Mom Tip ~ The Medicine Cabinet

So I came up with this idea the other night and I knew I had to share it! My MIL bought my daughters these jingle bracelets for Christmas. Of course, the bracelets broke leaving me with more than twenty jingle bells. I knew they'd be useful for something, so I stuck them in a plastic bag and waited for inspiration.

Our Medication Security System: The medicine box is kept up high (a basic tupperware with lid), the kids would need to climb up there to get it. Then they'd need to open the box. Then they'd need to open the plastic baggie. We keep all our medicine in a small but big enough sized tupperware container, and keep the box on the very top shelf of a cabinet in the kitchen. I take the extra precaution of putting medicines in plastic baggies. All these little steps will provide me with the fractions of minutes I might need in order to prevent them from eating medicine.

{See, when I was -oh- three or so, I got into the medicine cabinet. And I fed my brother, then 1 1/2, an entire bottle of Flintstone vitamins. "He was hungry," I said to my parents. He needed to get his stomach pumped, of course. So because I know these things happen, I like to take precautions. Even if they are a little over the top.}

Enter Inspiration. I put a few jingle bells in each plastic baggie that contains a medicine bottle. That way if I hadn't already heard them moving a chair over to the counter, and if I hadn't heard the squeaky cabinet open, and if I hadn't heard them taking the box down & opening it, and if I hadn't heard them open the plastic baggie that contains the medicine jar/bottle, then surely I'd hear the jingle bells I had placed inside the bag to alert me in case any children are breaking into the medicine box for "Terry Med-sin" (Cherry Medicine).

So, Ta-Da! My Mom Tip for today. I know, kind of weak, but it IS a good idea. And could be applied in other ways. You could attach a few jingle bells to a small piece of ribbon and tape/glue it to the inside of your cleaning products cabinet (even though I know you already have a latch on them, right?) or any other cabinet you might not want the kids in. Jingles could go on a door that you might want to know is being opened (like a bathroom or basement door ~ or even the pantry door!).

My children beeline for my baking cabinet in the kitchen, which is loaded with lots of fun (and unwashable!) frosting dyes and plenty of sprinkles. What dangerous/messy places do your kids beeline for in your house?