This post was sponsored by Floating Hospital for Children as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

The weather is finally starting to warm up here in Maine, and I could not be happier. Last summer, my husband built a beautiful fire pit in the back yard, so we plan on spending a lot of time around it this year. We have quite a spacious back yard, and my kids, 2 and 4, love to run around and play outside all day long during the summer months.

Our back yard is such a quiet, relaxing place where we love to spend time and unwind. We host parties all summer long, for birthdays and other special occasions. We have built several raised garden beds that we fill with vegetables every year, and we have also planted berry bushes along our tree line. Today, we planted a whole bunch of flowers, and added a new shrub, too. We take great pride in our yard, and want it to be a welcoming place for friends and family.

While spending more time outside during the warm summer months makes me happy, it also concerns me. Ticks have been abundant here in the Northeast this year. I actually had a Tick on me a few weeks ago, and I know several other people who have encountered them as well. Our yard is surrounded by woods, so I am fearful that my kids, and other kids that come visit us could get bit by ticks while playing outside. Ticks can carry lyme disease, as well as other tickborne diseases, so it’s really important to prevent and treat Tick Bites quickly.

While I am worried about ticks in my back yard, I don’t want to let them stop me and my kids from having an amazing summer. It’s no fun being cooped up inside all day, so we will be taking some extra precautions to prevent tick bites when we head outside.

Lynne Karlson, MD, Chief of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center has some great tips for preventing tick bites and what to do if you find a tick on your child.1. Use insect repellent containing DEET.
2. Make sure your child wears long pants and tuck them into their socks. Do not let them wear sandals in the woods! Ticks are easier to spot on light colored clothing, as well.
3. Check your child thoroughly every evening for ticks. In order to transmit Lyme disease, a tick must be on for greater than 24 hours. I always make my kids strip down completely, and I check them ALL over. Make sure you check hard to see places, like the scalp and in between fingers and toes, too!
4. If a tick is found, use a gloved hand to pull it straight out. Then, wash the bite with soap and water.
5. If you live in a wooded area like I do, get tick tweezers to help remove the bodies of the ticks before they become completely embedded and do damage.

A couple of my own tips for preventing tick bites are to keep your lawn mowed regularly so the grass doesn’t get too long and attract more ticks, and to check your pets for ticks, too, as they can carry them inside the house.

Preventing my children from getting ticks bites is just one of the many concerns I have as a Mom. It seems there is always something to worry about. I do feel some sense of relief in knowing that I am within driving distance of some of the best medical facilities in the world, including Floating Hospital for Children.

Floating Hospital for Children is the full-service children’s hospital of Tufts Medical Center. It’s located in downtown Boston and has partnerships throughout the community. They provide pediatric inpatient and outpatient services in every medical and surgical specialty. How amazing is that?! From general pediatrics services to the care of the most complex cancers, heart diseases and traumas – they do it all!

The Floating Hospital for Children provides patient care in a smaller, more intimate setting to allow patients and their families to feel more comfortable during hard times. They really pride themselves on their patient care and their patients prove every day that you don’t have to be big to be strong!

For more information on keeping your kids healthy and strong, visit www.floatinghospital.org.

The post How to Prevent and Treat Tick Bites appeared first on Sincerely, Mindy.