# Fox News advocating drugging children to keep them calm



## minkajane (Jun 5, 2005)

I am SO upset right now! I just watched a segment on Fox News discussing different ways to keep your kids calm during the holidays and travelling. They had a display of four or five different drugs like Benadryl and a box of chamomile tea. They were discussing just how sleepy the drug will make your child. This is absolutely horrific! It is NEVER appropriate to drug a child just to keep them from getting hyper during the holidays. I wouldn't mind if someone gave their kid a cup of chamomile tea to calm them down, but pumping them full of Benadryl is a totally different thing! I can't find it on their website right now, but I will post a link when I do.


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## Sharlla (Jul 14, 2005)

There was a huge discussion about this not too long ago http://www.mothering.com/discussions...light=Benadryl I do know that some of my NFL/AP friends will do this for long trips.


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## oliversmum2000 (Oct 10, 2003)

i have used phenergan twice when on long haul flights







: i didnt regret it for a moment however when all the other poor little ones were sobbing and miserable and mine were sound asleep.

i have only used it those 2 times.


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## augustmom (Sep 28, 2004)

Solution: Don't watch Fox News.

B


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## Ilaria (Jan 14, 2002)

I have never drugged my kids and we travel all the time, LOOONG trips...I'm talking 25-30 hours trips from Asia to Europe or the US and back. I often travel alone with the kids too...I think it's an easy way out, personally.


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## MiBabyChris03 (Apr 23, 2005)

I'm planning on taking my first trip with the kids by myself and the thought of drugging didn't cross my mind, the only help I could think of is slings the kids like. I can't imagine using medicine to keep your children under control instead of being a parent. I hate Fox new sometimes. (Sorry if I've stepped on any toes with my 2 cents.)







:


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## Kajira (May 23, 2006)

You know the funny thing? this often back fires, and they become HYPER instead of sleeping, I've seen this happen so many times on planes it's crazy, so I really dislike that piece of advice.


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## Electra375 (Oct 2, 2002)

Oh, that is horrible.
I've done trips to Korea (16 plus hours of flight) and Europe (7 hours + of flights) with my kids and have not drugged them. We used a lap top and DVDs!!! Paper, crayons, new books and not once did I ever think I should drug them. I was alone doing this too! Actually they fell asleep as we were landing and then I literally almost could not wake them up to get them off the plane and I certainly could not carry them -- that was the hardest part.
I would write FOX News and tell them what you think. I didn't see it, so I can not comment.
If the typical American family would stop feeding their children 'junk' from the grocery store, they probably wouldn't feel the need to "drug" their children during the holidays! All the processed food, refined white flours and white sugars... It makes me sick to think about what it does to a child's behavior, not to mention health. How many isles of garbage are there these days in a typical large grocery store? (Just my little pet peeve... moving on now....)


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## GooeyRN (Apr 24, 2006)

I used to work in a childrens psychiatric facility as an RN. Benedryl was often given to children out of control. (not normal hyperish/bouncy/kid behavior, I mean self mutilation/harming others) On some it really calmed them down, some it really knocked them out, and then there were the others.... It had the opposite effect. They got even worse.

I really don't think something like that should be put on tv. We all know there are some parents who would start giving it all of the time, everytime the kid was hyper, was driving mom nuts, didn't want to go to bed, etc. That could be BAD.


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## cutekid (Aug 5, 2004)

My little sister drugs herself before trips. My little sister was about 9 when we took our first trip over 10 hours, she begged my mom for some night time tylenol. She gets car sick after a while and it was best this way...well at that age. This last time we traveled she was one of the three drivers and still dosed herself with benadryl, our plan to rotate drivers didn't work because she was snoozing in teh back seat.

I don't think I would drug my child, but then again I have a happy traveler. He went on a long car ride a year ago, and slept most of the way just for the sake of sleeping...I think he was also emotionally exhausted from our trauma...but the return trip he did equally as well.


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## mnearthmomma (Jun 17, 2005)

We just use baby carriers and breast milk in this house. Our trips aren't generally super long, the longest being 8 hours once a year for a convention we attend, and generally we break it up in the day into two 4 hour legs with about an hour in between. Even our 4 1/2 year old will go on one of our backs in a Mei Tai (my own made mei tai-made super strong to hold her) when she gets a little wired. calms her right down and right quick!

I would never htink of pumping drugs into my kids, esp. when I don't put them in myself (not even tylenol....handful of hemp seeds form the co-op and I am good to go!) There are so many other thing syou can do...a little bit of kid yoga, some breathing, tea, stretching, or even distraction! drugs are not tolerated here.....I honestly cannot see why anyone would do that.


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## tboroson (Nov 19, 2002)

Oy... It's really frightening that the drug industry has so adequately convinced the American public of the safety of these drugs that they would feel safe and comfortable giving them to small children for reasons of convenience! I mean, I've used them myself for *really* bad colds. If one of my kids had a cold that bad, I might be tempted to ease their discomfort with it. But, for the sake of comfort while travelling?? Never! Good god!

I've taken many long car and plane trips with my kids, and it has *never* occurred to me to drug them. For the car trips, we're just resigned to the fact that we'll take lots of long breaks for the kids to run around. We chart our trip according to good playgrounds


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## MamaHippo (Dec 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sharlla* 
There was a huge discussion about this not too long ago http://www.mothering.com/discussions...light=Benadryl I do know that some of my NFL/AP friends will do this for long trips.

I admit, when i flew to England with DS in July 2005 (he was only 12 months old, and i flew alone with him) i gave him Benadryl on the long flight, and to help him adjust to the time change the first couple days. I didnt know how to keep a one year old baby from getting antsy after 10 hours on my lap in coach. I didnt know what else to do. In the same situation, I'd have to do the same thing, since DS spent almost the whole flight asleep in my lap or quietly nursing as i read a book.
But just to calm a kiddo down during xmas? Nah. I didnt give it to him when we drove for 3 days to Canada this year and last.
Now that he's older, i give him cooled Sleepy Time Tea if I really need him to calm down. that works very well.


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## bendmom (Sep 4, 2003)

While I do not belive in giving kids drugs so the parents can stand around drinking hot toddys and not have to pay attention to their children, I have used it a few times with our children. It was never to travel even though we drive 7 hours one way and 7 back up to four times a year to visit family. I used it to clear them up from sinus issues. The thing about that stuff is, sure they fall asleep imediately, but for about an hour, and they are *wide* awake! It was a lesson for me, so they only get it when allergy season is here and nothing, I mean nothing else will help. I can't imagine giving it to them traveling since they go go go nonstop on the stuff.


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## shimmerMom (Nov 25, 2005)

Wow. I would have never thought of doing that. Wierd







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## SusanInItaly (Oct 5, 2003)

Scary!! They should not be promoting drugging your child to control his/her behavior on TV! The tea, eh, not so much an issue with me, I hadn't thought about it before.

Benedryl is one of those meds that can be fatal if the wrong dose is given, and children require a very small dose so it could be easy for someone to overdose them.

Confession time--I will admit, that under the advice of my pediatrician (special needs) I did give my son (4) a small, like 1/4 tsp dose of benedryl when we flew direct from Chicago to Honolulu. He is currently in 2 different therapies, he's ADHD, SI and Aspie too, so he has a tendency to flip out and freak out, LOL. Otherwise, I never medicate him unless there is a true medical need. Our flight was nearly 10 hours and he crashed out for about 2-3 hrs of that. The rest of the time, we played, and it was exhausting!! (no dvd player for us, no laptop) Sure, it was the "easy" way out for me, the parent, but I needed a break at some point and wanted to eat and rest because we arrived in Honolulu midday and had to stay up another 8 hours.


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## Marsupialmom (Sep 28, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ilaria* 
I have never drugged my kids and we travel all the time, LOOONG trips...I'm talking 25-30 hours trips from Asia to Europe or the US and back. I often travel alone with the kids too...I think it's an easy way out, personally.

I think this is judgemental and possiblely not knowing the entire situation. My sil never has given drugs to my niece for her flights from St. Louis to Japan. But my nephew is such a different child and barfs so easily on these flights she drugs him. He doesn't really do good on 90 min drives from were he lives to St. Louis. They deal with it or avoid taking him on those trips......But those long flights are a different story. They feel guilty for it. They also aren't using OTC's. They have a doctor involved and ironicly enough this doctor doesn't like the use of OTC's for that purpose because of parents not having the right dosage.


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## Electra375 (Oct 2, 2002)

I came across a similar article in American Baby's latest edition. It wasn't a full blown article, it was a question answer. Something like can I give antihystimine to my child to get them to sleep? and the answer from the "expert" was yes.







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I might have children's antihystimine in my house, but honestly, if I do it was from when my ds2 was having reactions to foods and after the FP doc gave some too him at church I decided to buy some "just in case". That was nearly 2 years ago!
I'm not against using OTC meds for their intended purpose, generally speaking. I am however very upset about the message being set about giving drugs to kids to get them to calm down or sleep -- hello, look at their freakin' diet of carbo junk!!! And then look at the lack of "routine" and simple "disipline"...

Just







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## LookMommy! (Jun 16, 2002)

Oh yes, unless it's Benadryl for children excited by Christmas.

Or Ritalin for kids who learn with their whole bodies.

Or...

And then parents model for them overuse of alcohol, nicotine, happy drugs...

Just say NO!

(Cammomile tea sounds like an excellent suggestion though!)

(Disclaimer - I occasionally give tylenol for pain & I take handfuls of Advil for AF. I actually gave my dd12 VALIUM once because she was so hysterical at the dentist and she had major gum disease. She was in danger of rotting her teeth, and needed an immediate solution (tried EFT, visualization, GD, etc.). BTW, it didn't work. It made her dizzy, but not relaxed, and she was hysterical and disoriented. Basically ending up threatening to not let her go to a party and she was too exhausted to resist further. We are looking for better long term solutions, obviously!)


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## TigerTail (Dec 22, 2002)

I'm anaphylactically allergic to chamomile tea & would never dare give it to my kids (who share some of my food sensitivities). However, for allergy/excema reasons, my ds has Benadryl every day. No big whoop here.

It's that deadly chamomile you have to watch for! What kind of parents would give their child one of the most common allergic pollens out there, it's outrageous (but what can you expect from Fox News?).








(Are our Judgement Caps on nice & tight?)


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## rmzbm (Jul 8, 2005)

I agree with "just say no." This habit is disgusting.


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## mamaofthree (Jun 5, 2002)

I totally agree. Why tell parents to just slow down over the holidays, stop with all the sugar, stop dragging their kids all over hell and gone, stop having them miss nap time and story time... just give them a big old dose of drugs and then you are good to go. I think in our society we are too busy. Too busy to parent, to busy to relax, to busy to sit and just be...
We drag the kids all over never letting them enjoy the moment... gotta see MIL, mom, aunts, uncles, friends, yada yada... this party this group. How about just staying home and being with your kids. But no, just drug them... and if you comment on that being wrong, well then you are a jerk. Nice.

H


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## Electra375 (Oct 2, 2002)

TA...
I went shopping only 2 days, the mornings that my youngest were in preschool. So, I went shopping alone. My dh went shopping during his lunch, leaving work a bit early and again alone. There is no sense in dragging kids all over town and they get bored.
We don't go anywhere anymore either. I set my foot down after my 3rd was born, actually it was Christmas with her inutero!!! No major holiday will be spent away from our home, visits to family can be before or after, but not the day before or during. This came after I suffered through 2 Christmas with my SIL, the first 8 wks post pardum, sleeping on the floor after a c/s, having bfing issues and served Chilli for Christmas Dinner while they left for her ILs to have the traditional meal. And the second 6 months pregnant sleeping on the floor, having ILs bringing our children down to open presents before we were even up







: And then exclaim they didn't know (WTF, they lived with us at the time and knew exactly how Christmas was done at our own home.) Anyway, that is why we do holidays at our own home with no extended family. It is too much to have to travel with gifts, toys to play with for before Christmas, specialty diet concerns in someone else's kitchen, soon to be a family of 6 people, not many relatives have room for 6 more people!







And the cost of hotel, air fare, etc for us is too much (I really like this big family thing!!!)
My parents come here AFTER Christmas (this weekend to be exact). My ILs now live too far away to be involved and still don't have any money, so they aren't flying out here either (thank goodness!!!).
Some parents learn by trial and error, some refuse to learn and just want a quick fix. I'm the trial and error type, we tired, we erred, we changed.


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