BIrthdays, Bubbles, Beaches, Birds and Bees

Our alphabet first aid finds us in the week of ‘B’. Fitting really as it has been a huge week of birthdays with both grandmothers and our oldest turning 4 (not everyone has turned 4!). The silly season continues for us well into January. I originally wanted to talk to you about bees, which I will, but I would also like to introduce another of my loves which is taking photos. I am by no means a professional but I do love capturing wonderful memories. So please enjoy the pics and the read.

How cool are bubbles! What a phenomenon of nature. A thin film of soapy water filled with air that has fascinated my kids since they were tiny and it has always been a great way to get them outside for some fresh air. Has anyone ever made their own mixture at home? Love to hear your favourite recipe!

This one is of our oldest in four year old heaven at the beach with the waves and birds, great way to spend a birthday!

So on to the bees ...  you know it's the season when your littlest comes up to you and says 'Look Mum, a bee' and sure enough in his little curled hand is a little flying insect. My heart starts pumping until I notice that the little thing is not alive. The Biology teacher in me finds bees fascinating.  I love that they can see all colours except red, that they have 5 eyes and that they have such an important role in the fertilisation of flowers. The queen bee being female is the only one to reproduce. The worker bees again are female and clean, feed and take care of the offspring. While the drone bees are the males and their only job is to mate with the queen. What's up with that hey?!

Let's get back to my little one with his proud find. As a Mum I'm not the biggest fan of bees as they sting, and boy can it hurt! Then of course I worry that they will have a severe allergic reaction. My boys love to run bare feet and our backyard is covered with little flowers and little hovering bees. 

So how do you treat a bee sting? Firstly if the stinger is still there try to scrap it off sideways. The area may look red, start to get itchy and painful. It is recommended you wash the area with soapy water and then apply an ice pack. Ideally ice the area for 20 minutes and then again in a couple of hours. My kids are lucky to leave a cold face washer on a bump for a minute so I know how hard this can be. A firm compression bandage may help with the pain. Calamine lotion may help the itching and ant-histamine medication can help if the child is old enough.

When to seek further help:

- lots of pain at the site that does not settle down within a few hours

- if swelling or itching gets worse within a 24hr period

- or if you are worried for any reason


A severe allergic reaction, or 'Anaphylactic Reaction' can be life-threatening. If your patient has a history or shows signs of a severe allergic reaction call 000 immediately.
Signs of this include the following:
- swelling lips or tongue
- any breathing problems
- vomiting or dizziness
- cold, pale, sweaty skin
- rapid or weak pulse
- may develop unconsciousness


Trust your instinct as a parent and remember to always believe a child if they say they have been bitten by something. 

~V~