By way of background, I am the single father of a 2 .5 year old girl, two lovely cats, and a rare-bread Mexicalla Chinchilla. I love the cats and Chinch dearly! Anyway, many nights my daughter cries uncontrollably to the detriment of the cats and Chinchlla. I was wondering if any of you give your kids tylenol PM or other medicines mixed with some warm juice to calm the kids down and get them to sleep. I did this once this week, and it worked great - I was able to enjoy a wonderful night with the other "kids" and even was able to have the Chinchilla run around freely through the house and loved watching the hijinx it encountered LOL!!!!!
But I'm concerned that this may be illegal . . . . is it?
2006-12-14 04:35:23 · 39 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
it's not illegal - it's irresponsible!!!! i'm a nurse and prolonged use of ANY medication, including tylenol, can cause irreparable liver damage. i feel bad when i have to give my kid tylenol WHEN HE'S SICK!!! you should not have custody of your kid if you're the type of person that would drug them to get some quiet time with your pets. where is this child's mother and what is her phone number......?
2006-12-14 04:40:23 · answer #1 · answered by Ducky S 5 · 4⤊ 3⤋
I do not think that it is legal to give your daughter tylenol pm. Here is some thing to think about. Medication given to children under the age of six should be perscribed by a physician. The reason for this is because children have smaller bodies than adults and therefore cannot tolerate the same medications as adults. The medication is also perscribed by a mathematical formula according to the child's body weight. So, the law requires a skilled person to give children that type of medication. In essence you are endangering the welfare of your child. The reason why it works is because by given your child a sedative medication, your are depressing your child's ability to breathe therefore, she will not cry, she will sleep. My suggestion is this. If your child at two is not sleeping through the night. Start the toddler on some sort of routine to tire the poor kid out. Make bed time fun like a warm bath and read a book. Your question is not entirely unheard of so, good luck.
2006-12-14 04:56:47 · answer #2 · answered by VON 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As far as being legal or illegal, it depends on what state you live in. You may want to take your daughter to a doctor and/or therapist to determine why she cries uncontrollably, once that issue is resolved then maybe she can learn to enjoy the cats and chinch with you.
2006-12-14 04:45:26 · answer #3 · answered by dream_searcher_tx 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Illegal, probably not. Healthy? Definetly not. Tylenol in too large of doses can cause liver damage, plus I don't know what the sedatives in PM might do to a developing body. My kid's ped recommends a book call "The No Cry Sleep Solution." I've never read it myself, my kids are pretty good sleepers, but I trust her 100%, so it's probably worth checking out.
2006-12-14 04:40:39 · answer #4 · answered by tabithap 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Tylenol PM?? Isn't that a drug used for adults??? I would not give that to my child. You said you love the animals dearly, but what about your daughter?? I think it is great that you are taking care of your daughter, but before you know it, your daughter won't need you to calm her at night and you will have lost those wonderful moments with her forever so you could spend it with your animals. Animals are great company. However, don't get over focused on them and forget about your daughter.
2006-12-14 04:47:10 · answer #5 · answered by ssstinagail 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you know i may sound like a bad mom but yes i have done it but not to spend time with pets or anyone else, it was just so i could actually get some sleep, and i only did it when he would not go to bed and it was after midnight, which was usually avery few months it was not a common thing( i would not be able to fall asleep until my son was asleep),
By the sound of it you would rather spend quality time with your animals then with your child, that is ridiculous, what kind of parent loves their animals more than their own blood, my gosh dude get your priorities straight. if you think your animals are ore important then you need to give your rights up as a father to her cause you sound unfit i better stop cause i am going to start typing things and get more upset..
Geez the nerve of some people putting animals in front of their own children.
2006-12-14 06:33:57 · answer #6 · answered by schally31 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Is it illegal? Not to my knowledge. It is, however, inadvisable. I seriously hope you're not really going to drug your daughter for the benefit of your pets. Your daughter's health and well-being come first. The animals can just deal with it. I'm also concerned as to why a 2 year old girl is "crying uncontrollably" many nights. Maybe she's feeling neglected while you lavish your love and attention on the other "kids".
2006-12-14 04:42:54 · answer #7 · answered by AshletD 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It's not exactly illegal, but it could be.
Especially if whatever you're giving your child becomes an addiction. (Child cannot sleep soundly without it.)
Or
It causes physical harm either immediate or over a period of time. (Such as liver damage.)
Both of these things are very good possibilities if you continue to do this over time.
My advice, (And I have been a parent for 7 years.) is to grow the hell up and find a better way, naturally, and by being a good parent, to help your child sleep better at night, rather than drugging her.
2006-12-14 04:49:09 · answer #8 · answered by jirstan2 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What a bunch of hypocrites on this Board. Pete, if the kid won't be quiet, what else are you supposed to do. It's not illegal. As for morality, is it better to have your kid whining and crying all night? I think not.
I also have chinchillas (3 of them): Paco, Jose and Bob. I race them at night behind the Bodega. Bob usually kicks a$s once you feed him enough coffee.
2006-12-14 07:20:02 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
You should check with a Dr. about this...my son had a similar problem, and there are medications for such things that should be prescribed. Long term use of tylenol PM can cause things like liver damage, that you won't know about for awhile. A Dr. normally does a blood test for that.
2006-12-14 04:46:03 · answer #10 · answered by ♫ giD∑■η ♫ 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am not aware of any laws specifically about that but I would believe that these are laws against abuse or child welfare that could come into play if you do it to often. I have three kids and understand they can sometimes be very demanding but I do have problems with giving drugs to you child for any reason other than what the drugs were intended for.
2006-12-14 04:45:30 · answer #11 · answered by Brian 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋