Mom, my brother hurt me!

This phrase reverberates through the walls of my home too many times a day to count. My plan of attack is been a simple one. “I don’t care, get an ice pack” is my mantra.

If you only have daughters, or your sons are just beginning to walk, I’m sure this shocks you. Three brawling, wrestling boys have indeed calloused me to their cries. I devised my own system to flush out the bluffs. I purchase little gel-filled packs designed to keep your lunch cool and keep a couple in my refrigerator at all times. When I began, we froze them. I quickly learned that the softer they are, the easier they are to hold against knees and foreheads, not to mention the extreme cold from the freezer made them less desirable to the kids. We have a top freezer, so the fridge is more accessible to our friends under four feet.

It empowers them, calms them, helps them to regain some control after obviously losing control to a sibling. If the offer of a cold pack doesn’t immediately send them running for the fridge, then I know it’s inspection time, because it’s obviously more serious than simply offering up the sibling for a spanking. In our house, the cold pack works 90 percent of the time.

My favorite packs come from the $1 spot at Target. About this time of year, the $1 spot starts to fill with school and lunch related items with lots of covered in characters. I purchase several when I see them, especially as they start to clearance them out for 50 or 25 cents. They do wear out, the kids do puncture them eventually. You need to toss them if you see a hard crease beginning to form, because it will crack. Immediately dispose of them if you see any gel on the outside. I keep my stash out of reach and sight and just replace them covertly when necessary. I keep two in my fridge at all times, if you do get a serious lump, it’s good to trade them out as the pack warms. If your kids are like mine, they also like to give a dose of punishment back before running to tattle too, so a tattling pair is pretty common too.

Now you know my secret weapon, I’d love to hear what you carry in your mommy arsenal.