Getting Ready for Summer & Camp With Help From CVS @MinuteClinic #ReadySetCamp

Disclosure: I have received promotional consideration from MinuteClinic.

This is the first year I have to deal with summer camp and I have mixed feelings about it. I am so excited that my boys will get a week of structured fun at their cub scout camp for a week but I’m sad that they are now old enough for that! It’s not an overnight camp which makes it a little easier to soak in but its still their first summer camp.

One thing I have to make sure of is that they are all set for camp. Between what they will need each day and some things to help them when they get home each day, I figure I need to start preparing. I’m sure we’ll need bandages, itching spray for when they bug bites or plant irritations and snacks of course to get them through the day!

Since my kids are just going to a one-week day camp we don’t need a camp physical, but other camps do require a physical. The CVS MinuteClinic is the perfect place to pop in and get your child’s physical. We have been there before for ear aches and I will say it was a super quick and positive experience. I loved that I was able to get my child checked out and pick up their prescription right at the same location, plus any other quick service items I needed as well.

The CVS nurse practitioners and physician assistants can:

• Review healthy history and immunizations
• Perform a thorough physical exam
• Complete and stamp require paperwork

Here are some tips if you are sending your child away to camp:

• Decide how you are going to stay in touch. Ask about wireless access or whether your child can have a mobile device. Send them with self-addressed, stamped postcards so your child just has to write their message and drop off.

• Explain to your child that it is okay for them to be scared or homesick. Encourage them to try new things and create adventures for them to share for when they get home.

• Pack something familiar for them such as a photo or trinket. I actually did this for when my son started school – I placed a small photo album in his backpack for him to look at while on the school bus.

• Pack a journal and disposable camera so your child can preserve their memories. We do this for vacations and it is so fun to look back on my kid’s perspectives.

Just want to prepare for summer?

• Poison Ivy & Oak – “Leaves of three, let it be.” At MinuteClinic, the nurse practitioners and physicians assistants can recommend the right over-the-counter treatments and write prescriptions for more serious cases.

• Bug Bites and Stings – Pick up products to prevent infection and bites as well as products to deal with the aftermath of itching and swelling. Reactions can range from mild to severe and multiple stings can be serious, especially in children. Avoid products with more than 50% DEET.

• Sunburn – Too much sun can range from mild redness to painful blisters and swelling. More serious conditions can cause heatstroke, dehydration or skin infection. One tip is use the shadow rule to measure UV exposure: a show that is longer than you mean UV exposure is low; a shadow that is shorter than you means UV exposure is high.

Whether you are sending your child to camp or just preparing them for summer fun, CVS and the MinuteClinic locations are ready to help with their expertise and products.