What I Keep In My Medicine Cabinet For My 3 Year Old

With the colder months coming, it is time for me to start restocking the medicine cabinet for my 3-year-old.

I don’t know if it is just my little one, but ever since fall arrived, she has been sniffling every other week.

Here in Texas, the weather is all over the place with it being cold in the mornings and evenings and warmer during the afternoons.

These temperature fluctuations are bound to have a few of us sniffling.

So around this time of year, I like to make sure I have our medicine cabinet stocked full of our essentials and must-haves to get us through the winter and colder months.

Having a sick kid is no fun as most of you already know.

And we still want to be able to have some fun and go to some fun places even when the weather is cooler.

So in order to fight those germs that we may come in contact with and the stuffy noses that we will likely have, we need to be prepared.

Treating a toddler for sickness is much different from treating a baby.

It requires us to leave the baby medicine aisle and venture into the children’s medicine aisle.

I have pretty much stocked up on everything that my 3-year-old daughter needs in her medicine cabinet and I want to share that with you all.

Here is everything I keep in my medicine cabinet for my 3-year-old toddler.

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When Should I Take My 3 Year Old To A Doctor?

Before I get into all of my medicine must-haves for my 3-year-old, let’s talk about when you should take your toddler to a doctor.

Because you can only do so much at home and if your child is experiencing something more severe, then it is time to take them to a healthcare provider or a hospital.

I know when it comes to your child having a fever, the symptoms along with the fever will determine whether or not you will need to take them to the doctor.

For instance, according to WebMD, if your child has a fever of 101 degrees and they’re really irritable, won’t eat, not act like themselves, or won’t stop crying, then it is time to take them in.

That is when you should be concerned when your child has a fever.

If they are acting pretty normal and eating and drinking, you can likely give them something to break the fever, but if the fever lasts more than 3 days, then you will need to have them seen by their pediatrician.

Other reasons that you take your child to the doctor are:

• Breathing problems
• Persistent pain (earache, sore throat, severe headache, or stomach pains)
• Thick eye discharge
• Frequent vomiting and diarrhea
• Vomit or diarrhea containing blood
• Urinary problems

These are just a few, but ultimately you know your child.

If your gut is telling you something is off and not right, then trust it.

I know my pediatrician’s office has nurses on call that you can contact to discuss your concerns and they can help over the phone or get you scheduled in for an appointment.

Check with your child’s pediatrician’s office to see if they offer the same and don’t be afraid to call with all of your concerns.

I know when I become a mom for the first time, I was watching every little thing my daughter did and was googling it to make sure it was a normal thing.

So make sure you are utilizing these services if needed.

Now that we know whether or not we should be taking our child to the doctor to be seen for their illness, let’s get into what I keep in my medicine cabinet for my 3-year-old to take care of her at home.

What I Keep In My Medicine Cabinet For My 3 Year Old

Thermometer

The very first thing that I keep in my medicine cabinet for my toddler is a thermometer.

We all know what a thermometer does and you will need this to determine the temperature of your child.

As I was saying above, depending on the temperature, you may need to take your child to the doctor if they have a high and persistent fever.

I have the MOBI Non-Contact Forehead Digital Thermometer.

I really like this for my daughter because I don’t have to physically place it against her skin and it also has an indicator on it letting you know if the fever is getting worse by changing colors.

If you got a wiggly toddler, then this thermometer would be perfect for you.

Fever Reducer/Pain Reliever

While on the topic of fevers, this leads me to my next children’s medicine must-have and that is a fever reducer.

When your child first has a fever, you want to do what you can to break the fever and relieve any pain that is associated with it.

Obviously, if the fever is really high, then you should take them to the doctor.

But if the fever is lower and only causing minor discomfort, then you can offer medicine to reduce the fever.

I like to always keep the Children’s Tylenol ready to go in our medicine cabinet for those random times that my toddler has a fever.

Cold & Mucus Medicine

Along with having a fever, your kiddo may also experience some congestion in their nose and chest.

A fever may make my daughter uncomfortable for a little while until it breaks, but the congestion usually sticks around longer and is what I find myself treating the longest.

So I have to make sure this is stocked throughout the whole year for the random colds that do happen.

I like to use Hyland’s 4 Kids Cold & Mucus Daytime as well as Hyland’s 4 Kids Cold & Mucus Nighttime.

I will use the first one during the day in the morning and afternoon and then I will give the nighttime medicine right before bed.

Nasal Spray

If my daughter has a cold and is congested, then it is going to be a day full of sniffling and sneezing, so a nasal spray is a must to help relieve her of any nasal congestion.

I will actually carry a nasal spray with me on the go along with saline wipes to help keep the congestion at bay when we are out and about.

I like to use the NeilMed Saline Spray for Babies and Kids and I use this numerous times throughout the day.

It is a gentle formula for children ages 1 and up.

Cough Medicine

Usually, once your little one is getting over a cold, they are often left with a cough so then you have to treat the cough.

If your little one’s coughing is persistent and results in vomiting that contains blood, then that would be the time to take to your little one to the doctor.

But if the coughing behavior feels and looks typical to you, then a cough medicine will do the trick.

The cough medicine that I use for my toddler is Hyland’s 4 Kids Cough Syrup.

It contains honey and my little one loves it.

Chest Rub

Another medicine essential that I like to use to relieve congestion and coughing is a chest rub.

If you have been following along, there are 3 things I like to do when my daughter has a cold and that is oral medicine, a nasal spray, and a chest rub.

I like to apply chest rub to my daughter before she goes to the bed and I apply it to her chest and on the bottoms of her feet before covering them with socks.

The chest rub I use is the Children’s Vicks VapoRub.

Humidifier

And the last thing that I want to discuss that I don’t actually keep in my medicine cabinet for my toddler, but have handy is a humidifier.

The humidifier that I have is the Frida Baby Humidifier.

It is a 3-in-1 with it being a humidifier, diffuser, and nightlight which is great to have in our nursery.

You can buy the Vapor drops that come with it to put in it to diffuse when your little one is congested and struggling to breathe.

Your Turn

Well, that is everything that I keep in my medicine cabinet for my 3-year-old. But I want to hear from you all now. What are the medicine must-haves that you keep at home for your toddlers? Let me know in the comments and while you are still here, check out my previous post below. Until next time!

• Read More: Surviving The 4-Month Sleep Regression

Love,

Just Jass