*This post contains affiliate links. Rocket Mommy will receive a small percentage of any purchases made through these links, which she will likely turn around and sink right back into more crafty DIY supplies to share with all of you*
I have a confession to make.
I hate Band-Aids.
I’m aware that this is heresy among parents, because everyone knows that Band-Aids make every one of your child’s invisible booboos instantly better. Right? If a little one takes a spill, a Band-Aid will stop the crying, even when there’s no blood. Kids love Band-Aids. Parents love Band-Aids.
But they suck. They leave sticky Band-Aid shaped dirt patches on your toddler’s arms and legs, and scrubbing off the nasty Band-Aid rings makes them scream worse than the initial injury. And they fall off, and you find them stuck to your shoe, or cemented to the dining room floor, or in the dryer’s lint trap, or floating in the bathtub. Gross.
So. I recognize that this post is likely to forever blackball me from being sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, but I’ve come up with a way for anyone who’s a Big Hero 6 fan to cut down their Band-Aid usage by about 90%.
Use Baymax!
We ended up with a lot of Baymax toys after G saw the movie in the theater. This is the biggest one we have, which was purchased in the bedding department at Target:
We also have a big plastic one who’s in his red armor, and a smaller squishy white vinyl one, and a couple of very small ones that I can carry around in my purse. Pretty much everywhere I go, I have a Baymax in arm’s reach.
So at one point we ran out of Band-Aids, and of course G fell and was demanding one right away for an invisible ailment with no blood in sight. And in a stroke of genius, I grabbed his big stuffed Baymax and said the following lines in my best Baymax voice:
“Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion. I heard a sound of distress; what seems to be the trouble?”
(pause to let the crying preschooler tell you what hurts)
“On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?”
(pause to let the sniffling preschooler give you a number)
“I will scan you for injuries. *beep* Scan complete. You have sustained no major injuries. Would you like a hug?”
(pause and hug the no-longer-crying preschooler with the Baymax toy)
“I can not deactivate until you say you are satisfied with your care.”
(pause and wait for the now-giggling preschooler to repeat the line)
“Deactivating now.”
Boom. Crisis averted. Kid runs off, playing happily. No Band-Aid needed.
Seriously, TRY THIS. Memorize the little script I just gave you and try it. And if it works, buy yourself a tiny, purse-friendly Baymax and carry it with you everywhere. I’m linking a bunch of them below so you can see some of the myriad options available on Amazon.
Now, I’m not saying you should do this if your child has an injury that might actually benefit from a Band-Aid. Certainly if there’s blood, or some kind of open wound that needs a little Neosporin and something to keep the dirt out of it, then of course it’s time to bust out the box of bandages. But for all the other little “owie” moments, it’s totally worth a shot.
