Am I wrong? This was rejected…

amother

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 9:18 pm

I have ADHD and am a mother of a busy household. Also my kids get sick often , which I’m sure most kids going to school do. I made up this “genius” (apparently controversial) routine to help me when the kids have to take antibiotics and submitted it to a well known platform. I won’t say if it was a magazine/website/Instagram account… but if your frum and have access to any form of kosher entertainment you probably have come across this platfrom. Anyways- I got my reply that it won’t work for them to post/publish, I’m sure they reject many things. The reason was “we could already hear mothers complaining …” so was wondering - how bad was this idea? It saved me and my kids so much but I guess others know better :/ would love your opinion but be gentle… please don’t start throwing tomatoes.

So here is goes:
I prep my kids antibiotics (all doses night and day) as soon as I pick it up from the pharmacy into brand new medicine dispensers. I stick them in the fridge and give everyday. When I didn’t do this ahead of time, I would forget half the days and my kids would get sick again. This helped us a lot. Older kids take pre-measured medicine by themselves. Asked my pharmacists if it’s safe and they said absolutely, just shake really well before I measure into separate dispensers and it stays fresh in the fridge. So how bad was it to submit this idea ? I kind of felt dumb bc I wrote it in a lot of detail with tips and tricks but it was too risqué Smile

amother

Cognac

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 9:21 pm

I think maybe they were concerned about safety with child access to medication. Because medications for kids always come with childproof tops in the original containers. They'd probably have to put a disclaimer on your write up and it's just not worth it for them.

yersp

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 9:23 pm

Hey!!!! I like the idea! I would totally do it because I know for myself to remember to give all the doses is hard work when you're busy to begin with and you're right that the older kids can help themselves. The only one thing I find that it won't work is because you gotta buy so many dispensers first and then what do you do with them? Throw it away or wash and reuse and then it might clutter up the drawers.
All in all, it's a good idea!

nchr

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 9:23 pm

I think this could be dangerous since medicine comes in a special bottle so that children cannot open it, and here you are suggesting to put it in something children love to drink from. My children sometimes use those to drink juice for fun.

But, if it works for your family and is safe, that's great.

amother

Cognac

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 9:30 pm

amother [ Brown ] wrote:

When my kid was taking 27 doses of different medications a day, you better believe I prepped them in advance in syringes, with syringe tip covers. They do this In the hospital too, but keep them in a locked drawer.

Sure but a magazine publishing this as a regular household tip could find themselves in trouble. Not everyone reads a disclaimer and it's a huge responsibility to take if someone decides to try it out but doesn't read the warning posted. That's why so many products you buy have warnings about misuse printed all over. Because they don't want to find themselves embroiled in a lawsuit.
I can't blame the magazine (I assume that's the platform) for not wanting to open a can of worms by recommending this.They probably have a lawyer on retainer anyway. Just for these sorts of questions.

amother

Brown

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 9:34 pm

amother [ Cognac ] wrote:

Agree. Apparently, individual dose medicine bottles is a thing, 1oz, 2oz etc, with child safety caps, so maybe that would fly.

amother

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 9:35 pm

I made sure to mention a few times that you can lock the meds in a specific drawer in the fridge. Or you can purchase a mini fridge for super cheap (Ali express) and it could be your mini pharmacy and lock that too … but I understand why they wouldn’t risk publishing.

I also use covers on each syringe. And I’m the one giving it to the child. It’s really a help for me , not so much for them. But in the long run it helps bc they get the full dose and don’t have strep back to back…

amother

Phlox

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 9:37 pm

Parents of children with chronic illnesses who take lots of medications daily, do this all the time. So do hospitals. Two very important things - label each dispenser with a date and medication name, place all dispensers/syringes into a closed container with a cover and keep away from children. If it needs to be refrigerated, put in drawer or somewhere where it's harder for child to access

amother

Cognac

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 9:38 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Kind of unclear. If you are keeping it locked, how are the older kids taking the doses on their own? Either way you still need to be on top of things and remember to unlock it and remind the kids to take it. If it works for you and is safe, that's great, but it's not the best system to manage meds for many people, I think. The adult still needs to be very on top of this system so it sort of defeats the purpose of making the kids responsible for it.

amother

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 9:42 pm

I buy 100 pack in bulk from Amazon and discard. I calculate the cost and it’s worth it to throw out. A. Less to wash and store and also the little covers are tiny and no way I can keep track of them. And B. My copay is $5 at doctor and $1 for actual medicine ,so I allow myself $20 to spend on syringes that will last for 5 sick kids (20 doses per child) C. I save money by not going back to the doctor when kids get sick again bc I keep forgetting doses !

amother

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 9:47 pm

amother [ Cognac ] wrote:

If I’m super busy and a older kid needs a dose they can get it themselves but I’m usually the one giving to the them. I don’t make them responsible for it it’s just that one off time I might forget. But it helps bc most of the time I “forgot” was bc it took long to find or wash a sticky syringe and fill up perfectly while typical kids chaos was happening. So it made it easy bc there was no effort accept for unlock , stick in mouth , discard, lock. Just 4 steps for me. But again I know it’s not for everyone !

amother

Cognac

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 9:50 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

If I’m super busy and a older kid needs a dose they can get it themselves but I’m usually the one giving to the them. I don’t make them responsible for it it’s just that one off time I might forget. But it helps bc most of the time I “forgot” was bc it took long to ding or wash a sticky syringe and fill up perfectly while typical kids chaos was happening. So it made it easy bc there was no effort accept for unlock , stick in mouth , discard, lock. Just 4 steps for me. But again I know it’s not for everyone !

So the kids do have access. I'm sorry, but that's not safe. Too easy for kids to mix up doses, take the wrong ones by accident etc. What if they leave the door/drawer open by mistake and a younger siblings accesses it?
You may want to rethink this, the more you describe your method, the less safe it sounds:(

amother

Cognac

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 9:53 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

So far…. team “publisher” is winning. Most of you see it as a safety issue except for amother Brown and the two that mention chronic illness and hospitals.

I'm not sure what was the point of you starting this thread? Do you see this as a "game" with winners and losers? Or did you want genuine feedback? 🤔

amother

Chicory

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 9:54 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

So far…. team “publisher” is winning. Most of you see it as a safety issue except for amother Brown and the two that mention chronic illness and hospitals.

Look at today's society. We put warning labels on carriages 'don't fold with baby inside", to ward off any lawsuit. What magazine would want to take a risk of anyone blaming them for something going wrong.? Just picture one accidental overdose with the fingers pointing at the magazine for the idea.

amother

Mon, Aug 30 2021, 10:01 pm

amother [ Cognac ] wrote:

I'm not sure what was the point of you starting this thread? Do you see this as a "game" with winners and losers? Or did you want genuine feedback? 🤔

A game?? I didn’t want to make a poll bc it was too much for such a small thing but yes in my mind I’m want to see if it was really that problematic or not. So I’m sorry I’m making a count out loud but I realize that it was totally normal for them to turn this down as I see most see it as an issue. Btw, anytime someone starts a thread its usually not as a game… I specially asked to be gentle bc I already felt dumb sharing this. Your comment definitely made me feel like a loser tho:)