Baby using bottle of paracetemol as a rattle?

[InCiderMind]

It was a tamper proof one, and in full sight of us but it made me uneasy, WIBU?

I visited a friend yesterday, we both have 12mo babies, its her 2nd and my 1st so I was wondering whether I was being a bit pfb/neurotic about it? She is a great mum and we were watching them but her DD was given a bottle of paracetemol to rattle, which she loved coz it had tiny writing on it to scrutinize and it rattled! It was opened but in a tamper proof bottle iyswim but it made me paranoid, so I took it off her! Obviously if it had opened I assume my friend would have pounced on it straight away, but I wouldnt take the risk . . .

No 'drama' between us as friends as we are both quite down to earth but in regards to the bottle of paracetemol, WIBU?

You can get them lyndie it was a little opaque white bottle, the cheap non brand type.

I hadn't even thought about the normalising medicine aspect. Good point.

Really lyndie - where did you hear that - I buy all my paracetamol in the little tubs ?

Re the OP - it's going to depend a bit. I guess it doesn't make sense to go and get some to give your child as a toy, but, it's a lovely 'rattle' in a size their little hands can hold, if you need to distract them when out somewhere without toys and have some in your bag. When they are that little, they are not going to know it's drugs nor be able to read it, nor be able to remember it later.

We had an empty one with the label peeled off and had popcorn kernels in it - DD used to love shaking it!

I'd have emptied the bottle and put pasta or something in it. I'd never have given the bottle with pills in it.

I'd have done the same as you. I come from a medical family and everyone is super strict about keeping all forms of tablets and medicines out of reach and out of sight of children. It's not just about keeping the actual tablets away from them, its about not normalising medicine as a 'toy'.

I wouldn't have worried about this at all, but since having super-human-strength-Houdini DD2, there is no way I'd do this.

I come from a medical family, like most medical families I know children like to play doctors or nurses and medicine is part of that game. DS has spent a lot of time in hospital and playing doctors and replicating what happens in hospital has helped him a lot.

All medicine is stored safely, DS knows that his medication isn't a toy and not to even try to touch it.

YANBU. I wouldn't encourage my children to see a bottle of medicine as a toy.

I used to fill up empty plastic bottles with pasta shapes as a rattle.

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest. As long as adults are there to supervise (and do actually watch, not just be in the room), then the baby can't come to any harm. I do understand the 'not letting children see medicines as toys' argument, but as they're always stored out of reach, they won't have any opportunity to 'play' with them unattended.

Not neurotic at all. The packet will clearly say keep out of the sight and reach of children. So that's what you should do!

Although it is unlikely the bottle will come open, it could happen if an adult didn't screw the lid on properly and engage the child proof lock. Which, actually might happen if you take a paracetamol in the night feeling like shit.

Added to that, using it as a toy sends the message that it is a safe and familiar and fun item. It isn't. It's a bottle of deadly poison and should be treated as such.

This reminds me of that scene in friends with Ross, Rachel and baby Emma. "Did you have fun at grandma greens? Did she give you a bottle of anti depressants TO USE AS A RATTLE AGAIN!" "Ross calm down. They were only 5mgs." :o

MsVestibule - the 'not letting children see medicines as toys' is because even if you as a parent keeps medicine locked away, not all parents do.

I have seen a child empty his mother's handbag - and guess what was in the handbag - paracetamol.

A friend of mine keeps medicine in her bedside cabinet, easily accessible to children.

Many toddlers are brilliant climbers and can get to the medicine cabinet. Particulary if they think there is something fun in there to play with.

If someone is ill, medicine may accidently be left out briefly before it is locked away again (looking at dh...)

Some medicine eg. inhalers need to be kept easily accessible at all times.

It is important not just to keep medicine safely locked away, but also to teach children to have a respect for medicine, so they know themselves not to play with it. Giving a child a bottle of paracetamol to play with, is contrary to this message.

I too have seen children in hospital with long term damage following accidental ingestion of medicine.

YANBU

'Childproof' seals are not always childproof.

When DD was about one, she was sitting on the floor whilst I unpacked the shopping. She managed to remove a bottle of bleach, open it, and pour some on the floor and on her trousers before I realised what she was doing. No harm done (except the ruined trousers) but it could have been a whole lot worse.