Baby Squared

A couple of months ago, my almost-four-year-old had a slight cold, but no fever (and does have a history of ear infections), and she woke up in the middle of the night screaming that HER ANKLES HURT.  Really.  I asked several times where she hurt, and it was her ankles every time.  I gave her the Tylenol (and she went right back to sleep).

But ordinarily I agree with you--no unnecessary medicine, no medicine for one kid because the other is sick, and no placebos.  Band-aids, though, they can have any time, even if the booboo is imaginary.

I think the corn syrup thing wouldn't be that bad.  Sometimes we get freaked out that everything we do at this age will ruin our kids lives forever.  The thing is, they really don't know the difference between medicine and water.  So if the placebo effect works (especially when one is sick and the other isn't), I say run with it until they're old enough to understand things better.  Which should only be a couple of years.

My 2 year old, Hank, gets a glint in his eye when he sees that tylenol dropper ... it's a little alarming, actually.  So I'm right there with you!

Another thing one of my friends gave her toddler when she wanted some "medicine" was a dose of mylicon...mediciney enough to taste, but one dose in a toddler wasn't going to do anything.  It's like sugar pills....for toddlers!

I know what you are talking about. Cooper asks for Tylenol by name now, since he just went through his two month molar phase and WOW did that suck. So far he doesn't ask for it unless he seems to really need it, like when he has his entire hand in his mouth and is drooling like a frat boy in the Playboy mansion. He has even declined it when asked if he needed it and he didn't. But you a far trickier situation with two kids. I think your instincts are right, you shouldn't pretend to give them medicine. Maybe there is something else fun and real you can substitute, like a fun bandaid for those booboos, or a sticker, that kind of thing. But I only have one to manage. I think you are the best judge of what to do in your situation.

The "medicine water" thing is brillant!  My son exactly is the same age as your girls and it is interesting how often your blog sounds like our life.  He was just asking me for "med-nin-cine" this morning after he stubbed his toe.  As if we just hand out the drugs all the time!

Maddie and Riley don't like ibuprofen or Tylenol--weird, but true. But they LOVE band-aids. I can't keep them in stock at home. I need to see if Costco sells kids' band-aid 'cos the placebo effect of a band-aid on those two is remarkable.

Ever since I read that honey works as well as cough syrup for the toddlers we can't use cough syrup on any more, honey has become our not-really-medicine medicine.  (I *know* it's just a placebo, but hey, apparently actual cough syrup was just a placebo too, so whatever.)  We don't hand it out all the time, but we've used it a few times when there wasn't really a need for Tylenol but there was a need for something more than just a hug.  It helps, and somehow it doesn't trip my trigger as a problem because we use it almost as sparingly as 'real' medicine.

Oh, and?  Not too long ago, I was on a road trip and wound up driving into Panacea, FL.  My husband and I turned to each other and said, more or less simultaneously, "Suddenly I feel SO MUCH BETTER!"

I would looove to have my son asking for tylenol.  As it is now, when he does have a fever, I have to hold him down and sneak the dropper in between screams of "noooooooooo!"  Of course he's only 16 mos now, so maybe he'll be cheerier about it when he passes age 2...

ha! thanks jane--just something about juxtaposing big words with cute little girls that makes me laugh. there must be a clinical term for that.

i always cringe a little when i hear willow mimicking our sick talk--saying that she thinks she feels a little warm, or wants some tylenol so that she can feel better (our little hypochondriac). she's a big fan of getting rubbed when she feels sick or tired, or pretty much anytime. i'm glad elsa settled down and felt better with some shushes.

hope you have fun on the cape and drink lots of wine!  

OMG I thought I was the only one doing the fake medicine for my 2.5 year old twins.  They could say the word 'tylenol' before they were 2 ;-)   I wouldn't worry about imparting to them that medicine is to cure ailments.  If they had control over when they had access to it then it would definitely be something I would try to teach them but for now who cares if they think 'medicine' soothes them to sleep and cures crankiness.   When they are a bit older and a bit more reasonable then it will be easier for them to understand what medicine is really used for.    The fun of drinking red water out of a little cup will naturally wear off ...

Didn't have time to read the comments , so sorry if this is a repeat.  We have found the ice pack and hot (warm) water bottle to be great replacements for requests for medicine.  We can give them at the drop of a hat, and usually all Chicken wants is a few minutes of attention anyway.  I usually don't even give in on Band Aids anymore, because that habit is expensive...  And I thought my kid was the only one who wanted drugs all the time!

Well, you're not alone slydog...I think it's normal for kids...

oh, I totally feel your pain on this.  Back before the "cough syrup is not for kids under 6" memo came round, I had to give one of my twins (who were 3, almost 4) cough syrup but was trying to avoid giving it to the other--and ended up going to the ER when Gio snatched the bottle, ran and chugged.  Alex even blocked me from getting to him.   Thank goodness it was just cough syrup, not the kind that has tylenol in it, too.  The ER visit cured him of the medicine addiction, though.  After the nurse came in with the activated charcoal, and said "Time for the right medicine, kiddo," he has never asked for it since.

By the way, my family is totally into the spoonful of honey thing, now, too.

It appears you have two Lena's that love your writing. :-)I'm your biggest fan out West (Seattle) with the twin girls 4 months younger than yours. Here we are showing off new pink toenails: http://www.vimeo.com/5850270

Anyhoo, I'm just such a sucker for words - I'll stop people mid-sentence to praise them on an impressive word. Sadly, my vocabulary (for the time being) is reserved for explaining life's do's and dont's to two toddlers. I have one twin getting her molars, and sometimes I just know that she needs a dose of the good ole tylenol. Unless I can manage to sneak her a dose without her sister seeing (yeah right), I usually give her sister what's left in the dropper (after sticking it back in the bottle to "re-fill" it). I say whatever works when it comes to making life easier with twin 2 year olds - you can always fix those bad habits when they are 3, right? HAHAHA

I don't mean to hijack the thread but on a late night research/ Bullet with Butterfly Wings bender and it occurred to me that Alastair looks remarkably like Billy Corgan - is the late hour skewing my perception or have you heard that before?

yes!  Harrison doesn't like medicine, but Eric does. He whines and asks for it everytime he sees me give some to Harrison.  I nip the whining for medicine in the bud.  If Eric whines because Harrison got some and not him, I just ignore him and tell him "You don't need this right now, sorry."  It worked well enough, besides his little anger outburst but I am so used to them it didn't bother me.  

Mine take Benadryl a lot.  We live in allergy country and they inherited our allergies.  Poor guys.  Like you, we use medicine sparingly.  Tylenol, Benadryl and gas medicine is all they have ever had over the counter.  God, when they were infants we drowned them in gas medicine.  It is pretty  harmless thank God because we gave it to them 10 times a dang day.