I love making memories with my kid. These are the times he’ll think back on as he grows and moves into adulthood. So, I try to create the groundwork for fun memorable experiences. Making S’mores under a clear night sky and playing games in the warm spring air were all high on my spring break to-do’s. Removing a tick was not one of them.
“Mom, can you come see what this is,” my tween called from the bathroom.
My mind quickly started eliminating possibilities. Yes, we’d been outside today on our mini-vacay but not hiking and the grass hadn’t been tall. We hadn’t been climbing trees, and my tween didn’t mention any blisters. It must just be a new pimple or maybe a mosquito bite—April was way too early for those summer bugs to be out.
“It looks like a bug,” he said.
When I saw what he was pointing to, my mind stalled.
You know why it looked like a bug?
Because it was a bug.
A small, brown, 6 legged, spindly tick. Attached to my child. Not cool.
I quickly assessed, explained to him what it was, and how we were going to remove it. Thank goodness I always carry tweezers to remove my pesky perimenopausal chin hairs.
I’m now happy to report my son is bug free. And your child can remain bug free with this list of my now favorite outdoor products to keep everyone safe outdoors this summer.
10 Best Tick, Mosquito and Sun Safe Products for Kids
Best Natural Tick Repellent Spray
Murphy’s Naturals Mosquito & Tick Bug Repellent Spray
Best Poison Ivy and Poison Oak Scrub
Tecnu Extreme Poison Ivy & Oak Scrub, Poison Ivy Treatment
Best Poison Ivy Protection Gel
CoreTex Ivy X Pre-Contact Poison Ivy Protection Gel
Best Natural Mosquito Repellent
Burke’s Natural Mosquito Repellent, DEET Free Mosquito Spray
Best Mineral Sunscreen Lotion
Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion
Best Outdoor Kids Sun Hat
Amazon Outdoor Kids Sun Hat with Neck Flap UPF 50+
Best Kids Rash Guard
Quiksilver Long Sleeve Rash Guard Shirt
Best After Hike Wipes
Bar-D Biodegradable Body Wipes with Tea Tree Oil & Aloe Vera
Best Mosquito Repellent Bracelets
Mosquito Guard Deet Free Repellent Bands
Best Bug Bit Itch Pads
We can’t say these work entirely, but they’re a start. Just make sure you do your tick checks!
