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AIBU?

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:

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BitOutOfPractice · 07/10/2012 09:44

My exMiL did this once. She was staying with us while her heating was done. She was in the spare room which then 1yo dd1 used as a playroom too. I followed her in there (about 30 seconds behind her) and found her shaking a bottle of pink tablets like a rattle and with pink colouring round her mouth. Bottle had no label

Dd1 ended up at a&e very close to having her stomach pumped until we managed to get hold of bat shit crazy mil who was able to tell us how many of the bright pink smarty looking tablets has been left out on the bedside table and what the actual fuck they were.

No harm done in this case but I'll never forget our panic

Mil's reaction. Cross that we were cross with her and adamant that dd should know better than to touch stuff. Did I mention that she was about 18 months old?

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differentnameforthis · 07/10/2012 10:28

Buy a lock box

Keep kids out of that room & store bags etc elsewhere until guest leaves. He can't be happy about having his privacy disturbed constantly.

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differentnameforthis · 07/10/2012 10:34

In that case, I would give the guest the privacy of my room & I would stay in the high traffic area. Stands to reason that a guest should be afforded some privacy & that your children should learn to respect that!

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Goldmandra · 07/10/2012 10:43

My children are not allowed to play in my bedroom. I would still never leave meds out on the bedside table. It only takes a moment for them to slip away from you and get them regardless of rules or whose privacy they may be invading.

Take the meds and with a cheery smile tell him you're putting them somewhere high up so the DCs can't reach them. Just say you can't possibly allow them to be left within reach for even a moment any more so if he wants them he needs to get them from XXXX place and put them back immediately. Add that if he insists on leaving them where the DCs can reach them you will have to ask him to leave.

It is not worth taking this very real risk of serious harm to your DCs.

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Birdsgottafly · 07/10/2012 10:45

Since when would a guest who is a family member find it to much hassle to put meds out of reach, if it keeps a child safe,to the point that they have to have the host's bed to sleep in?

I bet they manage to keep their credit cards/car keys and money safe and out of the reach of the children.

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snowshoes · 07/10/2012 10:47

Swapping rooms is not an option. All the proper bedrooms are clustered together and we have lots of young DC who are up and down all night feeding, toilet-training etc... The guest bed is more private for sleeping. But it is our only storage space in the whole house (we don't have a single closet!) and if someone needs a lock on their door, they need to stay in a hotel, frankly. We are trying to be accommodating but I don't want to put my children at risk because of it.

OP posts:

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purplehouse · 07/10/2012 10:50

Don't let him stay anymore. You've asked him, you've explained the problem and he has ignored you repeatedly. I wouldn't tolerate that.

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halloweeneyqueeney · 07/10/2012 10:58

YANBU our visitors are always given a box on a high shelf for their meds, I would confiscate any left at child level and move them to the shelf and if they were returned to child level the guest would have to leave - its not worth it!

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Eggrules · 07/10/2012 11:01

All our bedrooms are in use. If guests stay we take out what we need from the room and the room is theirs for the duration so I think you are a little BU. Is there a problem with the guest?

If the medicine is in bottles, I would not be concerned. However, your house, your rules. I would be upset if a guest did something they knew annoyed me (rational or not). When arranging the next visit, I would say again that you expect medication to be kept in x location. If it isn't I would not allow them to stay again and say why.

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aMashedUpPhraseWithGravy · 07/10/2012 11:05

Someone who can't be bothered to move their meds up high will likely not bother to use a lockbox. I agree that the safest solution is to not have him to stay anymore. Is this realistic op or is there some reason why he has to stay with you?

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McHappyPants2012 · 07/10/2012 11:06

He wouldn't be able to stay imo.

If he can not follow a simple rule to keep the children safe then i wouldn't have him staying.

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nightowlmostly · 07/10/2012 11:08

My house has a spare room that guests can sleep in, and I know it's not ideal for them, but we use it as 'my' room when nobody's here, which is most of the time. It has all my clothes in it, and I'm not going to move everything out just because my parents are staying! It's nice for those of you who have the luxury of a dedicated guest room, but for most people it's not the case.

As for the OP, I agree with the majority of PPs in that you are well within your rights to insist he keeps the meds out of reach, or don't invite him to stay again.

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YellowDinosaur · 07/10/2012 11:12

I would still be concerned if the medication is in bottles. Ds1 managed to open a childproof bottle aged about 18 months - its not that difficult.

As others have said - frank chat about it not being open for discussion. Either he keeps the meds out of reach or leaves.

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YellowDinosaur · 07/10/2012 11:17

We are lucky enough to have a guest room y this isn't an issue for us.

But some of you who are suggesting that the op should seriously inconvenience herself or change the layout of her house for an occasional guest are mad. Especially an occasional guest who can't be arsed to put himself out one little bit for her childrens safety.

I fully agree that you should do your best to make guests comfortable. But they should accept it is not a hotel, it is a busy family home, and if they want facilities like a hotel they should stay in one instead.

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YellowDinosaur · 07/10/2012 11:19

Your house should be set up to meet the needs of the people who live there all of the time and not for guests. Especially if there is limited space. If that inconveniences guests they chose not to stay.