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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect houseguests to keep meds away from DC?

40 replies

snowshoes · 07/10/2012 06:47

We have the same problem every time a family member visits. We show him a safe place to keep his meds (still in his room) and then he lines them all up on the bedside table anyway. Biggest worry is a giant bottle of sleeping tablets.

We have several little ones and they are in and out of that room all day, not least because it's also where we house bags, shoes, coats etc... DH and I keep moving the bottles up, and he keeps moving them back down. WWYD?

OP posts:
megandraper · 07/10/2012 06:52

That is selfish of him, I think. It's not a big request to keep things on a high shelf. If it were me, I would consider confiscating any tablets left low down, and looking blank when he asks for them. 'Oh no! How dreadful. Were they not in the safe place we showed you?'

megandraper · 07/10/2012 06:53

Oh - and then you all go out 'Because we've got to take the kids to A&E in case they've swallowed any of the missing tablets.' Go out, have a nice day, leave the relative behind.

RillaBlythe · 07/10/2012 06:53

Is he old?

Cherrypieplum · 07/10/2012 07:00

Take out bedside cabinet!

ZombTEE · 07/10/2012 07:04

Keep moving them. Every time you think of it, go into his room and move them.

Or take the away completely and put them where ever your safe place is for your meds and explain he can have what he needs when he needs them.

If he's going to act like a child and not listen, treat him like a child.

sookiesookie · 07/10/2012 07:10

Who is the relative?
Is he old, in ill health? Perhaps dementia?

naturalbaby · 07/10/2012 07:13

I would take them away and 'prescribe' when asked.

Original poster
snowshoes · 07/10/2012 07:14

Of sound mind.

OP posts:
sashh · 07/10/2012 07:16

What are the meds for? I HAVE to have some of mine next to the bed because I can't get out of bed without them. But if I was visiting you then I would be putting them in the safe place as soon as I could in the morning.

Also I wouldn't have the whole bottle out, I have one of those cases you put a weeks pills in, they split into little cases for a day - I would have that at the side of my bed.

If there is no reason at all I'd take them off the relative and dole them out as needed.

shinyblackgrape · 07/10/2012 07:16

Is it possible to move the shoes and bags etc? I think if you've asked him to move them then he should. However, I do tend to move anything I need out of guests' rooms before they arrive.

BlueSkySinking · 07/10/2012 07:16

Hide them! When asked for them explain that you have had to remove them from the room as he keeps leaving them in a dangerous reachable location for the kids. Ask if he would like you to look after the med during his stay or if he can be trusted to keep them out of reach? Also explain that the kids safety is the most important thing in the house and ask why he keeps putting the meds within reach.

BlueSkySinking · 07/10/2012 07:18

Challenge him for sure - 'we are keeping the meds high out of reach because the kids safety is the most important thing. We want you to do that too because we don't want ta trip to A&A for a stomach pumping session'

AitchDee · 07/10/2012 07:26

Store coats and shoes elsewhere for the duration of the visit. Teach your children that when someone is staying, their room is private and they are not to go in there.

bbface · 07/10/2012 07:37

Aitch dee, totally understand importance of watching children about privacy, but really... This is a lesson where the consequences of the lesson failing are potentially fatal. You don't say to children, you do not play with knives, and then leave a carving knife out.

Depends how old the children are of course, but presuming op wold not have posted if they were not young.

Realistically, the chances of something bad happen are very low. Medicines now are so blimmin difficult to get into!

TheProvincialLady · 07/10/2012 07:49

Tell him, either the medicine stays out of reach of your children or he goes home. He is behaving extremely selfishly and disrespectfully.

NellyBluth · 07/10/2012 07:50

I was going to say you might be a little unreasonable - there are some things you just don't think properly about until you have kids and it might not have crossed your guest's mind but... you've told him. So YANBU. I've move them every day until they get the hint.

echt · 07/10/2012 07:53

How old are the children? Not getting how a guest's room is open for access. I don't keep things in a guest's room if I need them regularly, such things would stay in my room and the children could run in and out of there.

At the same time, if, as seems to be implied by this post, the visitor is regular, then why can't an open conversation be had?

Original poster
snowshoes · 07/10/2012 08:00

The guest's room is not The Guest's Room. It's part of our small house, and we have a lot of people living here, most of whom are very young. We have a bed and a dresser for guests to use if they choose to stay here; the rest of the room needs to be accessible as it not only serves as storage but all of DH's stuff is in there, too.

OP posts:
Goldenjubilee10 · 07/10/2012 08:15

I would explain to him that unfortunately, you are not able to have him as a house guest anymore and if he wants to visit he will have to stay in a hotel. This is just too serious. In most cases where children are poisoned by other people's medication it belongs to grandparents.

I nursed a little boy who took his grannies tablets. He is now in long term care as his needs are so great he can't be cared for at home. My friends ds took his grannies pills (on the bedside cabinet when she was visiting) and ended up in hospital. Fortunately he was ok. It is just too big a risk to take.

Theas18 · 07/10/2012 08:28

Lockable box? Would be the safest and probably easiest option.

Also watch hearing aid batteries.

My dad is v old,demented,deaf and has poor vision. I didn't know, but you have to open a hearing aid at night to save the battery. He often drops them and either can't find it, our forgets it was dropped... We find them with the Hoover some time later.

Not a problem when your youngest is 13. But a small child could easily swallow one and that would be as bad as many tablets

Arithmeticulous · 07/10/2012 08:58

Put the meds in a lockable box (loads on ebay/Amazon)

Is there anything else he does that stinks of "I know better than you" ?

HecateLarpo · 07/10/2012 09:24

Get a lockable medicine cabinet and keep them in there? Always a good idea to have a lockable medicine cabinet in a house with small children anyway, and if they're in there, he can take out his pills as needed and keep the bottles safe.

WMittens · 07/10/2012 09:31

Keep moving the bottles, keep reminding him. The prescription labels should remind him anyway, tell him to read them.

Is there are prescription or non-prescription drug that doesn't say, "Keep out of reach of children"???

chibi · 07/10/2012 09:35

my Mil used to do this - when my two were babies/toddlers, she would leave her meds (codeine etc) on the bookcase next to the couch, at toddler height, in blister packs Shock

i asked her once nicely to please keep them somewhere out of reach, she got really angry and put them in her handbag. On the floor Shock

chibi · 07/10/2012 09:37

she was one of those who knew best and couldn't be told, so i just had to watch the kids like a hawk when she came to stay