Medicine cabinet checklist: 25 essential items every parent needs

Don’t get me wrong – we all LOVE being a parent, but there are times within our lives, when parenting isn’t that easy. This site EXISTS because there are many needs that we all have, from resources, to advice on how best not to damage our kids with our own little eccentricities! THE thing that has always worried my the most as a parent, is when my children are ill. Most of us, when we hear that phrase “Mum, I don’t feel well…” are filled with dread, particularly as you realise that you aren’t sure you have what they are going to need in the medicine cabinet! Don’t worry though – we’ve heard that mantra so many times, we can give you advice on medicine cabinet essentials for parents!

We have tried to keep this checklist simple for you – so limited it to 25 items that we think will be really helpful if you have children. This isn’t for those with babies though – as there are other items that you are likely to need if you have a really little one.

We do hope that this is helpful to you – it certainly was to us when we wrote it, as its meant we have realised that we are low on some of our own items, and we need to restock from our online pharmacy!

1. Painkiller – Calpol or ibuprofen,
2. Cotton wool buds,
3. Savlon (antiseptic cream),
4. Antiseptic wipes and / or antiseptic handwash,
5. Tweezers,
6. Nail file,
7. Nail clippers,
8. Digital thermometer,
9. Worming tablets,
10. Nit comb (plus potentially nit treatment), we recommend the Nitty Gritty,
11. Vaseline, of petroleum Jelly,
12. Nappy cream, such as Sudacrem,
13. Decongestant, we love Vicks, and Olbas Oil,
14. Decongestant plug; consider getting one of these, as we have used these extensively, and they are a massive help,
15. Anti-histamine cream (for insect bites),
16. Piriton (for hayfever, and other allergic reactions),
17. Children’s strength cough mixture; though we have found that some products don’t really do that much to help… If you do have a persistent cough, take your child to the doctors obviously,
18. Sun cream,
19. After sun,
20. Syringe or spoon for measuring medications,
21. Plasters, and/or bandages,
22. Reflux medication, e,g. Gaviscon,
23. Imodium, read the label to make sure you are using the right kind for your child,
24. Insect repellent, and
25. Rehydration salts, for after your child has had diarrhoea or has been sick.

This isn’t medical advice, of course, or even an exhaustive list, it is designed to give you a place to start to help you all to think about the essentials for the medicine cabinet when you are a parent. We’ve experienced ALL of the various different situations that warrant the above items in the list, often on multiple occasions, so if you need a place to start, this is it!

If you want to download a printable version of this checklist – we do have one for you…we hope you like it.

To download the medicine cabinet checklist, just click on the square image below, and it is YOURS.

We have tried not to be brand specific in this list – but we DID include Savlon. This is something that we have used, and our parents used with us, and its a generational thang here in the UK. It is a total must have a medicine cabinet. If you don’t get it from your pharmacy or chemist; you are MAD. We are in the UK, so if you are in the US and wonder what on earth I mean – it is basically antiseptic cream – so that’s what we mean…!

If you like this article, do check out some of the other health related items we have on our site; we like to try and help you with your little ones.

If you are looking for other sites with health content – do check these out too:

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Helen

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