A Child Emergency Kit

Raising children will be the most important thing you will do as an adult, it's a great responsibility, and it can be very stressful. Just think you might be raising the next President of the United States! As a result, sometimes a hiccup can put some new parents into a tizzy. To help prepare for your first parental emergency, I've put together a kit that I call my Child Emergency Checklist. I put this together shortly after I had to take my toddler to the emergency room for a cut, that's when I discovered that I wasn't prepared to handle an emergency.

In order to be prepared the next time something happened; I put together a kit. I keep my Child Emergency Kit in plastic container. I keep it currently by updating the information and replacing items every January. I hope you will find this list a good start in creating your own emergency kit.

It is important to keep a first-aid kit handy in case of an emergency.

Here are the essentials for a First Aid Kit:

- Adhesive bandages & sterile gauze pads

- First-aid tape (to secure the gauze)

- Small scissors

- Thermometer

- Liquid acetaminophen

- Tweezers (for removing splinters)

- Over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream

- Antiseptic lotion or liquid

Keep important information handy for your caregiver or for your reference during an emergency, where speed of access is essential.

- Child's full name & date of birth

- Medical History

- Pre-existing medical conditions

- Allergies to food or medications

- Immunization record

- Medications the Child is currently taking

For additional safety I also keep a current picture of my child and a description of her current weight, height and eye color in case she is ever lost.

Raising a child is stressful enough, by having a Child Emergency Checklist, when you do have that emergency at least you'll have the information you'll need in one place.