to think that if you are considering giving your children over th counter cough medicine to drug them on a flight...

[Greythorne]

...you should seriously think again?

Two friends both about to fly home (longish flights) had a detailed debate about which cough medicines to dose their children with in the departure lounge. Yes, they were apparently very serious.

Toplexil and Benadryl were both debated.

Their children range from 3-8.

AIBU in thinking this is very poor parenting?

I know loads of people who do this.

yanbu! the only reason children should be given mediicne before flying is 1) they get travel sick really bad 2) they are really nervous about flying/its too stressfull for them etc. 3) medicial reasons

I'm guessing these arent the reasons?

really?
I am so surprised. This does not seemright at all.

at 'aibu to think this is very poor parenting?'

They are dosing the kids so they will sleep.

and that is not a good thing for all concerned, with a long-haul flight to consider?

I can think of loads of situations where it would be great for all concerned if my children quietly went off to sleep. I can't think of one where I'd be prepared to drug them.

if it is over the counter and actually works I would take it myself. DD is one of that strange breed who love flying. I am not!

I know someone years ago who used medised before taking her toddler on a long haul flight.

Apparently it made him as high as a kite and he shrieked and screamed the whole flight.

redpanda
if you want to take it, I would say, feel free. You are an adult and there's any number of drugs you can take.
But for children?

Gosh, I rarely give DS medicine even when he is ill (unless upset or crying) so would never even consider this.

I never realised anyone else would consider it either..... quite surprised so YANBU.

On the other hand, I doubt they'd come to any serious harm from a spoon of (childrens) medicine. Still doesn't quite make it right. I am quite shocked.

Not sure really.. .I know lots of adults who take sleeping pills to get them through a long haul flight.

Cant really see the difference.. its not as if you are giving them anything illegal.

I never did this, despite lots of long haul flights with small children who didn't sleep much on planes, but have quite a few friends who did.

I really don't think it's a problem (or anybody else's business) if it's OTC stuff, safe for children, and it's an occasional thing for an exceptional reason like a long flight, rather than using it to send them to sleep every day. I can see the attraction of doing it if you have a slighly hyperactive child who won't be kept amused with videos, stickers etc for 12 hours.

But definitely a good idea to test it before the flight, as it is well known that some of those drugs can turn a certain proportion of children hyper and insomniac.

I can completely see the point. The child is not going to be distressed because of it, and is likely to snooze through much of the flight rather than getting stressed, bored and fed up.

In my experience (considerable I would say) drowsy children are more of a PITA than wide awake ones.

DS1 gets horribly horribly travel sick on planes (like projectile vomiting sick), so we have some pretty great medicine for him that means he doesn't feel ill at all, the problem is it knocks him out and he can't walk, he is now 7 and really very dense.

DS2 so far has not gotten sick, our flight tomorrow though is the first where he will be walking rather than going in the buggy so I hope to God he doesn't get travel sick or we will have to carry him, and he is a very dense child as well.

Having said that, I used to get some excellent stuff UTB (under the bar ) in my pre children days that meant I didn't actually experience most of the long haul flights I took before then, I used to take one on boarding and then just sleep through, can't imagine I would be very popular if I tried that now while DS2 rampaged about.

If I had to go on a long flight I would seriously consider it. I don't think it's bad parenting to not want my kids awake, screaming and wiggling for 24 hours or so. I do judge parents who give medicine regularly do get babies to sleep at home, but that is not the same thing. Have you been on a long flight with a child, op?

I don't see the problem. I read a website years ago written by a doctor who advised using it and gave doses for babies as young as 1! We only ever used it when the kids were ill, but know a number of people who used it for everything from teething to long car journeys... I take Benadryl at triple the regular dose to get myself to sleep sometimes and on flights so I can well understand people wanting to give young kids some. Only problem is - if you don't know how your kid reacts to it - it can cause hyperness. Which nobody wants on a flight.

I haven't done it - yet - but I still think you're being totally U.

It's cough medicine. For children.

How many long haul flights have you done with young children?

I gave it to my kids once on Christmas eve after the previous year's 4am start. Felt like the worst mother ever when they were zonked all next day and we had to drag them out of bed to open their pressies.

Test it beforehand to check their reaction.

I haven't done it either but I did take medised and gave it to a woman with a very distressed toddler and she was very grateful.

Like Slinking says, how many long haul flights have you done?

Some children get very distressed. There is they pressure to deal with and sometimes they find it very difficult to sleep. It is noisy and uncomfortable.

You don't have to give children cough medicine at any point in their lives. They can just cough and cough. People tend to give their children medicine to help them. I'm sure these friends of yours are not going to give medication to their children so they they can drink champagne and then join the mile high club.

It's a tricky one because the prospect of a long-haul (really long-haul, not medium-haul) flight is pretty daunting for most adults travelling by themselves who can self-medicate with G&Ts on the flight.

Doing it with unpredictable babies/toddlers/children takes it into another league altogether. We did London-Auckland a few months ago with a 2-YO and a 9 MO and didn't use anything, but I can totally see why people do.

We did spend extra money to get the Air NZ economy seats that lie flat, so that we could ensure they would sleep.

I cannot imagine doing that flight with two very young children in upright seats and not possibly resorting to something to ensure they sleep. Under-two year olds don't get their own seats. I mean, seriously, can you imagine flying with a child who isn't exactly a babe in arms on your lap for all that time, with perhaps another young child as well? Grim.

It's only cough medicine. It's designed for children.

That flight is minimum 25 hours, including stop-over, by the way. Often much longer, depending on the airline/stop-over.

What did you say it was called?

DS has some wonderful stuff pre op recently. Only about 20mls so when he opened his mouth to wail again I squirted it in. He was docile and compliant in less than 10 minutes. Marvellous stuff. I would like a supply for home

Yabu

Of course I bloody would!!!!! At some point anyway. My child is a nightmare, He wakes at four and doesnt drop off until 9:30.