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Are We Overmedicating Our Children?

 Today Moms has an interesting article asking just that question. 

Some excerpts from the article:

“I give my younger daughter Benadryl and Tylenol almost every night – she loves the taste and begs for it.”

“I gave my child Benadryl to go to sleep – years later now, I am still embarrassed to admit it.”

“I gave my child Benadryl when he was mildly congested to guarantee he would fall asleep on time so I could get to bed at a decent hour.”

But turning to medication just to get your kid to sleep indicates a deeper problem.  According to Dr. Nancy Snyderman, medicating your children “every day is not OK. Drugs are never an OK substitute for parenting.” “If a mother is drugging a kid that much, it’s a parenting issue.”

And Today's Moms contributor Wendy Mogel states, “Moms are so nervous – what if she doesn’t get to sleep, then she’ll be tired and she has a math test tomorrow and then after the math test we have to go right to soccer practice…” Mogel told TODAY.com, her voice trailing off to indicate the never-ending to-do list that lives in every mom’s mind. “We’re taking shortcuts because parents are desperate.”

 

 

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