For giving my dc Calpol?

[GoodEyebrowDay]

My dh never gives our dc Calpol and when I do it's always met with 'why are you doing that?' in a low tone and later on mini lectures on it's bad sides. I only ever give Calpol when necessary (today I know for definite its teeth, eyes red & bloodshot, full of snots and cough) and it's no more than a few days a month I'd say and always lower than recommended dosage (she's 1 & still only give 2.5ml)

For background he was brought up in a homeopathic household and while I respect what they prefer, I'm not going to sit and listen to my child crying and moaning in discomfort.

Or am I just projecting & reading into it too much?

Needing it a few days a month does sound excessive.

Calpol and other things are great but I do think some people are very quick to reach for them.

I got a total bollocking off a midwife when I was pregnant because I had a terrible headache and i only took one paracetamol. She said there was absolutely no point in taking half a dose. The same will apply to your dc. IMO leaving a child to suffer when there are effective remedies available is cruel. Yanbu. Tell your DH to give his head a wobble.

I wouldn't give it a few times a month, that seems a lot of the time.
Paracetamol won't do anything for snot or colds or red eyes either. I wouldn't take myself for a snotty nose so wouldn't for children
Better off taking her into bathroom with shower turned on so room is steamy , this will help clear phlegm. Plenty of rest

If she's teething needing Calpol for 3 days out of 30 wouldn't be unexpected.

I dont know why I wrote that, its more just as it's needed (with teeth) so feels like that but when I'm sitting here thinking about it it's more just once on a nighttime if she's struggling to sleep because of pain. ATM because this particularly bad bout of what seems like everything that she could possibly get, she's had 3 half doses in the last 18 hours

Homeopathy is bollocks but paracetamol isn't always appropriate either.

I would give it in the case you describe as a painkiller but some parents seem to give it for every little thing. A few days per month seems quite a lot to me, my dc are teens now and went months, sometimes years between doses now and as younger children. If your child is in pain that often though then it is fair enough that you give it that often, mine may have been unusual.

It shouldn't be given to reduce a fever unless the child is in pain too as fever is part of the body's immune system so reducing it actually prevents the body fighting (studies of very sick children show fever improves survival).

If I have a cold or a bug paracetamol helps me feel much better.

There's definitely teeth pain on top of this cold hence the Calpol, the canines are just about to break through and she's getting distressed when eating/brushing teeth. Have had her to the doctors already who said to wait it out

Dh & family are also administering homeopathic remedies and claiming when she perks it's because of that. I think when it seems to help it's just timing.

I don't give my DC painkillers everytime they seem poorly or teething, I gave them painkillers if they were in discomfort and I thought it meant pain. I also think a few days a month sounds excessive, but I appreciate that she's not written out everything and it could well be a few times this month, but nothing for 3 months etc.

YES I agree re fever. A small fever is bodies natural way of fighting illness, if you always get rid of it the body won't be able to fight anything off themselves. Our doctor has always said only Medicate for fever over 38 degrees if they have had at least an hour. Anything under leave

For teething I would always use the teething gels/powders before considering calpol. 9 times out of 10 that was enough.

Paracetamol is brilliant for colds. It's an active ingredient in most cold and flu remedies. A doctor once told me to take it when I had tonsillitis and felt dreadful, and it made a huge difference.

Yabu unreasonable for not giving the proper dose.

There is no evidence at all that homeopath works. It is based on the idea of giving a minuscule amount of a chemical that induces the same symptoms that the ill person already has. There is no way that it is going to work.

Out of cursority why does he think calpol is bad for the children?

I worked in a nursery in a hospital. The doctor's gave their children gallons of calpol!

"Lots of people get headaches when they have colds allpowerful and paracetamol does help help to alleviate that."

Yes, I know that. And as I said, it is a very good painkiller.

It is not, as I said, a snot reliever. And a parent who wants to alleviate their DC's symptoms will consider using the appropriate remedy for every symptom, and not just reach for one bottle of painkiller.

That is why I think both parents here need to look at changing the way they use OTC and home remedies on with their DC as there is scope to improve, and therefore meet the aim of the relief of all forms of discomfort to the child rather quicker than the current situation.

Homeopathy is utter tripe. The only benefit is in the placebo effect. Unfortunately with children and animals the placebo effect is on the parents/owners so they perceive that the patient 'perks up' rather than the patient getting any benefit.

Please give your DD the proper dose.

We're big into homeopathy in this house but DD still gets calpol when she's ill/teething

Ibuprofen is suppose to be better for teething and if like one is really struggling they can have calpol and ibuprofen.

Some men are weird about medication. My XH would never take painkillers if he had a headache, but expected us to tiptoe around him all day . Another time when I got antibiotics for a chest infection, he treated me like I'd asked the doctor for crack cocaine. I think this attitude came from his having had a traumatic emergency hospital admission as a child, so your husband's attitude will be affected by his homeopathic upbringing.

You sound like a lovely, caring mum who wants to do what is best for your DD. Just give her the full dose.

Yabu because calpol is useless for teething. Neurofen is the dog's bollocks.

Re fever artandco. I thought it had to be over 38 to be a fever anyway?
My oldest child used to get a fever of anything between 40 &42 whenever he was ill when he was under 5 and would have febrile convulsions if we didn't get his fever down. We were advised to give calpol and strip him down whenever he had a fever. We were never advised to leave him to let the body self manage the fever.

"The doctor's gave their children gallons of calpol!"

a) giving it for pain is totally appropriate
b) doctors know how to calculate a safe (body weight) dose, so can safely go beyond the label
c) they do this to be sure that the pain relief medicine actually does relieve the pain, rather than being too small a dose which doesn't really touch it.

If you have not been trained, do not do that at at home. But neither should you err the other way and give lower doses than the recommendation for effective dose.

Homeopathy is complete bollocks. There's no problem using calpol as and when appropriate. I'm very glad your husband has a sensible wife to counteract the woo.

Neurofen is the dog's bollocks

But don't use it if your child is asthmatic without medical advice.

A few days per month of calpol is excessive? Really? Fuck me, between colds, ear infections and teething, my one year old is on calpol every other day.