anyone else horrified by the journalist who sedates her kids on long journeys?

[Tanya86]

i was really shocked by this. I have done many a long train journey when my son was a baby and toddler. He would cry and be noisy and want to run up and down the carriage. It would still never enter my head to sedate him and believe me the journeys were very stressful! I would be terrified and be watching every breath he took and probably end up more stressed as a result.

Many people seem to sedate their kids but it's certainly not for me!

The word sedate, implies serious drugs, and seems to be causing the furore. It's antihistamines.

My daughter was having trouble getting to sleep last year, her dad had said some stupid things and she was scared to try and sleep. We hadn't slept in days because she was terrified.

My doctor prescribed piriton because it makes SOME kids drowsy. Not all.

She had one small dose, fell asleep, and after that she was fine. The rest of the bottle is in the cupboard, untouched.

So yeah, I drugged my kid.

The person who wrote that article was talking about epic 28hr flights, not a trip down the road. And if a child is distressed, I don't see the harm.

However, I guess it's then a slippy slope to drugging them whenever you need a break. That's not ok.

Linky?
I think I tried it once and the kids just went manic on the aeroplane anyway. So kind of not encouraged to try again.

No. Not horrified at all. Lots of medications have a sedative effect.

I have given my son anti-histimine drops. In fact, I gave my son an extra drop for good luck.

Shoot me.

Being prescribed it from a doctor is one thing but i find it wrong to make your child sleep just so you have an easier journey. If as a mother you decide to take small children on a 28 hour flight (madness in my view) then you make sure you have plenty to amuse the kids.

You are right in what you say about it being a slippy slope. I had no idea piriton could have such an effect on kids and now it's made common knowledge, you may well get parents dosing their kids just to shut them up at night.

Each to their own as parenting doesn't come with a hand book. Interesting topic.

Not horrified at all.

I had Promethazine for sickness in my last pregnancy and I am sure it actually said that this is one of the things it was prescribed for.

It's an anti-emetic! Less harmful than a dose of Calpol.

Piriton or similar would work well too.

"Horrified"- no.

Welcome to MN, Tanya :)

I would say that a large number of parents have sedated their children with Piriton/Medised/Phenergen for long journeys.

I am not shocked either. The first time my Mum did a long-haul flight with two small children, she did the same. We were all emtional, tired and unsettled and it was the first time she travelled alone on a plane with her children. Nothing serious, just something mild to make us sleep. I would contemplate it as well in certain situations.

Thanks SoupDragon :)

What coconutty said.

Shona Sibary. Always got something to say about nothing.

Re 'drugging' your children, its probably antihistimine.

Phenergan used to be the drug of choice for that sort of thing. its an antihistimine and not harmful.

You used to be able to buy it in syrup form that could be given to children, my Mum tried to buy some in boots a few years back when she had my Son staying with her, he is allergic to her cats and got itchy welts on his back. She was unsuccessful! she said the chemist asked her lots of questions and refused to sell it to her.

Just because it's antihistamine, doesn't make it right!

lljkk, yeah when i gaVE it to my son I didn't know if it would make him giddy or drowsy. It can go either way!

Tanya86, exactly, parenting doesn't come with one handbook, there are hundreds, and it is your own benchmark there to deem it ok, different, 'acceptable' if the drugs are prescribed by a doctor. In fact though, that's a meaningless benchmark because a doctor will prescribe them if you ask.

Now that my children are old enough to sit down on a long train journey I would have little patience for parents who are determined not to 'drug' their children even though their children are 'running up and down the carriage and making lots of noise'. Argh, drug them, please!

I sedate myself, if possible. Having tried loads of things, the best travel tactic I have is to drink champagne so that I can actually doze off, even if it's only 20-30 minutes. It makes a huge difference to helping me get over jet lag quicker at other end if I can do that. I don't sleep on planes otherwise.

So even a small sleep for small children travelling far, I expect has same benefits. Did the journo say her DC slept the whole 28 hrs?

This journalist wrote that she would be happy for strangers to smack her kids the other day. Also that she punches above her weight wrt to her husband. Also that she doesn't like sex.

She's just a fiction writer, coming up with new plots all the time.

It used to be part of my journey plan to dole out the piriton to the dc. For the benefit of them as much as myself and other travellers. Moons ago my sisters nurse friend used to pinch pre-med from the hospital and consume before take-off. Now, thats 'drugging up'.

I am not shocked either. The first time my Mum did a long-haul flight with two small children, she did the same. We were all emtional, tired and unsettled and it was the first time she travelled alone on a plane with her children. Nothing serious, just something mild to make us sleep. I would contemplate it as well in certain situations.

ah, and she's trawling through old threads on mumsnet for inspo

i've been told on an old thread here that it was child abuse to sedate your child. Taht sort of over reaction and lack of any discretion at all makes me laugh though. Never heard of her though. (luckily??)

I like your champagne idea lljkk. i'd give the toddler a bucks fizz though. cos i'm not irresponsible

well Sanctimumious lets hope you never come across me on a train because i won't sedate my children for anyone. Anti histimine or not. Kinda hypocritical that now your kids are old enough to sit on the train you can't be bothered with other peoples. That's the joys of public transport i'm afraid.

I sedate myself on long journeys (pre DD). When I flew to NZ I took a sleeping tablet on the second 12 hour flight.

If it's good enough for me...

Was she the one on This Morning earlier. they were having a ding dong about it.

yeah sparklingbrook that's the one

What's hypocrital about not bothering with other people's children now my own are older????????

Am I obliged to put up with your children? I sedated my children on long journeys, and now you want me to ... what, precisely? What on earth have I done or said that is hypocritical? Do you know what that word means?

Well it sounds as if the other people in the carriage probably did need sedating.

If you chose to travel on public transport then yes you are very much obliged to put up with my children.

Ah so you sedated yours to keep them quiet. Nice

If you chose to travel on a bus, train or aeroplane then you have to expect certain things. Noisy children are one of those things.