School made my DD (age 5) self-administer her medicine!!!

[candleshoe]

So cross with school - my daughter has an allergic reaction at the moment and needed half a spoonful of piriton at 11 am.

I was told that school definitely couldn't do that but she could self-adminster her medicine with a syringe/plunger thingy!!!

She is only 5 for heaven's sake!

Health and safety gone mad!

When I was teaching full time I had a child with cystic fibrosis in the class who had to take 9 different drugs every day. I adminstered them all!!!

AIBU or are school right to be so utterly teriffied us one of us taking them to court?????

What does 'in loco parentis' mean to these women? Anything?

It is utterly ridiculous and I don't believe they are being sued. Huge difference between the DS state cofe and prep school from 8. State = meds can be given at 11 and only 11. Really helpful for antibiotics (and no not due to acute infection but potential chronic underlying condition and being given as a precaution prior to specialised testing). Ventolin, only available via office at state, at prep child could carry. Prep had communal bottle of calpol (entirely sensible). At state individual bottles had to be sent in and labelled. It's absurd, beggars belief and wholly impractical. If I didn't trust a member of staff to administer a medicine I wouldn't send my child to the school. Petty, absurd, jobsworthness.

My DD1 went through a phase of headaches so I gave her a paracetamol to keep with her just in case. School confiscated it and told me that any medication could only be administered by a parent. (Except kids with asthma who are trusted to use their own inhalers).

I got DD to keep the paracetamol in her pocket, and she would excuse herself from class and take it in the toilet if she needed to.

There is a kid in the school who has "something" wrong and his mum has to turn up every playtime and dinner time to medicate him.

Seems really silly to me and YANBU

Thank you onceamai!

I am trusting these people with my precious children all day every day and yet apparently they aren't intelligent/confident enough to pour a child a teaspoon of medicine - just plain silly!

Just draw up the amount of piriton in the syringe, put syringe in a zip lock bag then she has no chance of taking too much.

We've been told that we are not allowed to leave our classrooms unattended for any reason. Use our TAs to cover. My TA, however, is out running intervention strategies most of the time so that option is unavailable.

Office staff have been told that any medication has to be administered by the class teacher, not them.

All medication has to be kept in either in the medical room or the staffroom fridge, not the classroom.

So, if a parent sends in a note saying little Johnny needs his meds at 11.45am on the dot, what the hell am I supposed to do?

The rules need to change don't they? Silly guidelines for teachers - and unworkable for families too!

yanbu - my ds (age 5) needed some calpol. (He had slipped at home running around like a lunatic and had absolutely crunched his jaw and teeth but was well enought to be in school the next day but it still hurt). I just had to sign a permission form stating what medicine he had already had that day, how much i wanted him to have and when (approx.).

I don't know who was going to administer it - in fact he didn't need it, but it meant he could be in school, I could work and we were all happy.

My 5 year old has SN with LD, including ataxic tremor in her arms, weak fingers and hand muscles, and goes to a Special School. She can still hold a syringe to her mouth and press the plunger. Why can't your NT 5 year old?

All you have to do is measure the quantity into a syringe, clingwrap it, and put it in a bag. Then she can take it out, put it in her mouth and press the plunger with adult supervision. She won't be taking more than one does per day at school, surely?

It isn't because teachers are not intelligent enough. You are being silly now.

I am a teacher - and my point was that they are intelligent and capable of handling this!

The syringe preloaded is the way to go. I don't understand why that isn't an option for you.

"original container and has the prescription label"

Surely if meds are in a syringe with DD name on all this info would be missing!

I can still give medicine to children in my class as long as parents have signed a consent form- I then sign to say what time I gave the medicine and the dose given. This can be prescribed medicine or calpol etc

My DD is at a private school where they can hug th kids and even wipe bums but they won't do medicine.

It's not a bother for me but I feel for those who suffer because of it.

I teach in a state school and not only are we allowed to give medicine but we hug the children and let them run in the playground! Your school sounds insane. However, my 3.9 yr old DD has been having her allergy medicine from a syringe on her own for months now. She could probably even make a good attempt at filling it from the bottle if it was full enough. Your DD should definitely be able to take medicine from a syringe on her own.

You need to write (and get the PTA on board too) to the governors about the ridiculous policies in the school.

Pixie: I agree; children with acute illnesses shouldn't be in school. But when DS2 broke his arm, the advice from the doctor was along the lines of "Of course he should still be in school; just give him some Calpol if it's still a bit achy".

also, could you explain why antihistamines and school attendance are a bad thing? DS2 is also developing hay fever, and although we're not yet at that point, I don't think missing several weeks annually (in the run up to the main exam season) is going to be helpful.

Our school - admin staff will medicate when Medical book has been filled in and signed by parent.
No problem at all.

However, wouldn't recommend giving children their own medicine (paracetamol etc) to keep themselves, as if they lose it (or it's nicked) it could cause a problem if another child picks it up.
Exception being inhalers etc. But they're mostly kept by admin staff too, it's just that the child is free to go and get it when necessary.

Individual policies are down to individual schools.

"However, wouldn't recommend giving children their own medicine (paracetamol etc) to keep themselves, as if they lose it (or it's nicked) it could cause a problem if another child picks it up."

Simple, the child gives the medicine to the teacher to look after until it is time to take it.