Question for Moms Who Must Carry Medications (Like Benadryl or Epi-pen).

My mom had to do this and she found some sort of "lockable" cosmetics case she kept that stuff in. It was hard plastic and hard to get into.

Why do you allow your son to get into your purse? My daughter's children have known from an early age that Mama's purse is off limits. So is eating something that they find "laying around." They are to ask permission before eating anything not identified as a snack. Seems to me that at 3 he can be taught to stay out of your purse and that eating/drinking unknown substances is also off limits.

It's a lesson that has to be repeated but well worth doing for your own peace of mind and their safety.

Hi Mama! Please don't take this the wrong way, but he is old enough to obey your directive to stay out of the bag. My daughter has had Type 1 Diabetes since age 19 months and so since then (my daughter is four now) I have had a bag with syringes, insulin, emergency glucose shot, etc. and my daughter knew, even at age 1, not to go in the bag.

I am all for kids exploring and being curious, but this can be off limits until he understands that Benadryl isn't a treat that he can help himself to.

Good luck!

He is at the age where reasoning and explaining things can actually work. Explain how important it is not to play with his medicine, even if he likes it. Tell him how one day he will be old enough to do it himself. This is definitely a situation I would include the pediatrician, my daughter never challenges what the doctor tells her. Also, Benadryl sells individual servings so you don't have to carry the bottle and they may look different enough not to tempt your son. Good luck.

I carry my meds in a special makeup bag that is hard to get into--- I also keep it in a special zippered part of my purse. GL

M

You need to start immediately with educating him about the allergies, what they are, not to accept food from people and that he is not permitted in your purse. My daughter has an off the charts peanut allergy and is also allergic to milk, fish and eggs. We have known this since she was 14mos and accidentally ingested a peanut tainted product at daycare. Since she could talk, she could list her allergies for people. We have a book also that explains appropriately for her age and her younger brothers, what the medicines do - there are many out there available. My daughter wears a heart shaped medical alert necklace too. I keep a twinpack of epis and benadryl at my daughter's 4 yo preK, one in the house in the medicine cabinet and one moves back and forth between the diaper bag of our 5 mo and my purse. There is a trainer- tell your son it is a shot only adults like mOmmies, daddies, teachers etc would use if he had a very bad reaction. After the word shot, would he really touch it? If si, good luck-- you are gonna have your hands full! Even with a peanut allergy, my daughter trick or treats for the FUN of it, knowing all the time we will give her candy away! I order nestle candy from Canada that is made in a peanut free facility or give her German Haribo candy which is also peanut free. When we go to birthday parties I bring separate things for her- war cake I have frozen or sorbet. You need to get to work now normalizing things and making everything commonplace or PreK or school will be horribly stressful! Good luck!

I have to carry diastat for my son who is epileptic - it comes in a pen from, similar to an epipen. I have it in a zipped black case, inside my purse. I have a 3 year old daughter, so I have to be careful, and what I have done is taken the tag off the zipper, so now you have to wiggle your finger inside and wiggle it open, it is much harder to get into that zipper now.

I'd teach that mom's purse is a no no. I cannot remember one incidence of my kids going thru my purse without me actually telling them to grab me something. Keep it where it's not reachable. He is 3, old enough to explain the dangers of both of those items to him. If he's still not trustworthy just guard your bag with your life till he's old enough to understand.
There may be some little safe containers for such items, maybe the pharmacist would know?

When my kids were old enough, I started carrying the chewable Benadryl tablets in my purse instead of the liquid. Benadryl doesn't make the tablets anymore but Target has a generic version in their "up and up" brand. The tablets are packaged individually in those little foil and plastic bubbles and are difficult to remove. I carry tiny folding scissors in my purse as I haven't had any luck peeling the foil back without them. As for the epi pen, check the FAAN network if you haven't found them already. They used to have epi pen cases. My daughter used to have a hard plastic one that slipped onto her belt. Having a case to open might give you a little more time to catch your son trying to get into it before he succeeds in getting the top off.

Wonder if Benadryl comes in the melt away form? Might be less attractive than a liquid and you could probably hide it inside something in your purse where your child would not think to look--maybe even a credit card slot. If you could find a small bag with two zippers, put the med and pen in the bag and then in your purse and lock the zippers together with a small combination luggage lock. Epi pens often come in bags --I think one we had at one time had two zippers on it.

My kids knew from the time they were babies that the purse was off limits.
They were also able to discern the difference between my keys and Daddy's. He would give them his and consequently lose them. THey still do not touch my purse or keys. Neither does he. :o)
He needs to be educated about food allergies. He is old enough. Does he like shots? Tell him he will get a shot if he eats the wrong thing.