medicating our kids...a spin off

Jodi - posted on 07/07/2011

I've only sedated for motion sickness. That's it. I haven't ever felt the need to otherwise (unless they are sick or something, obviously, then it is simply for their comfort, like Panadol or Dimetap). But my kids are good travellers (except on boats), and I have never really had bedtime issues at all.

Casey - posted on 07/07/2011

I think in your case Tara where your little one hates the car to the point where she will make herself sick if you have to travel for a long distance then yeah I would have medicated her too or for things like the dentist or something like that where it doesn't happen very often and the child is just far to stressed out to be able to cope. I think if your medicating your child everynight just so you can have a good nights sleep then thats probably not good, and you should always see your doctor to get their advice before medicating/sedating your child so you know that you are giving them the correct medication and dose.

Jane - posted on 07/07/2011

If we didn't give my son medication so he would sleep he would be up all night. However, he is sixteen and bipolar, and the medication is prescribed by his psychiatrist. He has been using it now for about 4 years.

When he and his sister were little we didn't medicate them to get them to sleep. Instead, we wore them out by taking them swimming every evening, or we read to them, or we held them, or we took them for walks in the stroller, or many other things. Our daughter was a good sleeper once we treated a congenital immune system problem that caused her lots of pain. Our son was a great sleeper when he was tiny but once he turned 3 he seemed to be a perpetual motion machine.

The most we ever did was when the kids were sick we often gave them Dimetapp to help clear their airways, but we were also very grateful that it made them drowsy.

Fortunately, car trips caused our kids to go to sleep so we never had cause to sedate them during trips. However, there was one plane trip when I, the crew, and all the passengers would have been thrilled if my son had been sedated. He wasn't crying - he was continually escaping from his seatbelt and crawling under the seats all over the plane.

Teresa - posted on 07/07/2011

No clue what other people I know have or haven't done... my memory isn't good enough to tell you that. ;)

I've never done it. Never had a situation where I've felt the need to consider it.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/07/2011

Sarah, I agree with you 100%!

Sarah - posted on 07/07/2011

Like I said earlier on, I know of parents that DO medicate their kids for ridiculous reasons. They're the ones I have a problem with.
If someone has exhausted all other options, and has spoken to a doctor, then I can totally understand using a medicine with a sedative in it, I would probably consider it myself if the need called for it.

When I said about calming down and making them sleep, I was talking more about when parents give medicine if the kids are sleeping in a different place, or if there's going to be a big event......that's when it doesn't sit right with me at all.

I'm not trying to make out that parents giving their kids something for travel sickness are bad parents in anyway, I'm just saying that for me, a medicine with a sedative would be the last resort.

Ashley=) - posted on 07/07/2011

Just to clarify ladies.I am not saying any of you who had to medicate your little ones are wrong.In no shape or form do i believe that.I think we have to do what is needed to help our children.In many cases it is very needed.So you do what you have to.
Its just that in many cases i think its not needed and parents still want to mediate.I just wish they could not or use an alternative like herbal remedy etc.Bottom line is your the parent, do what you feel is best.:-)

Cathy - posted on 07/07/2011

@ Sarah - but your interpretation of a need to medicate to "calm a child down" or "make them sleep" may be radically different to others having no experience with their individual child.

I knew when flying with my eldest at 17 months that he needed something to "calm him down" and "help him sleep" because I knew my child and I knew he wasn't going to be easy (undiagnosed autism). I did go the correct route and speak to a doctor about my concerns prior to using anything.

If a child had an hysterical fear of flying then I wouldn't see a parents as lazy for choosing to make it easier on the child by giving them something to allow them to sleep through the worst part of a flight.

There are a lot of variables to consider with each individuals situation.

Now obviously if you're discussing medicating children on a daily even weekly basis without having solid medical grounds then that's different altogether and I doubt anyone here would agree that it's a good idea.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/07/2011

Thank you for the apology Smithers, I am glad you saw what we were trying to say. It takes a big person to step up and say they interpreted something perhaps incorrectly. Thank you for that. No one was saying anything negative about mothers who use drugs for strictly intended purposes. I am glad you were able to see it from a different angle. Props to you!

*I want to make sure that you know I am being sincere, sometimes things come across sarcastic in the written word.*

Sarah - posted on 07/07/2011

For me, if my kids got severely travel sick, and I had tried all the natural remedies, and it was becoming a real problem, then I would see what the doctors would recommend. If that was something with a sedative in it, then I would probably consider it.
For run of the mill travel sickness.......I wouldn't go down the sedative route, but that's just me! lol

As I've said, medication for travel sickness doesn't bother me too much. It's the medicating of kids to "calm them down" or to "make" them sleep that doesn't sit right with me.

Cathy - posted on 07/07/2011

Sarah - ginger tablets are fine if it's just a stomach that gets upset with travel ... they don't really help if you get vertigo. If a child is more prone to any inner ear problems then it's more likely to trigger vertigo when travelling. You need different medication to combat that.

Samantha - posted on 07/07/2011

To Smithers:

I consider teething and growing pains medical, and a perfectly appropriate reason to give your child medication. When my son was teething, I gave him baby oragel but never sedatives. Nor do I when he is having growing pains. But that is MY right and opinion as a mother. Just like when he is sick, I allow HIS body time to heal itself, as opposed to automatically giving him medication. He will thank me for that when he's older and his immune system isn't shot to hell. Now, if he's having a hard time fighting off the infection, of course I'll give him something to make him feel better. But where medication can be avoided, I avoid it.

What I was stating in my previous post, and I apologize if you misinterpreted it, was that I would never give my child sedatives just to get him to be quiet for the sake of other people. If your child is having a melt down in the grocery store, are you going to force tylenol down his/her throat to get him/her to stop? No. Kids throw fits. Forcing medication on them now is only going to make them think its okay to drug themselves just to feel better. You will never overcome your emotions if you keep supressing them.



ETA: I was in no way specifically speaking to you, I apologize that you were offended.

Sarah - posted on 07/07/2011

I suffered from travel sickness, and so do the girls.

I've very rarely used any anti-sickness medicine though, a couple of times they've had some ginger tablets, but nothing with a sedative in it.

It's not the motion sickness prevention I'm not keen on, it's the sedative part.
I personally wouldn't use one with a sedative, I can understand why others might, but I wouldn't.

Jenni - posted on 07/07/2011

Tara, if one my children suffered from car sickness I would definitely do the same on a long trip. You absolutely, did the right thing.

Vegemite - posted on 07/07/2011

Tara as someone who still, at 32, suffers from motion sickness I can tell you giving your daughter medication before a trip is the right thing to do. Once the vomiting starts there is no natural treatments or medication that will do a darn thing so taking something before travel is the only way to go. It is hell and they don't call it sickness for fun, when someone has it they are sick.

Oh man I'm feeling queasy and got the shakes just thinking about.

Tara - posted on 07/07/2011

I personally feel that I was being a nurturing a helpful mother when I dosed my girl with Gravol for the those road trips.
Any previous ones of that length saw us pulling over quickly because she had cried so much she puked and was still screaming and sucking puke back into her mouth. This happened at least 6 times before all on less than 3 hour trips. So when we knew I was facing 6 hours alone in the car with her, we talked to our doctor who suggested Gravol (he likely suspected she was car sick, I don't recall, but I knew what it was and knew it had been used a long time for motion sickness).
No amount of love, nurturing etc. would have made any difference to her.
No she did not have a medical condition. No I was not doing it to make my life easier (although I found it much easier to drive 6 hours to a family funeral without a toddler puking everywhere and screaming bloody murder) but I did it for her comfort. How awful of a mom would I have been to force her to endure that trip knowing how she handled car rides. Seems torturous to me. Seems like it would be putting my need to adhere to a set of "rules" about parenting rather than looking at what my child's needs are and what is the best way to meet them.
Not what I think "a good parent" would do.

Ashley=) - posted on 07/07/2011

@Tee ONLY if my children were extremely bad i would most definitely consider it.I have no problem making a childs journey more comfortable if they really needed it.

If natural remedies did not work i would consult a doctor or pharmacist for advice.

I as a child had car sickness very bad.My mother got me pressure bands to wear on my wrists.It did the trick.No need for meds.

For me personally i don't use meds freely.What you all choose to do is your business.

Even my own doctor likes my approach to medications.As its similar to his and his practice.

He also feels parents just want a prescription to make there visit worth while.Even though if you control there pain, there is no need for an antibiotic at times.Your body will naturally fight it off.If some doctors are not giving meds out to beat the band the parents are demanding them.

Cathy - posted on 07/07/2011

Gravol is an anti-emetic, it's mainly to prevent nausea and vomiting.

If you have a child who frequently suffers from motion sickness then it's common sense to give them a dose of something to settle their systems before embarking on a long journey rather than waiting to see if they get ill and puke. How would that be nice for the child?

And I would still give my eldest child something if I took a long haul flight with him. He doesn't actually get motion sickness but he does get sick when he's stuck immobile in a badly ventilated space for too long. It's not like you can stop the plane mid flight to go outside and get some fresh air.

Being an affectionate and nurturing parent doesn't stop the vomiting!

And if my kids vomit... I have to fight the urge not to vomit myself.

Sal - posted on 07/07/2011

whats gravol? is it an antihystermine? thats what is often used here for at home sleeping med...

Sal - posted on 07/07/2011

tried with my first and it didn;t work....when my 3rd was born i had a 14mth old and a new born and they both screamed day and night, in sheer desperation i asked the chemist for something to make the older one sleep (i was too tired to even make up a rash) as i thought just breaking the cycle might work, he did give me something i think it might just of saved my sanity, i used it for maybe 3 nights in a row, broke the cycle and they were ok after that, i was super careful not to get in the habbit though as it would be soooo tempting, and because you just can't drug your kids here as the stuff i used was a behind the counter med i didn't want to waste it as it would be difficult to get more if i ever "needed"it as you need a prescription or take in a spotty rashy child..

Isobel - posted on 07/07/2011

"No i would never use drugs on my kids to make my life or anyone's life easier.That's just me personally.I would not expect others to do it for me"

but what about to make THEIR life easier or better??? I'm sure your child doesn't WANT to spent hours upon hours crying...clearly they are in some form of pain or discomfort. What's the big deal in rare occurrences to help them be calmer and happier for their own sake?

and yes, Gravol does have a sedative in it...but it definitely stops my kids from puking in the car every time we travel for more than 20 minutes so I'll continue to use it.

The sleepiness is just a happy coincidence ;)

Sarah - posted on 07/06/2011

I didn't realise Garvol had a sedative in it, so I actually wouldn't give that to my kids.

I don't see any need to sedate a young child, unless it's medically needed.

Jaime - posted on 07/06/2011

And after re-reading my previous comment and talking to my friend about this topic, I realize that I need to take a step back because perhaps I have misinterpreted Samantha's post. My apologies Marina because it is not my intention to get into an argument with you about the semantics of what was said in her comment. I came off as incredibly bitchy as well and so I apologize for that too. Having thought about it some more, you are probably right about it being directed at those moms that DO take advantage of and abuse sedative agents for their kids. It just came off as a blanket judgment to me, but I might be projecting far too much emotion into this topic, so I'm done.

Jaime - posted on 07/06/2011

"But, Smithers, if you are using the drug properly, there should be no reason that you are offended."

This is precisely my point, Marina. I don't feel that I'm using any drugs incorrectly when I give my son medicine to help him be calm if he's anxious or uncomfortable. It's not something I practice daily and use it only when traveling, but it really has nothing to do with convenience and not having to comfort my son on my own. Plenty of people become anxious during travel and use sedatives or other common medicines known to have a sedative-like effect. When parents do the same for their children, I am less inclined to think it has anything to do with 'shutting them up', being that I'm one of those moms that has a child prone to anxiousness during long travel. So, while it's nice that you think I should not be offended when someone else implies that I need to 'try being a mom' and comfort my child myself, but until you've walked a mile in my shoes how the hell do you know what it's like for me?

Vegemite - posted on 07/06/2011

Google sedatives for babies and you'll realise that giving drugs unnecessarily is a huge problem. Not just with parents self medicating but also Dr's recommending drugs unnecessarily and the incorrect use of drugs. There are even concerns about SIDS cases rising for the first time since the early 90's. CRAZY



* A lot of the articles also talk about the dangers for young children and toddlers.

Ashley=) - posted on 07/06/2011

Yes the rescue remedy can be got for kids.It has GREAT reviews.Its 100% natural.



I only give drugs if really needed like an infection or pain were its causing my kids to be uncomfortable etc.Other than that i don't like to give drugs, not even for myself.I don't use them as freely as some though.I mean that respectfully.I have seen medication abuse to much with other parents.I see no need for it at all.Some get it each night.

When your child is asking for it at night, you have a problem.

Ashley=) - posted on 07/06/2011

No i would never use drugs on my kids to make my life or anyone's life easier.That's just me personally.I would not expect others to do it for me.

Only if it was all natural like a rescue remedy to calm and reassure you.Not sure if you can get this for kids.I will check it out.Its not something i would ever use often.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/06/2011

But, Smithers, if you are using the drug properly, there should be no reason that you are offended.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/06/2011

Then I can see why you are so offended.

But, there is no way possible for you to know if the number of parents abusing such medication is low or not. It also depends on perspective. I personally would not use a drug for anything but what it is specifically is for.

Jaime - posted on 07/06/2011

That would be my reason for using a sedative, Marina...and that's my point. I use gravol right now to help curb motion sickness, but it also works to help calm my son during a long trip on the bus or in the car. I don't feel that by doing so, I'm abusing the medication if he's upset or not feeling well, despite any effort to try and 'be a mother and comfort my kid myself'. Subsequently, this brings me back to my point that Samantha's statement was incredibly judgmental given the fact that she cannot possibly know the motivations of each, individual parent. Furthermore, even those people we might know or think abuse sedative agents or medication for kids, could be misjudgment as well. I know that there ARE parents that do abuse medication, but I just don't think the percentage is very high given the varying circumstances worldwide.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/06/2011

This part here "Now if its for a medical purpose, thats completely different. But if its just to get the child to "be quiet" or "calm down" try being a mother and actually comforting your kids yourself."

She specifically talks about misuse by saying "get the child to be quiet or settle down" those are NOT medical purposes, and would be abusing a sedative.

Jaime - posted on 07/06/2011

I agree that there ARE parents that abuse medications in this way, but Samantha's comment does not specify that. She talks about the fact that adults take medicine to calm down and that it's not right to push that on an unknowing child. And proceeds to follow that up with her "try being a mother" statement which reads extremely judgmental to me. If I have misunderstood the comment, then I hope Samantha can come back and clarify because even re-reading it now I'm not seeing how it specifically applies to parents that abuse sedative agents for children.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/06/2011

I may be talking out of turn, but I do believe she was directing that comment to the parents that are ABUSING sedative agents for children. I know for a FACT that my sister would do this to her children, even to her husband. THAT is a shitty parent that could use the exact advice Samantha was dishing out.

Jaime - posted on 07/06/2011

I can assure you, Marina, that I have read Samantha's entire post. Just because society has convinced adults that it's okay to take a pill to calm down, doesn't mean that parents automatically assume their children need sedatives at every twist and turn...and that's MY point. As I said in my previous post, I am willing to bet that the percentage of parents that use medication as a means of getting their kids to sleep or be quiet for the sake of convenience is very small in comparison to those that use it occasionally (teething and growing pains) and during travel. Subsequently, making a statement like; "try being a mother and actually comforting your kids yourself" is incredibly judgmental considering that we cannot possibly know the circumstances of every situation where medication is being used!

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/06/2011

Smithers, did you NOT read the entire pots that Samantha wrote? She is saying, if you are using a sedative just to shut your kids up....bad....if you are using drugs to deal with a medical condition...good.....I didn't see any high horse.

Jaime - posted on 07/06/2011

"But if its just to get the child to "be quiet" or "calm down" try being a mother and actually comforting your kids yourself. That is, after all, what mothers are for."....

I'm certain that it's much easier to sit way up there on your high horse and berate others for actions that you find unacceptable, however, you also fail to put into perspective the individual circumstances that might lead some parents to the decision to give their children medication. "try being a mother"? really? Is that what it comes down to? Suddenly those of us that have had to resort to alternative methods in order to calm our restless or anxious children, somehow fail at being mothers? I am betting that there are very few parents that actually resort to continuous use of medication to calm their children (outside of travel) than is being suggested.

Samantha - posted on 07/06/2011

Just because society has convinced adults that its okay to take a pill (medication) to calm themselves down or "feel good" doesn't mean its okay to push it (medication) on an unwilling/unknowing child.

Now if its for a medical purpose, thats completely different. But if its just to get the child to "be quiet" or "calm down" try being a mother and actually comforting your kids yourself. That is, after all, what mothers are for.

Ella - posted on 07/06/2011

my mum did, and I have a friend who uses medicine everey day almost since her kid was born and also tells me to use it when I look after him, when I put him to bed, but I dont. Me personally no I only use it when its necessary

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/06/2011

Well said Becky!

Vegemite - posted on 07/05/2011

haha yes

Kate CP - posted on 07/05/2011

Are we done with the back and forth?

Vegemite - posted on 07/05/2011

Wow ok. Thank you

Becky - posted on 07/05/2011

No, I didn`t take it that way, because she was responding to Sherri, who had only said her child cried because he was exhausted by the long delays, not because there was anything wrong with him medically. And while the medication she recommended may have a sedative effect, it is also a cough and cold medication which contains ingredients that could cause heart arrythmias, seizures and death in young children. Recommending giving that to a perfectly healthy, but fussy, infant is completely different from giving your child Tylenol because their behavior indicates that they may be in pain.

I have no problem with someone giving their child a medication that is necessary - gravol for motion sickness, pain medications or sedatives for colic, decongestants for an ear infection. And if the medication causes the child to sleep on the flight, bonus! But to medicate a child with no underlying issues, only to make them sleep or be quiet just doesn`t sit right with me. Especially if it just done as a preventative measure, just in case, without knowing that there is definitely going to be an issue.

Maria - posted on 07/05/2011

I think its fine. Ive never done but i dont knock it.

Vegemite - posted on 07/05/2011

Plus I've given my kids panadol when I couldn't settle them a couple of times because I thought there must be something wrong that I just can't figure out if they're crying for more than an hour non stop. Why should my baby continue to cry for hours just because I can't figure out what's wrong. Also my youngest will have a febrile convulsion if he gets a temp for what ever reason. He's had one from becoming hot and bothered while crying too much before.

LadyJane - posted on 07/05/2011

The only time my son had any type of medication was when he dumped a boiling hot cup of hot chocolate on himself and the hospital prescriped tylenol for the pain. Other than that, I would never give him a sedative just because. If my son had colic and it wasn't an urgent reason for him to be on a plane, I probably would just drive there myself or find some other transportation since the compression in a plane may make colic worse. It would definitely depend on where we were going and why... but that's just my opinion.

Vegemite - posted on 07/05/2011

Yes Becky but don't you think she was talking about if there's something wrong with a child, I did. We don't have Triaminic here so I don't know exactly what it is, she said a child sedative so I thought it was safe for small children especially since a Dr recommended it.

Rosie - posted on 07/05/2011

im not a fan of it. i would never do it. i would never medicate them just so they could be quiet in normal everyday life, why would i do it while on a plane, or whatever? so others aren't bothered? it doesn't make sense to me. if the child really is scared comfort them like you normally would.

Good Day! - posted on 07/05/2011

@Lisa, I've never done that, but I suppose I could try it. I would much rather do that than medicate her.

Becky - posted on 07/05/2011

Oh, on top of which, you are not supposed to give Triaminic or any cough syrup to children under 6. I would never give my children under 6 cough syrup unless it was specifically ordered by a doctor to treat a cough.