“If you think you are too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.” – Unknown

Trust the tiny terrors to wreck havoc in our lives; not just within the confines of our homes, but outside too. Mosquito bites are not just bothersome, itchy and uncomfortable, but they can also be fatal. We are all aware of the rampant prevalence of mosquito borne diseases like Dengue, Malaria, Chikungunya etc. These are life-threatening ailments which are caused by particular types of mosquitoes and the alarming death statistics bear testimony to the fact that mosquitoes are now among the deadliest foes of our country.

To be honest, in the past, I never put much thought into taking utmost care to keep myself and my family protected from mosquitoes. However, due to the occurrence of some grave incidents last year in close vicinity I was propelled to do everything possible to keep these unwanted creatures at bay. Someone in our community lost her battle with Dengue and her untimely demise immersed all the members of the society in tremendous shock and grief. What pinched me the most was that she left behind a 7 year old child! I couldn’t stop thinking about the little one and what he might be going through. Being deprived of the presence of a parent is an irreparable loss, especially at such a tender age. For days after this happened, I would panic at the idea of taking my daughter out to the park or other areas where she would be more prone to getting attacked by mosquitoes. But, I realized that it was not practical to let this fear get the better of me, especially when there are easy ways by which we can keep ourselves largely sheltered from mosquitoes.

We sprung into action and the first thing that we did to combat the tiny terrors was that, we got connected to a mosquito mesh vendor. We requested him to visit our home promptly and secure it from these unwelcome visitors. In parallel, I did some research by consulting a few friends and discovered that Odomos Naturals is an extremely safe mosquito repellent lotion that can be applied on children as well. Since then, the bottle of this lotion has always found space in our closet. What I like about this product is that it is non-sticky with a pleasant odour, and hence it feels like we are smeared with the usual moisturizing lotion. Its effect is long-lasting and so, it does not require reapplication on the skin. I also purchased Odomos mosquito patches and I always carry them when we are outdoors. I habitually stick a patch on the backside of my daughter’s outfit before heading out so that she doesn’t get her hands on them. Usually, either of these hacks is enough to prevent mosquito bites but for areas swarmed with mosquitoes, applying the lotion as well as using the patch in conjunction works well.

Contrary to popular notion, mosquitoes that cause perilous diseases bite during the daytime. Most people tend to take precautions only after dusk sets in but the reality is that all of us are exposed to the lethal mosquitoes from the crack of dawn. Therefore, I urge you to please ensure that whatever measures you are taking to keep your children shielded from mosquitoes are taken without fail during school hours as well (including school trips). A simple and quick task done by us, the parents, can be immensely reassuring later on. Because once done, we know that we have built the safety net for our children and that we do not need to restrict them in any way, be it at home or when out.

//This article has been sponsored by Odomos and was first published on Momspresso and is available at the following link.