Oh, and it sounds weird but household ammonia works well on an insect sting, if you get to it fast before the venom spreads. My neighbor reccomended it, but I wouldn’t try it on my kid until I had tried it on myself because really it sounded like some kind of specialized torture. Then the day after he told me about it I got stung in my very own bedroom and there was my chance to try it out. Wasn’t that lucky?

Anyway, it totally worked. I dabbed some ammonia on the spot, it stopped hurting immediately and never hurt again. It really was amazing.

And I would add to Nadine’s advice that it is a good idea to have a general discussion with your kids during a time of non-stinging wherin you tell them that using the edge of a knife is a good way to remove the stinger, because if they don’t know this and they are screaming and writhing from getting stung and you start walking toward them with a knife, they might, MIGHT freak out even more, scream louder than you thought was possible and run for the door. Please don’t ask me how I know this.