How Much Do You Medicate Your Children?

Maybe have him take the kids to their next DR appt, if he hears from the doctor directly about how over medicating children is actually harmful (because it can weaken their immune system) he will think twice before being such a pill popper.

I limit medication because too much of some meds can cause liver damage. I would talk to the pediatrician if he's not on board with waiting a few minutes before medicating them. Also, some meds lose their effectiveness if taken too often. Like antibiotics. Teach him other things for pain, like a kiss, a hug, a silly song....every scratch does not need ibuprofen.

When our son needs it.
For a bug bite - if it itches, topical benedryl gel helps take the itch away.
If a scratch hurts, instead of ibuprofen your husband could use some Neosporin.
When our son was little (like 3 yrs old), yeah he probably got a lot of band-aids for no good reason - but I never saw any harm in that.

When my husband and I were little - scrapes and scratches got mercurochrome or Bactine and band-aids.
You can't find mercurochrome anymore.
I think you can maybe steer your husband into treating with an ointment and a band-aid more than a pill for topical scratches.
Not treating a scratch 'so they can experience' it vs giving a pill for every little complaint are both two extremes of the same argument.
Can't you and Hubby meet in the middle somewhere?

I think your husband needs to go to the next few pediatrician appointments, if he doesn't already.

Maybe if he knew that ibuprofen can cause stomach problems, for which he is giving the Tums, he'd stop. I don't believe in coddling unnecessarily because kids give in to every little ache instead of shaking it off or learning how to "triage" and sort out what really matters. I think it's pretty benign to put a bandaid on a tiny scratch so the kid goes back to playing, and I think putting a bandaid on a bug bite might avoid unnecessary scratching. MAYBE a dot of anti-itch cream on the bandaid at most. Something topical is much less problematic than an entire systemic medication for a localized itch or scratch! I fear your husband is creating a brood of hypochondriacs - and I think his need to medicate says more about his patience in parenting and his need to "do something, anything" than it does about his medical knowledge.

I don't medicate low grade fevers, only high ones or those accompanied by aches & pains. If antibiotics are prescribed, I definitely finish the entire prescription - none of this "stop the meds when the kids look a little better" nonsense that my mother believed when I was a kid! I don't put antibacterial creams on light scratches, only good-sized or deep ones - I think the body does a pretty good job most of the time. I definitely treat things that can get worse with scratching - things like poison ivy or May fly bites (small black flies we get in New England). I use ice for sprains and don't use ibuprofen unless there is a lot of pain or swelling. Head injuries require a doctor's visit.

Good luck - it's not easy when parents aren't on the same page. I'd consult the pediatrician if you guys are way apart on this.

I rarely give medications to my daughter and I always have her use a scale from 1 to 10 to get an idea if she even needs something. Tummy aches, scrapes and bruises are a part of growing up, but if the pain is long lasting then I will consider giving something. I will put stuff on bug bites since they can itch like crazy and come open.

IMO, I don't think you are over reacting and I don't think anyone (child or adult) should take OTC medicines so often. They could become dependent on them and possibly look for something stronger later on.

When I think it is necessary.

Your hubby is teaching them to rely on drugs; Bet he won't be so happy when his 14 year old is relying on the drugs his friend got from his mom's night stand! He's making taking medication a daily, no-big-deal thing which will bite him in the end. He is also wrecking havoc on their stomachs and liver. But that's not what you asked. To answer your question, very sparingly. Just like doctor visits - we don't go at the drop of a hat. It's really not necessary to see the doc for a routine sore throat or some coughing nor are meds required. We only go when I believe there is an infection and antibiotics are necessary. Got this way when raising my daughter with no health insurance. You learn to recognize when a doctor visit/medication is needed and when it's not. Good luck to your children and their future health.

If it is something I would take medication for myself I will give the kids medication.

I've never given ibuprofen for a bug bite - usually those itch? I'd be more likely to put calamine lotion on it if it was bad - but honestly, don't think I've ever needed to.

I've never given Tums to a child either.

I give ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain such as an ear infection or when my kids had surgery. I also will for fever as directed on the bottle. I sometimes stagger the two as advised by our doctor so the kids stay fully medicated. But that's pretty rare and usually involves a trip in to see the doctor if I have to pull out the meds.

For bumps, bruises, etc. no. Ice pack if necessary for a sports injury like a knock from hockey but again, that's rare.

We do have a little friend who comes to me each time she bumps her elbow at our house. That's more a cause and effect thing I believe.

When our kids complain of a tummy ache, my husband will say "You need to poop!". It's usually true.

Tums are for heartburn I thought. Why would he give them for a tummy upset?

I think you have to be careful - my MIL takes pills for every little minor thing and she's kind of turned into a hypochondriac. That plus taking too many pain relievers can hurt your stomach. So I'm with you, only the amount required.

Tell you hubby that he needs to medicate the children the same as he'd medicate himself. Little cut or bruise? You clean it and tough it out. Tummy ache? Not going to be helped with tylenol since its probably viral or something else. Jumping to medication first for every single thing is a bad idea.

Hey B, I think we had the same parents. When I was a kid all cuts and scrapes were dabbed with mercurochrome or methiolate; both no longer used because they contain mercury. So if you were a clumsy kid (I was a clumsy kid) your parents were basically poisoning you little by little as they dabbing that stuff on your cuts.

no i don't think you are overreacting.
if my kiddo comes to me and says her head hurts (shes nearly 4) i will give her a glass of water and tell her to lie down and watch a show (30 minute show like leapfrog letter factory) if it still hurts after than i will give her tylenol or ibuprophen. the solution to tummy aches is to go try to poop. and 9x outta 10 thats the solution.
our bodies will develop a resistance to meds making them ineffective so i tend to avoid them unless determined necessary. (not to mention the havock it wrecks with your system having to filter out the drugs constantly)
you may want to have a chat with your hubby and remind him of these things and see if he backs off a bit on giving drugs. you can also do a bit of research and find natural remedys that work just as well for making kids feel better without drugging them

I can not say I have ever used pain meds for a scratch or bug bite, does that even help? I will give it for fever or headaches, ect. Tums won't help "tummy pain", only heart burn. It seems to me your husband seems to not have a solid idea of what these medications will and will not help, that is where I would start.

For bug bites, I just use some Hydrocortisone. If my child has a scratch and she keeps going on and on about it, putting a band aid on it satisfies her and she is able to move on, without needing to rely on any sort of medication. I would give medication if it's something serious, like a fever, or if a headache doesn't go away after some time. In many cases, dehydration or lack of food can cause a headache, as can too much sun exposure, so taking a break indoors and eating and drinking can fix that, but if the headache won't go away, then I would give the minimum dosage of Ibuprofen. Tums is fine for nausea or if my kid has heartburn, or vomits, but I first try other remedies like a soup, tea, saltine crackers, bread, apple sauce, and trying to find the cause for it. Sometimes, all that is needed is some fiber to go to the bathroom and then the child will feel a lot better, without needing medication. Tums is relatively harmless, but something like Prilosec or Nexium, I would definitely try to hold off on.

My kids dad and I would rather not hand out meds if really possible. If our kids had a scratch or stomach aches even headaches (little stuff) we would say "walk if off, your a tough kid." My kids now don't fret about little boo-boos now because we've had that attitude. When they come to us now and they say somethings medication worthy we most likely say okay. It's a good thing to get kids to toughen up a bit so they don't think meds are the answer all the time. I would ask your husband "wouldn't you like your kids to not rely on medication so much?" Especially if there going to play sports and stuff.

I prefer homeopathy and healty food over medicine. Anyway sometime medicine are indispensable, obviously not for a little bug bite.

I think that I'd probably buy a bottle of Motrin and a bottle of Tylenol and put it in my area where he won't know it is. Then gradually let the place where he goes to get the meds run out.

Then if he buys more I'd "misplace it" but I certainly wouldn't pick a fight over this. If he's giving them Tylenol and Motrin every single day then yes, I'd show him that there are some things that would say don't do that. But there are people that do take these meds every single day and have no problems.

I'd talk to him and try to show him some other ways to deal with it but I would not find this anything to fight with him about.

These are HIS children too and he might think you aren't a good parent too. He has a right to do with his children as he sees fit....ever think about that? That he has just as much right to pick and choose for them?

Talking to him about it is your only real option.

You are not overreacting. I gave mine meds when needed. My oldest had febrile seizures, so we did many rounds of motrin/tylenol. I was not quick to medicate for minor things, as those situations do not require medication. I think it's a good idea for your husband to go to the pediatrician next time one of your kids goes so he can hear this from a doctor. Just because a medicine is over the counter does not mean it can be taken as much as you want. Many of these drugs are cumulative in the system and can cause problems down the road if they are used over and over when not necessary. Your husband seems to think these medicines are harmless, but they are still drugs and too much of the pain relievers or even antacids can cause serious long lasting damage if overused.

I look at it like this - if *I* were having the symptoms they are having what would I want to do about them. So, if my kid is acting fine but has a fever, then no meds, but if they are miserable complaining of being hot then cold or extra whiney then I treat the fever. If I were coughing as hard as they were would I want to have meds to calm it or could I handle just having a popsicle to soothe my throat? So, I put myself in their shoes basically. There are some times where if I were the one that fell from my bike and got tons of scraps and maybe hit my head, yeah, I'd want some tylenol to numb the pain a bit, other times where I would shake it off, depends on severity.

How did his parents handle little hurts? This is a learned behavior, hopefully he can unlearn this.
I never gave my kids a lot of medications. My ex-husband was more like his mom who wanted to run to the doctor or ER or give out medications for every little thing.
Then there was the time my son got a small puncture wound while at his dad's for the weekend. Luckily it happened on Sunday afternoon and he came home that night. My ex claimed my son was 'being a baby' about it; I took one look at the wound and knew he had blood poisoning. I had to run him to the ER right away. My son was out of school for quite awhile and had to soak his hand in salt water 3 times a day + take an antibiotic.

You didn't say how frequently your husband is giving them medicine, but I can see where ibuprofen for a bug bite might be overkill (what it a swelling spider bite?, if yes, then he was right).

However, the other thing to ask is why are your children turning to him for such attention? Clearly a, "little bug bite" as you put it, probably isn't the reason they're turning to him. Instead, I'd question if they need more attention from him, and if his administering of medicine is his way of assuring that he is taking care of them. He needs to feel like he can help them and that they are safe in his care. Perhaps a little more one on one time with Dad, will reduce the number of "pains."

And maybe you could share with Dad your tricks for consoling the pain, when you don't think medicine is necessary. Do you give kisses for scraped knees, a special "boo boo buddy" ice pack for a bump on the head, a sore throat lollipop? Teach him how you do it.

In general, I think parents should be careful not to dismiss their children's complaints. But only you will know when they're needing attention, or if they're really needing medicine.

You don't say how often he is giving them medication. I have given my kids a Tums for a tummy ache...just one. I figure it may act as a placebo affect. I don't remember the last time I did this. So less than once a year for that. I will give my kids Children's Ibuprofen for growing pains if they are crying and cannot sleep...which my 6 year old was getting at night. She has not had any in a while...for a few months anyway. I think last year I had to do that about 3 times. My son (age 11) gets regular headaches and has allergies. He gets a Children's Zyrtec in pollen season and if he has a headache we have him drink a glass of water and lie down. If it's a VERY bad headache I give him Children's Ibuprofen. I suffer from headaches too and I know how bad it is. This is maybe once a month? At times less...depending on the pollen. My daughter had a cold last week and before we got on the airplane to get home I gave her Children's Sudafed to help with her congestion and to try to not have ear pain. That was my first time to give her a decongestant...it worked well. I noticed that different families do different things. My husband grew up in a family that gave out nothing. So he never will take a pain reliever even when he is in awful pain. I noticed his mom is the same way. They just suffer. I've seen him with a toothache and he has been sooo miserable. I've seen his mom with aches and a fever and I can tell she feels terrible. But nope...they refuse anything if someone offers. I figure taking an ibuprofen 6-8x a year is really no big deal. If someone was taking pain relievers daily it might have negative effects, but I don't understand why some people are super ANTI medicine (not what you are talking about, I know).