As my grandmother used to say “there is nothing so rare as common sense.” More and more, we seem to defer to credentialed “experts” regardless of their capability.
When my eldest was born, a loving neighbor gave me a copy of Dr. Spock’s book Baby and Child Care. She admonished me that it was for the medical appendix only. Dr. Spock was an unmarried pediatrician who never parented a child. While he had all the credentials, he had no experience. There is no substitute for experience in the field.
I used the book for recommendations on treating common childhood illnesses and diagnosing such things as measles and chicken pox. At that time, we had no vaccinations against those common childhood illnesses.
My well stocked medicine cabinet contains some really old-fashioned remedies:
- Band-aids – never be without them – and carry a few in your purse
- Antibiotic ointment and/or spray – there are several good ones on the market
- Prid Drawing Salve – will pull splinters, thorns, even shards of glass or metal. Just appl
y a dab, cover with bandaid, and wait til morning. This is especially useful if there are pieces too small to see and remove with tweezers. - Tweezers for removing the objects above.
- Rubbing alcohol for sterilizing and dabbing on itching places
- Hydrogen peroxide for cleaning wounds
Ninety percent of the medical problems I had with my children could be handled with these simple things. If it was too complicated or severe for these, we made a trip to the clinic or ER.
The important thing to remember in any situation is “do not panic”. Take a deep breath and think. Your common sense will kick in, and you will do the right thing.
Enjoying your children is the best part of parenting.
As Grandma Says 