Chook Me!

What can I do for chicken Pox other than benedryl and calamine lotion?

My 19 month old and my 4 year old sons were just diagonsed with the chicken pox and I was wanting ideas on what to do for them, I have been told to give them benedryl and calamine lotion but i was wanting to know what to do other than those 2 things. My oldest just came down with this yesterday and my youngest just got it. Please help.

Public Comments

1. talcum powder?
2. oatmeal baths
3. Aveeno makes oatmeal baths that work really well, and we also bought a special box of ice cream bars that we never get, and told the kids they were going to help them feel better. It was all in their heads, but it worked!
4. To actually help the itch, you could try baking soda baths and vinegar baths in addition to oatmeal baths. (Not all at once, though, or you'd end up with a weird mess... :)) http://www.readersdigest.ca/health/n_health_bath.html Baking soda - Baking soda is a wonderful remedy for itchy skin. If your child has the chicken pox, add a 1/2 cup of baking soda to a shallow bath or 1 full cup to a deep bath to soothe the itch. Oatmeal - For relief from poison ivy, skin rashes, or an itchy sunburn, add a few tablespoons of colloidal oatmeal (sold in drugstores) to a lukewarm bath. If you don’t have colloidal oatmeal on hand, simply place a cup or so of plain old oatmeal in a discarded nylon stocking, tie the top, and float it in the bathwater while you soak. Be extra careful getting in and out of your oatmeal bath—oatmeal makes the tub very slippery. Vinegar - Vinegar tames itching by acidifying the skin. To relieve an itchy sunburn or psoriasis, take a cool bath; add about 2 cups of vinegar to the bathwater before you get in. I know that kids need to rest while they have the chicken pox, but what can you do to keep them busy and distracted so they don't notice the itching as much? Maybe you could have them both help you in the kitchen to make a special "feel better" meal or snack. Keep it calm, but let them help so they're distracted. You could also try some (carefully managed so they don't get too exciting) simple crafts. Popcicle stick picture frames, cutting out felt or craft foam shapes to make a mobile, making discovery bottles, and similar things could work well to keep them occupied but still resting. http://stepbystepcc.com/toddlercrafts.html