Summer First Aid 101

Who’s the first one your children run to with scraped knees and assorted bumps and bruises? Who does the camp director call when little Susie isn’t feeling well? You’ve got it—you.

Summer is the prime season for you as a stay-at-home parent (and first one on the list of emergency contacts) to need these handy tricks and quick fixes for all of yours kids minor complaints. Need to get your sunburned beach babies out of the heat for an afternoon (indoor voices included!)? Try these creative (and free/nearly free!) child activity ideas that will keep your kids learning and playing indoors for a few hours. Learn how to help your woodland wanderers resist the impulse to scratch at poison ivy rashes or mosquito bites.  If you’re worried about sending your active kids outside as the temperature escalates, Catherine Holecko, About.com’s Guide to Family Fitness, has a great blog post on preventing heat stroke in kids and adults alike.

And, for the inevitable skinned knee or elbow that results from your child running across a slick pool deck or hurtling from one end of the mulched playground to the other, brush up on your wound-dressing knowhow with a little help from Rod Brouhard, About.com’s Guide to First Aid.