Is drugging children abuse?

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Parenting our children -> Teenagers and Older children

1 2 Next

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

gonewiththewind

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 11:10 pm

The other night my teenage daughter said to me, "I never knew that it was normal to give your kids sleeping pills at night to make them tired." I replied that it is not normal, why did she think it was normal.
So she said that someone she babysits for gives pills to her kids at night, and at bedtime the kids say that it is time for their sleepy pills, and that the pills make them tired.

While I really don't approve of this, is it the kind of thing that I should just mind my own business about, or should I say something? I really think it is wrong to drug your children so they will sleep, but they are not my kids, so what can I do.

amother

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 11:18 pm

miriamf wrote:

maybe its some kind of medication? or maybe she was told to do this because her kids have awful fits in their sleep?

Raizle

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 11:19 pm

if it was the real deal sleeping pill then I'd be really worried but in all likelyhood it could be some health product, like valerian forte.
I was giving that to my teen at one point since she is a poor sleeper and was suffering. It's completely safe and natural.
My sister has been giving it to one of her kids since she was a child.
It comes in both liquid form and pill.

Last edited by Raizle on Sat, Jan 08 2011, 11:20 pm; edited 1 time in total

mommyofboys

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 11:19 pm

Or maybe its meletonim, which helps kids relax & fall asleep easily. Might be she couldn't explain it to the kids & told them that its a sleepy pill.

Mama Bear

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 11:22 pm

It's just melo-chew. Some kids, like mine, just toss and turn for hours in bed and then theyre cranky in the morning and nuts all day. It's cruel to watch your 5 yr old toss and turn for 2 or 3 hours every night when you can help him with a safe natural sleep aid.

It's not sleeping pills. I call it a shluffen candy, because how would my 5 yr old know what melatonin is?

amother

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 11:27 pm

[quote="Mama Bear"]It's just melo-chew. Some kids, like mine, just toss and turn for hours in bed and then theyre cranky in the morning and nuts all day. It's cruel to watch your 5 yr old toss and turn for 2 or 3 hours every night when you can help him with a safe natural sleep aid.

It's not sleeping pills.[/quote

while im not too concerned about it being an issue beause I think there are so many other things that it might be, how can you say with absolute certainty that its not sleeping pills? perhaps you should have written something like "maybe its melo-chew" and "I dont think its sleeping pills."

(by the way, ive never heard of it, but do they make something like that for adults? ive tried sleeping pills three times- two times I took half and once I took a whole- and I was like a zombie the next day)

life'sgreat

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 11:29 pm

Or it might be something else entirely but mom calls it that to simplify things. I know a family where there are bedwetters. The kids know they must take their meds before bed (vitamins actually).

Chocoholic

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 11:30 pm

Maybe it's just a fake so the kids go to sleep nicely by themselves - smart @ss lady!

life'sgreat

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 11:31 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

I don't know if you're aware that giving melatonin long term is actually a bad idea. A human body is meant to produce it on it's own and if you keep on giving it, the body slows down or stops producing it altogether. I don't want you to take my word for it, but that was my understanding when I researched it.

gonewiththewind

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 11:32 pm

OK, I feel beter now.
I did know someone who gave their kids benadryl to make them sleep, so that's what I thought of

Happy18

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 11:41 pm

well whoever gives their kids benadry to make them sleepy should know that it can make some kids hyperactive. Imagine some mom trying to get her kid to sleep and surprise! The kid bounces all night instead of sleeping!

Mama Bear

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 11:54 pm

LG I do not give it to my kids on a nightly basis. I reserve it for when theyre actually having trouble falling asleep. If my son is in bed since 7:30 and is still coming out every minute at 9:30 because he just cant fall asleep, I give him 1/2 a milligram of melatonin. that's really not a lot.

My toddler has major sleep issues and once or twice a week will simply wake up in the middle of the night and stay up for HOURS. just like that. which then impacts his entire day and schedule and is not good for him. Maxi health told me it's okay to give it to him in the middle of the night. BH since we employ this tactic he is back asleep in less than an hour.

I started a medication lately that causes insomnia nad my doctor wanted to prescribe sleeping pills! I didnt want to take it and asked about melatonin and he told me to take it. so I also take btween 1/2 and 1 milligram. before that, I would easily still be awake at 2 a.m. and crying from exhaustion but unable to fall asleep!

melatonin has its uses and shouldnt be abused. It shouldnt be given every night as a rule. it's definitely a lot better alternative than benadryl!

Raizle

Sun, Jan 09 2011, 12:13 am

amother wrote:

Mama Bear wrote:

while im not too concerned about it being an issue beause I think there are so many other things that it might be, how can you say with absolute certainty that its not sleeping pills? perhaps you should have written something like "maybe its melo-chew" and "I dont think its sleeping pills."

(by the way, ive never heard of it, but do they make something like that for adults? ive tried sleeping pills three times- two times I took half and once I took a whole- and I was like a zombie the next day)

sleeping pills will do that to you,
try valerian forte.

ra_mom

Sun, Jan 09 2011, 2:18 am

Mama Bear wrote:

Why would you say it's a better alternative to Benadryl?
(I think Benadryl is safer since it's not a hormone.)

aidelmaidel

Sun, Jan 09 2011, 3:14 am

Let's clarify something here, and I'm going to speak from my own personal life/experience here.

I grew up in an abusive home. I was a child with chronic ear infections and I had a "standing prescription" for a medication that was used as a decongestant at that time.

For as long as I can remember, from about age 4 (my father said the rx was from age 2) until around age 12, my mother would threaten me - if you're not quiet I'm going to give you _____. If you don't behave I'm going to give you _____(name of medicine).

It was a liquid kept in a brown glass bottle in the fridge. I was terrified. Even now it gives me the creeps to look at those bottles from the pharmacy.

As an adult I had some issues and saw a dr who took my ENTIRE medical history and was astounded about the medication that it was given to me. That medication is a precursor to Valium and a depressant to the central nervous system (in addition to being a decongestant). I have permament physical problems because basically my mother kept me drugged in a stupor for about 10 years of my life.

It's 30 years later and there aren't "standing prescriptions" anymore.

My DD has a disability that affects one of the parts of the human body where melatonin is naturally produced. She has had TREMENDOUS difficulty falling and staying asleep. Our dr suggested trying melatonin/melochews and they have helped her tremendously. Our theory is that her disability is affecting her body's natural melatonin production and hence supplementing. In general melatonin supplements are meant to be a temporary thing and there are NO studies on the long term usage of it in children.

That's why I always check in with our dr. every 4-6 months on if we should continue it or not.

Doing something to treat a legitimate medical condition under the care of a doctor is very different from giving your child a medication for off-label usage and doing it without medical supervision.

I highly doubt this mother is giving her kids sleeping pills (probably melochews), but if it eases your conscious, call the mother and tell her you were wondering what she gives her kids because you have a neice/nephew who suffers from insomnia and you're looking for solutions. You should be able to suss out what she's doing from your phone conversation.

Hatzlacha.

amother

Sun, Jan 09 2011, 4:09 am

My mother gives melatonin to my ADHD brother. The pediatrician advised it, because on his own, he would sleep from about 12 to 12 (he does all summer--doesn't go to camp, and is very happy that way), even though he's been put to bed at about 7:00/ 7:30 since he was 2.

ROFL

Sun, Jan 09 2011, 4:45 am

aidelmaidel wrote:

Aidelmom I am so sorry you went through such abuse. I was wondering what was the name of the medicine (if you know). I am always shocked when I hear parents overmedicating their children. And unfortunately it happens a lot with parents who are not knowledgeable and unable to handle their kids.

bnm

Sun, Jan 09 2011, 10:15 am

last time my daughter was teething and keeping us up at night to the point that I couldn't function the next day I asked the dr about benadryl which we know from using it for allergies will make her sleepy and tired for a good few hours. I would be nervous about giving hormonal supplements to a little kid if its not needed.

aidelmaidel

Mon, Jan 10 2011, 2:37 pm

ROFL wrote:

Atarax, generic name: Hydroxyzine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroxyzine

amother

Mon, Jan 10 2011, 2:44 pm

aidelmaidel wrote:

ROFL wrote:

Atarax, generic name: Hydroxyzine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroxyzine

They have you an antihistamine.
I am so sorry for what you went through.
Sometimes I give my child benedryl as a sleep aid. Is that abuse?

Page 1 of 2

1 2 Next