A Spoonful of Sugar??

First I must apologize for the long delays between posts, lets just say life has gotten in the way and I promise to not let it happen again:)

So I am beginning to think that Mary Poppins was wrong. Yes, I said it. I dare to challenge the institution that is Disney and how they defined proper child care should be given. But here's my point of view.

We all know the song, it is probably running through your head right now. The spoonful of sugar is supposed to make the medicine taste better and go down easier for our little ones. And lets be honest, didn't we all make our Mom's try this just once growing up.

However, today's pharmaceutical companies have take this a little too literally. Medicine for infants and children are so sweet and so full of flavor and sugar that I can smell the sweetness in the medicine dropper. And to be completley transparent I have only given my 2 year old three medicines in her lifetime - Tylenol, Motrin & Zyrtec (all the infant/children's varieties of course). But I really wonder how this over sweet medicine will have an effect on our kids growing up?

Will our children ever know the difference between candy and medicine? What if they want a sugar fix growing up and head for the medicine chest - or wait is that part of the reason why kids down a bottle of Robitussin at parties. No, it is for the high, but I am sure the nice taste doesn't detract from the desire to do it. But i think we need a clearer distinction between Gobstoppers and Tylenol - currently there is none.

I am not saying we should go to the extreme and have horrible tasting medicine - that will make it all the harder to get kids to take it. However, lets save the syrupy, yummy, gooey sweetenss for where it belongs - in candy