Medicine and Control, WWYD?

[AmyDoll]

My son is 2 - he's articulate and I'm not big into battles. I try to respect his "person-hood" without being permissive. So here's a recent situation that got me some flack from my family.
Ds has a cold - we all have colds. His nose was running down his face but no fever and he was pretty OK - just stuffy. We had given him some "Simply Stuffy" (sudaphed) the night before to help him sleep so he knew what "nose medicine" was - I asked him if he wanted "nose medicine" He said "no please" and we moved on. Not worth a fight - no safety issues involved.
My mom was over later in the day and asked me if I had given him anything and I told her that he didn't want anything and she laughed at me. She really did think that asking him was funny. I thought he had enough information to make a decision. :shrug
So tonight, I got to feel validated :) I went to the drug store to buy my own sudaphed and when I came home - Sam said, "mommy buyed 'nose medicine' daddy go downstairs and get it for me." while he wiped his nose. He took his medicine without a fight or a hassle. :tu

Now, I think he's a smart cookie and that the decision wasn't to "big" for him. What do you think?

[blessedMom]

I think you are teaching him to take medicine responsibly.

There are times when medicine is really helpful, but it is not always necessary. What a smart mommmy! :rockon And what a smart child! :thumbsup

[DeenyB]

I totally agree :tu
Now if i was a med for a life threatening thing, yeah maybe not. I ask my children if they want something when they are sick. I wouldnt want someone coming up to me shoving meds in face :no if I didnt want it.

(written by a mom that doesnt give or take hardly medicines EVER..unless needed)

[milkmommy]

I kinda differ I really don't think hes old enough to really think through things like "The medicine tastes icky or makes me sleepy or others negitives but it may benifit me, or that it can make me sleep and that can make me feel better. However I also wouldn't make a huge issue if he refused. Like mine has a cold and I really needed to use an aspratior but she hates it. I know some that would say I should have insisted. I disagree mostly cause her getting more upset is making the problem worse. She's not mature enough to think through why what mommy is suggesting is benificial.
So while I disagree with asking him if its okay I agree with not making it a battle when he does refuse. IF that makes any sense :shrug

Deanna

[Aerynne]

Sounds good if he knows when he needs it. My dd is younger than your ds and can't really identify with that kind of thing yet. I don't force her to take cold meds when awake, but for a bad cold I will force her to take them before bed (the kind of cold where she'll wake up coughing so badly she almost throws up if I don't give her stuff before she goes to bed). I think if it's working for you, that's terrific. And if my dd is where your ds is at in 9 months, I'll be very happy about it and let her make those calls, too.