its interesting to see this thread here today, as i was asked a sorta similar question by a journalist this morning. She asked me to comment on kids cough medecines being made a prescription item, my response was that it is a great thing as i believe that too many parents over medicate their kids with these types of drugs just cause they don't know any better. They dont realise that cough medicine often doesn't do any good anyway for a small child. I often wonder what on Earth kids cough medecines contain too, to look and smell they way they do.

I admit that in the past there have been several times that i, a sleep deprived PND mother of an unwell child, have walked into a chemist and bought whatever i could over-the-counter to help my child get some sleep, even though i knew it wasn't the best option, i was desperate for a break. So, if the medecine was prescription only, then mothers in this position just wouldn't be able to as readily dose their kids up on drugs, and maybe it would encourage parents to research alternative options.

Even the last 2 nights my almost 2 year old has been impossible to get to sleep and in the end i have given him a dose of Panadol just in case he is in pain and thats why he wont sleep, now how ridiculous does that sound??!! So this morning i went and bought a bottle of Brauers Calm, i was VERY sceptical, but i gave some to DS before his afternoon sleep and instead of bashing the bedroom door and hysterically screaming, he is happily chatting to himself in bed, no over the counter drugs needed.

I think i have actually gone way off topic, sorry, but yes i am certainly researching alternative methods and im hoping that others will too, i think it will make for a much healthier society.