As a mother of a 1 year old and a 3 year old, I constantly have my safety radar on. From choking hazards to electrical outlets to cleaning products to toilets and bathtubs, you can never be too careful. One important part of home organization for you and your family is safety. This includes your medicine cabinet.
Preferably while your children are asleep or out of the house, go through your medications. Examine each package and sort out every expired product. You may be surprised at how many of the medications you have are out of date. After you have finished, dispose of them immediately so there is no chance of your children or pets getting to them.
We don’t have bathroom medicine cabinets, so I store most of our medicines (cold medicines, allergy, stomach relief, etc…) in a clear plastic container with a lid. I keep this on the top shelf of my pantry. For the vitamins and pain relievers we use frequently, I keep them in the cabinet above the stove. Another idea is to use a lazy Susan. This may be easier for people who use several medications on a daily basis. They will be easy to find since the lazy Susan turns 360 degrees. Be sure to store this in a cabinet out of the reach of children.
My children have a small corner of the cabinet above the sink specifically for their medications. Of course if you have a medicine cabinet in their bathroom, you can keep them there. If you share a bathroom, keep their medicine on a different shelf from the adult medicine. I feel it is safer and more convenient to keep their medicine separate from mine and my husband’s. If my baby spikes a fever in the middle of the night, I’m not fumbling through bottles trying to find the fever reducer. To make sure you haven’t picked up the wrong medicine in a sleepy state, always check the label.
As I said earlier, you can never be too careful around children. Always make sure all medications are out of children’s reach or locked up, even those with childproof packaging. Remember to keep purses out of reach as well. Many times, purses contain medicine too. Make sure all visitors adhere to this as well. Grandma may think nothing of leaving her purse on the floor, but that little 15 month old explorer will no doubt see it and want to investigate.
When organizing your home, don’t forget about your medications. While some are necessary now and then, they can also be a hazard. Use caution with medications and make sure they are in their proper place.
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