areas, and keep compost piles in other areas of the yard as well.

For indoor play, window and door screens can help tremendously. You may also consider setting traps. Simply take a plastic bottle, fill it about half way with a sweet liquid such as soda or beer, and set it on your windowsill or front porch. If you prefer you can also buy pre-made traps. Hornets and yellow jackets are attracted to the trap rather than the enticing smells in your home. This can also cut down on houseflies.

Dress safely. When your kiddo is going to be outside, avoid dressing them like a flower. No seriously, skip fragranced lotions, sun blocks, or shampoos and avoid bright colors such as yellow and red. Bees, wasps, and hornets are generally just out looking for food, if your child looks and smells like food, they’re more prone to be attractive to stinging bugs.

Snack safely. When outside, keep your child free of sweet stuffs. Pocket wet wipes are awesome in this department. Make sure that any drinks are capped. Fruit juice is particularly attractive to many types of stinging bugs.

What does wasp sting, hornet sting, or bee sting treatment entail?

No matter how many preventive measures you take, eventually your child will likely get stung anyway. Home sting remedies are bountiful and mostly wives tales. However, sadly, little actual scientific research has been done on the subject. What is known is you want to immediately remove the stinger if still present in the skin. How isn’t important, though many parents swear by flicking it out with a credit card.

Suggestions to ease pain after the stinger is removed include tobacco, baking soda, pennies, aspirin, meat tenderizer, onions, vinegar, Benadryl , honey, toothpaste, calamine lotion, papaya, hydrocortisone cream and ice. One study did find an aspirin paste to be ineffective and even extended the redness period. This same study found ice to be effective. Pennies for wasp and bee stings appears to be an illogical wives tale. One helpful man tried all of the suggested methods. He found toothpaste or calamine lotion applied to the sting after icing it worked best. Baking soda, meat tenderizer, papaya, hydrocortisone cream and vinegar were also effective. Honey was so-so. Benadryl , tobacco, and onion were the least effective.

No matter how your treat it keep an eye out for allergic reactions such as excessive swelling in areas not near the sting, hives, shortness of breath, trouble breathing, rapid pulse and dizziness. If you suspect an allergic reaction, seek medical attention immediately.

4 Spring Yard Safety Checks for Kids

Spring is finally nearly here. For many happy parents that means many happy kids get more outside time. However, spring can bring more to yards than children. Each year there are few safety checks you should consider before giving your kids free range to roam the yard– even with supervision.spring safety checks

Trash check:

Especially in areas where there’s heavy snow, all sorts of treasures end up trapped in the layers, and then on the ground after the melt off. The wind, animals, or just careless humans could have left some not-so-kid-friendly gifts in your yard over the winter season. Take some time to walk around your yard and pick up the mess in early spring to avoid icky finds by your kiddos.

Plant check:

Next, spring means new growth. Pretty much no matter where you live there are toxic native plants along with some that are just a bit dangerous thanks to pokey protection. While you pick up that trash, and throughout the year, keep an eye out for species of plants that are poisonous to the touch or if ingested– mushrooms are a common culprit. Also watch for plants that may not be poison, but could be dangerous.

For example, a new raspberry bush may require a bit of fencing or a precautionary lesson to avoid pricked fingers or even bee stings as they commonly attract buzzing friends. It’s always best to know what’s living in your child’s play area from plants to wildlife. If you’re not familiar with the toxic plant species in your area, this is valuable safety information. It may also prove helpful some day in a survival situation.

Puddle check:

While a muddy spot or puddle in most cases isn’t deadly–well, unless you have a lake like my yard gets–it’s good to know where they are so you can direct play away from them, invest in water boots if needed, or make efforts to drain them if necessary. Evaluating water sources on your property also makes it easier to eliminate some to cut down on mosquitoes.

Damage check:

Finally, chances are you have some outdoor play equipment or perhaps corralling methods such as fences. Look over all your yard goods for possible damages such as fence holes or broken play equipment that could prove dangerous. A good wash-out is advised as well. Spiders, bees, and other bug buddies sometimes begin to build nests in stored toys in the spring and throughout the summer.

Handling Kid Questions: Advice for Parents Sick of Hearing, ‘Why?’

I hear the average 4-year-old asks about 437 questions per day. Being the mom of a 4 and 5 year old, I have my doubts on the accuracy of that figure.  Personally, while I have a strong desire to fill my ears with cotton balls and stitch them shut from time to time, I love that my kids are full of questions. In fact, if they weren’t, I’d be a bit concerned.

So here’s a question parents might have…

What’s up with all the questions my kids ask?

The answer there is pretty simple, curiosity. Some kids do tend to get stuck on a particular question, such as, “why?” but in most instances any question is simply a sign that your toddler is interested in whatever the thing is. They want to learn and that’s an awesome thing. Some toddlers also note that asking questionkid questions whys results in attention and will continue to do so to receive attention. Other toddlers just ask questions when they’re bored. In any case, answering is a good idea.

What if you can’t answer your toddler’s question?

I have to admit. There have been times my toddlers have asked me something, and I have sat there scratchin’ my noggin’ because honestly, I have no idea. In the I-don’t-know realm, I find it best to look it up with my toddlers. I don’t think it s a bad thing for them to see that mom doesn’t know everything, but that I am willing to search for the answers when I don’t know them, which is a lesson all kids should learn.

There are other instances where I do know the answer, but I feel it’s a tsk to advanced to explain to a young kid. Things like, “where do babies come from?” fall into this category for some parents. In that case, I usually offer a brief and simple yet honest explanation and redirect the conversation to something else to fill my toddler’s curiosity. For example, in the where-babies-are-from quandary, I may say, “from a mommy’s belly” and then move on to tell an enrapturing story about when my my toddler was a baby in my belly.

What if you don’t want to answer any more kid questions?

Sadly, being a parent isn’t like being a celebrity or official of some kind, you can’t just say you’re not answering anymore questions at this time. Well, you could, but chances are it wouldn’t work (let me know if it does). Your toddler is just going to go right on feeding a million questions into your ear. In this instance, its best to find something that’s going to consume your toddler’s attention  to fill their need for information, keep them occupied, and make them feel as if they aren’t being ignored. What that particular thing is will vary by the child. For one of my toddlers, for instance, that’s a learning game, for the other, a pen and paper with artist requests from mom.

Above all, try to remember that every single one of your child’s questions, no matter how annoying they may become, are a chance for you to help his or her brain grow and learn. For me, at least, those chances are one of the greatest perks of parenting.