[email protected]

>
>

Ive thought a lot about this over during the discussion about dentists and
such.. I remember so many times when my children were smaller and they balked
at taking medicine that they NEEDED to get better.. We've never been the type
of family to run to the Dr for every little sneeze or rash, and our children
have been very healthy ( thanfully) But, they've had the occasional sinus
infection, bronchititis, chicken pox, typical child hood illnesses. They had
to be coerced , bribed, pleaded with, whatever it took to get them to take
thier medicine. Ethan always resisted the most, hardly ever finishing his
RX.. And he had recurring ear infections to the point that he had to get
tubes.. His hearing was affected,and that affected his speech and also
frustrated him. One thing led to another, but I couldnt get him to
understand the consequences of not taking his medicine. Then he resisted
wearing ear plugs in the pool or bath.Of course, all of this took place
before I ever thought of "not" coercing them, and I used every tactic I
could think of get that medicine in them.. . Just last month, no, in
November, when JP burned his eye, it would take two of us to hold him down
and force the eye drops into his eye. It was awful, he had to be restrained,
physically held down, but he needed the drops for his cornea to heal. I
delayed taking him to the Dr for 3 days becasue he was so scared of going. I
hoped he would get better through the course of nature and not have to see
the Dr.. Well, when I finally took him, his eye was much more infected than
it would have been if I had taken him right away ( despite his terror over
going). So, I wonder too, whats a mother to do? Fortunately, my children
are most all big enough now to understand the necessity in taking medicine or
following safety standards.. ( seat belts and bike helmets come to mind too..
my kids HATED them.. I had to "make" them wear them) I am sure its
difficult for a child who pretty much gets to do what he wants, and is
allowed to avoid anything he doesnt want to do, all of the sudden is required
to take yucky medicine, or wear knee pads to skate.. How have some of the
veterans handled these challanges?

Teresa


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Mary Bianco

>From: grlynbl@...

<<So, I wonder too, whats a mother to do? Fortunately, my children
are most all big enough now to understand the necessity in taking medicine
or following safety standards.. ( seat belts and bike helmets come to mind
too.. my kids HATED them.. I had to "make" them wear them) I am sure its
difficult for a child who pretty much gets to do what he wants, and is
allowed to avoid anything he doesnt want to do, all of the sudden is
required to take yucky medicine, or wear knee pads to skate.. How have some
of the veterans handled these challanges?>>

I don't know but if anyone has an answer, I sure could use it. Out of all 4
kids, my oldest is the only one that never gave me a problem with taking
meds. She's still good when she needs to take something. I have tried
everything with the other 3. I finally got the 7 and 8 year olds to take a
small pill. Unfortunately not everything they need to take comes in a
Sudafed size pill. The 2 year old takes Dimetapp but that's about it.
Everytime they get sick, it's a major stress time.

Mary B



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Cathy Hilde

Mary,
I totally understand where your kids are coming from. I have never been
able/willing to take meds. The few times when it could not be avoided I
always washed them down with something sweet. Usually a milkshake. Now my
kids are the same way so they pick their favorite thing and I stock up on
it until their done having to take meds. My son usually picks yogurt or
that weird applesauce (striped or crazy colored) my daughter will have a
fruit smoothie. It's all so unpleasant for us but we also know the
alternative is worse. Frankly I'll take any excuse to sip a homemade
strawberry shake!
Cathy

>>I don't know but if anyone has an answer, I sure could use it. Out of all
4
kids, my oldest is the only one that never gave me a problem with taking
meds. She's still good when she needs to take something. I have tried
everything with the other 3. I finally got the 7 and 8 year olds to take a
small pill. Unfortunately not everything they need to take comes in a
Sudafed size pill. The 2 year old takes Dimetapp but that's about it.
Everytime they get sick, it's a major stress time.>>
Mary B

kayb85 <[email protected]>

> I don't know but if anyone has an answer, I sure could use it. Out
of all 4
> kids, my oldest is the only one that never gave me a problem with
taking
> meds. She's still good when she needs to take something. I have
tried
> everything with the other 3. I finally got the 7 and 8 year olds to
take a
> small pill. Unfortunately not everything they need to take comes in
a
> Sudafed size pill. The 2 year old takes Dimetapp but that's about
it.
> Everytime they get sick, it's a major stress time.
>
> Mary B


Maybe this is a case where the child's instincts are right? Maybe
the yucky medicines really aren't good for him--suppressing symptoms
instead of truly healing.

I bet they wouldn't mind taking homeopathic remedies. They're like
little tiny sugar pellets.

Sheila

bluelotus

<< Ive thought a lot about this over during the discussion about dentists and
such.. I remember so many times when my children were smaller and they balked
at taking medicine that they NEEDED to get better.. We've never been the type
of family to run to the Dr for every little sneeze or rash, and our children
have been very healthy ( thanfully) But, they've had the occasional sinus
infection, bronchititis, chicken pox, typical child hood illnesses. They had
to be coerced , bribed, pleaded with, whatever it took to get them to take
thier medicine. >>

This may be off topic, but I have to say that yet another wonderful apect of homeopathy is that children love to take their medicine (the kid who doesn't is rare and you can always dissolve it in water), because it comes in the form of sugar pellets!

I was mostly treated with homeopathy as a child, and the times when my father made me take antibiotcs I hated the way they made me feel. It was hard for me to believe that what he was giving me was meant to make me feel good!

My dd has been treated homeopathically since she was a baby, never with antibiotics, Tylenols, etc. Kids respond wondefully to homeopathy because they're so vital and alive! And families who discover it see the magic effects of it and continue using it. It's a complete and profound system of medicine with no "side effects."
Homeopathy is to health what unschooling is to education, and most people need to be de-schooled fom their old ways of perceiving health and disease.

Just a thought for those who want to stop struggling with this kind of stuff and keep their kids healthy.

Yol

--

Blue Lotus Therapeutics -
Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Yoga & Therapeutic Massage
http://www.bluelotustherapeutics.com

Dhyanyoga Center of NC -
Meditation - Kundalini Maha Yoga
http://www.dyc-nc.org

**********************************
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone. The world is ruled by
letting things take their course. It cannot be ruled by interfering.
-- Tao Te Ching
**********************************

Shyrley

> >From: grlynbl@...
>
> <<So, I wonder too, whats a mother to do? Fortunately, my children
> are most all big enough now to understand the necessity in taking medicine
> or following safety standards.. ( seat belts and bike helmets come to mind
> too.. my kids HATED them.. I had to "make" them wear them) I am sure its
> difficult for a child who pretty much gets to do what he wants, and is
> allowed to avoid anything he doesnt want to do, all of the sudden is
> required to take yucky medicine, or wear knee pads to skate.. How have some
> of the veterans handled these challanges?>>
>

Well, we've not had the medicine issue yet cos while they've had various things, chickenpox, measles, rubella etc etc, they've never needed any medicine. Homeopathic remedies are tiony little sugar
pills and my main problem when they were young was *stopping* them taking them.
As for seat belts and helmets. I've explained to them that it is the law. I am required to wear a seatbelt too so that helps. The helmet thingy is trickeir. VA law doesn't require me to wear one so I
don't (I know all the stats and arguments and I've come down on the 'not wearing' side) and UK law doesn't require helmets for cycling or skating. VA law requires all youg people under 14 to wear one.
My daughter is furious after years of biking without one. So I explained the law, pointed out that it is me that gets in trouble, not her. She now agrees to wear one but complains everytime. Cycle
helmets are badly designed for people wearing glasses.

I personally think safety laws have gone mad in this country but thats a whole nother topic :-)
Actually, they are going mad in the UK too. Recently children were forbidden to make daisy chains and pick buttercups in school in case they picked up any bacteria. Ye gawds!

Shyrley

Pam Hartley

----------
>From: [email protected]
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Digest Number 2839
>Date: Sat, Jan 11, 2003, 4:33 AM
>

> I don't know but if anyone has an answer, I sure could use it. Out of all 4
> kids, my oldest is the only one that never gave me a problem with taking
> meds. She's still good when she needs to take something. I have tried
> everything with the other 3. I finally got the 7 and 8 year olds to take a
> small pill. Unfortunately not everything they need to take comes in a
> Sudafed size pill. The 2 year old takes Dimetapp but that's about it.
> Everytime they get sick, it's a major stress time.


When Mikey (now 5) was a baby/toddler and the doctor would prescribe
something, I'd have to grill the doctor on alternatives, because it was
simply impossible to give her oral medications. She drank only water (if you
mixed meds in she would not) and breastmilk from the breast. She ate only a
few things and would touch none of them when she was not feeling well,
getting nourishment only from nursing, so it was no good mixing the meds in
with any kind of food.

In desperation I once poured a dose down her and made her swallow it (yes, I
am as capable of being an idiot as the next mom <g>) and Mikey looked at me
pityingly and then threw it up on me. <g>

So, Mikey got over her ear infections with a little warmed garlic oil in the
ear, got past croup by being rocked in steamy bathrooms, and got over colds
with breastmilk and crossed fingers.

If she had ever had something that was truly life-threatening-without-meds
they would have had to use an injection or an i.v. or whatever. And of
course no baby is going to choose such a thing and it's impossible to ask
their permission. This is where non-coercive and I part company. ;)

Today, Mikey will take meds -- she's very stoic, but if she has pain, she'll
tell me, and if I suggest something (for example, for a pulled muscle a
chewable pain reliever) she'll take it.

Brit (8) was easy to dose as a baby, and now extremely finicky about
medications and hates to take them. I let her decide and help her with
alternatives. If she gets very, very ill she does elect to take something
that will make her feel a bit better, so I have no fears that she would
refuse to do something about a hot appendix or other such scenario.

Pam

Mary Bianco

>From: "kayb85 <sheran@...>" <sheran@...>

<<Maybe this is a case where the child's instincts are right? Maybe
the yucky medicines really aren't good for him--suppressing symptoms
instead of truly healing.

I bet they wouldn't mind taking homeopathic remedies. They're like
little tiny sugar pellets.>>


You're right, they don't mind taking the homeopathic pills. Unfortunately
though, the ones from the health food store didn't do squat for the kids and
I can't afford to take them to a homeopath which my ins. doesn't cover.
Especially when I have 4 kids who have been sick off and on for the past 6
weeks with some kind of damn bug in our house. Last night the baby was sick
again when we all went to the circus. She'll take Dimetapp and today she is
just a bit stuffy. They haven't had anything but colds for the most part and
I just can't swing the whole family to a homeopath now from my own pocket.

Mary B


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[email protected]

In a message dated 1/11/03 1:39:33 PM Eastern Standard Time,
mummyone24@... writes:

> Especially when I have 4 kids who have been sick off and on for the past 6
> weeks with some kind of damn bug in our house

I heartily suggest you go through your house looking for black mold. Do you
have a basement?
*~*Elissa Jill*~*
unschooling Momma to 3 beautiful brilliant people
Loving partner for life to Joey
terrible guitarist, fair singer and happy woman.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Mary Bianco

>From: Earthmomma67@...

<<I heartily suggest you go through your house looking for black mold. Do
you have a basement?>>


No mold here. We have no basement and since we moved in a little over 2
years ago, we've had to renovate so much we would have seen it. In fact
we're still working and well with how I am, I look EVERYWHERE!!!

Generally my kids are only sick with a small cold once a year. Generally
around Oct. or Nov. Been like that for years. Even with the oldest in
school, it's never been more than that. No ear infections or anything. But
this year, I don't know. Something has got a hold of us. I'm hoping this is
the last of it for awhile. Of course my kids have been spending more time
than usual out and about and with other kids and my oldest is also working
too. Bringing something funky home!!!!

Mary B



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kayb85 <[email protected]>

> My daughter is furious after years of biking without one. So I
explained the law, pointed out that it is me that gets in trouble,
not her. She now agrees to wear one but complains everytime. Cycle
> helmets are badly designed for people wearing glasses.
>
> I personally think safety laws have gone mad in this country but
thats a whole nother topic :-)

I agree about the safety laws gone mad. The new thing now is that
kids should wear helmets when sledding. How ridiculous can you get?!
I wouldn't be surprised if it's a law within 5 years.]

Sheila

Jim Selvage

Elissa Jill,

Please tell me a little more about this black mold. We live in an older
house and we have mold in the uppper corners of the outer walls in two rooms
at least. We have scrub with clorox and painted with Kilz but it still
comes back. We are pretty sure my daughter is allergice to it, but don't
know what else to do. We do not own the house.

many blessings,
erin
----- Original Message -----
From: <Earthmomma67@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2003 12:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Re: What a child "needs"


> In a message dated 1/11/03 1:39:33 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> mummyone24@... writes:
>
> > Especially when I have 4 kids who have been sick off and on for the past
6
> > weeks with some kind of damn bug in our house
>
> I heartily suggest you go through your house looking for black mold. Do
you
> have a basement?
> *~*Elissa Jill*~*
> unschooling Momma to 3 beautiful brilliant people
> Loving partner for life to Joey
> terrible guitarist, fair singer and happy woman.
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
> ~~~~ Don't forget! If you change topics, change the subject line! ~~~~
>
> If you have questions, concerns or problems with this list, please email
the moderator, Joyce Fetteroll (fetteroll@...), or the list owner,
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>
> To unsubscribe from this group, click on the following link or address an
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>
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>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

[email protected]

I really don't know much about it other than it can cause some pretty severe
reactions. When my husband changed his address on his business insurance, we
had to fill out a black mold questionairre. If you don't own the house, I
would find out a little bit by googling and then alert your landlord.

*~*Elissa Jill*~*
unschooling Momma to 3 beautiful brilliant people
Loving partner for life to Joey
terrible guitarist, fair singer and happy woman.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Schuyler Waynforth <[email protected]>

When my ds was on an 10 day antibiotic regime we made a advent
calendar. Everytime he had to take his pills he got to open up a
door. We filled it full of toys from the dollar store and candy and
anything we thought he'd like. It worked really well.

Schuyler


--- In [email protected], "Mary Bianco"
<mummyone24@h...> wrote:
> >From: grlynbl@a...
>
> <<So, I wonder too, whats a mother to do? Fortunately, my children
> are most all big enough now to understand the necessity in taking
medicine
> or following safety standards.. ( seat belts and bike helmets come
to mind
> too.. my kids HATED them.. I had to "make" them wear them) I am
sure its
> difficult for a child who pretty much gets to do what he wants,
and is
> allowed to avoid anything he doesnt want to do, all of the sudden
is
> required to take yucky medicine, or wear knee pads to skate.. How
have some
> of the veterans handled these challanges?>>
>
> I don't know but if anyone has an answer, I sure could use it. Out
of all 4
> kids, my oldest is the only one that never gave me a problem with
taking
> meds. She's still good when she needs to take something. I have
tried
> everything with the other 3. I finally got the 7 and 8 year olds
to take a
> small pill. Unfortunately not everything they need to take comes
in a
> Sudafed size pill. The 2 year old takes Dimetapp but that's about
it.
> Everytime they get sick, it's a major stress time.
>
> Mary B
>
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE*
> http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail

Schuyler Waynforth <[email protected]>

--- In [email protected], Shyrley
<shyrley.williams@v...> wrote:
> Actually, they are going mad in the UK too. Recently children were
forbidden to make daisy chains and pick buttercups in school in case
they picked up any bacteria. Ye gawds!
>


Some schools weren't allowing conkers to be played this year,
either. Afraid of the damage a little chestnut smashing could do.

Schuyler