I love the CVS in Downtown Columbus. They have EVERYTHING. One time I went in there to buy Q Tips and found one of those giant packages and I said to the guy "I don't need a life-time supply of ear swabs" and he showed me the traveler's section. They have all the same stuff but low quantity, so I was able to get like 100 of them instead of 200,000 of them like they're usually packaged.

I actually really love Drug Mart so much more than CVS, but CVS is closer so that's usually where I end up. You can find like ANYTHING at a Drug Mart.

CVS and all of those types of stores are a rip-off IMO.  If you plan your shopping accordingly, you can save mucho dinero cutting out CVS, Wallgreens, etc. and using Costco, Dollar Store, Marc's, etc. instead.  I try to only use the CVS around me for its 24 hr operation.

I actually really love Drug Mart so much more than CVS, but CVS is closer so that's usually where I end up. You can find like ANYTHING at a Drug Mart.

 

I am with you on that.  And I do believe they are headquartered locally....Medina, IIRC. 

CVS and all of those types of stores are a rip-off IMO. If you plan your shopping accordingly, you can save mucho dinero cutting out CVS, Wallgreens, etc. and using Costco, Dollar Store, Marc's, etc. instead. I try to only use the CVS around me for its 24 hr operation.

 

I found a bunch of credit cards and other stuff on the ground that must have fell out of someone's wallet, one time. I turned it into the local police station but the devil on my shoulder was trying to convince me to steal (of all cards) the Sams Club card - at least for the day. I kinda looked like the guy too lol ... it was tempting. I could save so much money if I had a Sams Club card.

I know they're a rip off, but the dollar store does NOT have anything I need at the drugstore, certainly nothing I would consider putting in my mouth or body if they did.  Have you ever seen a neti pot there? Or natural vitamins without gelatin?  How about a basal body temperature thermometer?  Or infant tylenol that has not been recalled and isn't expired?  It's just n/a. 

 

Marc's is a NO for me, I do not shop anywhere that doesn't take plastic; I rarely carry cash and never write checks for anything, don't carry a check book.  I had to quit shopping at Costco last year when they suddenly halved the ceiling on my Costco Amex, making my once "good" credit card now one that was over the limit, and I had to spend money from 3 paychecks just getting it back down under the new maximum, where it basically stays while I concentrate on paying other cards down first that have higher interest rates. 

 

I think I will try harder to remember to go to drug mart, even though it's way out of the way.

Marc's and Costco are the parent's friends. A couple of expeditions a month can keep our little city hovel well-stocked.

I have kind of always looked at it this way. You can raise a kids that are 12 and under pretty much anywhere within the city, suburbia, or exurbia. They tend to have fun with whatever Mom and Dad take them to do, and tend to follow Mom and Dad's instructions. It the teen years tht you have to think about. If they go to private high schools, you have to figure that most of their friends are going to be from suburbia. I can say for Cleveland, most of the kids at Ignatius and Ed's are pretty much from the suburbs. So, my take is, if you raise the kids in the city, to give them that actual city experience, inner city schools would be the place to send them. I just think sending them to proivate schools within the sity would almost "de-urbanize" them if you will, due to the kids they are going to school with. I know, as far as Cleveland goes, Ignatius and Ed's are screaming suburbia out the front doors. House parties are in Westlake and Solon, not East Blvd and Tremont.

 

I don't quite get your drift on this. Are you suggesting that if I send my kid to Ignatius for high school that I might as well must move out to Westlake? I think that there is a lot of value in raising a kid in Ohio City. If my son ends up going to Ignatius, I don't think that wipes out all the urban influences that his home neighborhood provides him.

 

 

There's also very little at Costco that I buy.  They don't really stock very many natural ingredients or things like recycled paper products, and we don't have anywhere to store the huge sizes that they carry. We really don't buy electronics very much though I think their prices are good - we did get our digital camera there several years ago with our amex rebate. As an aside (in case it affects any of you/your spouses), they had the cheapest price on certain fertility meds of any of the pharmacies in town, I called just about all of them.  There are some meds you have to special order and can only get through a specialty pharmacy, but for something more casual like Clomid, they were the cheapest, and you don't have to be a member to get a script filled there either.

What do you guys think about giving kids medicine to knock them out when they're acting wild and crazy at 12:00AM? I was babysitting my nephews last night and the older one, "The Terrorist" wouldn't stop throwing giant toys down the stairs and the other one climbed up on the couch and started tearing up the blinds. I kept telling them "Stop the madness!! Stop the madness!!" They wouldn't stop so I made them stand in the corner. They wouldn't stop their Shinannigans even after I put in Monsters Vs. Aliens so I finally had enough. I said "that's it; Uncle Dave has something that's going to knock you two the hell out! "  I went in the medicine cabinet and found some NyQuil. The terrorist wouldn't drink it, even after I explained to him that it was cherry and tastes delicious; so I put it in a sippy cup and mixed it with kool-aid and he guzzled it down not knowing that it was laced. I gave them a very small dose but sure enough, 20 minutes later they stopped dead in their tracks and went to sleep. Problem solved.  :-D

There are other reasons besides schools and "safety" (perceived or real concerns) that prevent some people from living in the city proper. I have considered moving into the city several times, but I would end up driving out to the suburbs for so many things, it's hard to have it make sense. For the things I purchase, the selection I need in places like drugstores and grocery stores and clothing stores, I'd be leaving all the time anyway. I also have well-established relationships with all my doctors (and I have quite a number of doctors I regularly see), and I'd be driving out to see them as well. It's not an "I love the suburbs, I hate the city" thing; the city just doesn't have what I need.

 

I can't tell you how many times I've walked to one of the CVS locations downtown to get something I need and they just don't have it. I go to my local CVS, there it is. And the groceries are just way too lacking/limited for me. Yes, the WSM is here, and I get a LOT of my fresh food there, but I buy other things at the grocery and they just don't have those things at places like Dave's. I like the smaller, more accessible libraries in the suburbs; the downtown one is such a behemoth, it's hard to navigate (especially with a small child, who will soon be walking around with me) and is quite often full of pretty undesirable characters.

 

It's part of a whole "lifestyle" thing I think; I like visiting and being a patron of things in the city, but for practical purposes as a lifestyle, it just doesn't work for me. It might have when I was younger and single, but I never considered it because of the expense. Now, with a husband and baby, it's almost completely out of the question.

 

I love Cleveland, and am always defending it to people. I spend the majority of my life IN the city since I work downtown and have for almost all of the nearly 20 years I've lived here, and I pay Cleveland taxes as well, so I feel like I'm a Clevelander, even if I live 15 miles south of the city center. I support and encourage those who want to live in the city, it just doesn't work for me personally.

 

With the examples you give, I think you are describing the city of cleveland as if it is only the portion that is downtown. There are many neighborhoods within the city that have decent supermarkets, drugstores, etc. I understand what you are saying in regards to doctors, but there are great small libraries in Ohio City, Tremont, etc. While Dave's is small, the gigantic 24-hr Giant Eagle is just 5 minutes away. Additionally, Steelyard Commons is very close. I think that you are buying into the misconception that living in the city is less convenient than living in the suburbs.

 

 

OMG are you serious!?  While that's kind of funny, I sure wouldn't let you sit for my kids if your solution to bad behavior is to drug them.  The problem is either a) that the parents don't discipline them, and they are wild children, in which case, not very good to babysit for them or b) that they behave for the parents, but think they can get away with murder with a babysitter (kind of like having a sub instead of your regular teacher), in which case you need to find out from the parents what the acceptable forms of discipline are in the home and utilize them without mercy.

OMG are you serious!?  While that's kind of funny, I sure wouldn't let you sit for my kids if your solution to bad behavior is to drug them.  The problem is either a) that the parents don't discipline them, and they are wild children, in which case, not very good to babysit for them or b) that they behave for the parents, but think they can get away with murder with a babysitter (kind of like having a sub instead of your regular teacher), in which case you need to find out from the parents what the acceptable forms of discipline are in the home and utilize them without mercy.

 

Bingo was his name-o.

 

They never discipline them and they think I'm too hard on them when I take away their toys after they throw them down the stairs and knock stuff over with them.

There are other reasons besides schools and "safety" (perceived or real concerns) that prevent some people from living in the city proper. I have considered moving into the city several times, but I would end up driving out to the suburbs for so many things, it's hard to have it make sense. For the things I purchase, the selection I need in places like drugstores and grocery stores and clothing stores, I'd be leaving all the time anyway. I also have well-established relationships with all my doctors (and I have quite a number of doctors I regularly see), and I'd be driving out to see them as well. It's not an "I love the suburbs, I hate the city" thing; the city just doesn't have what I need.

 

I can't tell you how many times I've walked to one of the CVS locations downtown to get something I need and they just don't have it. I go to my local CVS, there it is. And the groceries are just way too lacking/limited for me. Yes, the WSM is here, and I get a LOT of my fresh food there, but I buy other things at the grocery and they just don't have those things at places like Dave's. I like the smaller, more accessible libraries in the suburbs; the downtown one is such a behemoth, it's hard to navigate (especially with a small child, who will soon be walking around with me) and is quite often full of pretty undesirable characters.

 

It's part of a whole "lifestyle" thing I think; I like visiting and being a patron of things in the city, but for practical purposes as a lifestyle, it just doesn't work for me. It might have when I was younger and single, but I never considered it because of the expense. Now, with a husband and baby, it's almost completely out of the question.

 

I love Cleveland, and am always defending it to people. I spend the majority of my life IN the city since I work downtown and have for almost all of the nearly 20 years I've lived here, and I pay Cleveland taxes as well, so I feel like I'm a Clevelander, even if I live 15 miles south of the city center. I support and encourage those who want to live in the city, it just doesn't work for me personally.

 

With the examples you give, I think you are describing the city of cleveland as if it is only the portion that is downtown. There are many neighborhoods within the city that have decent supermarkets, drugstores, etc. I understand what you are saying in regards to doctors, but there are great small libraries in Ohio City, Tremont, etc. While Dave's is small, the gigantic 24-hr Giant Eagle is just 5 minutes away. Additionally, Steelyard Commons is very close.

 

 

That's a good point, but I've found from driving around so much that many of the grocery stores (for example) in other neighborhoods just do not stock the same things as the ones out in the far burbs.  There is a huge selection difference between, for example, the GE on snow road across from my gym and the one in strongsville.  I've found the same problem in Lakewood at their GE, and at the Warren Village one, where I actually left empty handed as there were too many things I needed that they didn't have.  The one in North Olmsted at Water Tower is also really great, and the one in Brunswick. But none of the ones closer in, that I've visited, have what I need. 

 

There might be a very nice library in Tremont or OC, but I'd still have to leave to go to the grocery, which is where I shop most often.  If they don't have San Marzano tomatoes or applegate farms lunchmeat or a wide variety of kashi products (including the new frozen entree which I've discovered is my favorite ever) or van's waffles or nature's path oats or lara bars or any number of hundreds of other things I can buy at my local GE, it's just another trip.

 

There is really nowhere in Steelyard Commons I shop.  I just looked at their tenant list, there is literally not one shop there that I go to.  I guess I go to a Famous Footwear about once a year, but that's about it.

You should take a look at the GE on 117th. It is huge and carries a wide variety of things. In regards to Steelyard--you don't shop at Target??  That is the cheapest place to find your frozen Kashi dinners. There is also a Target next to the 117 GE.

I do not shop at Target if I can at all help it, they are not much better than Wal-Mart.  I actually went there 2 weeks ago because I had a coupon for beech nut baby food and they don't carry it at GE or Heinen's and someone said they might at Target.  I was also looking for this interlocking rubber mat stuff for kids so they don't bang their heads on hardwood floors but they didn't have it, they had it at Lowe's.  I don't think I've been there except maybe 1 other time in the past year (and no, they did NOT have the newly released kashi meals that are available at my GE, which seem to be scarce in town, they just had a few of the old kind).  They also don't have the OJ I like to buy; they had the brand, but not the type.  It's not cheap if you have to drive to several stores to get what you need. 

 

 

It's not cheap if you have to drive to several stores to get what you need.  

 

That's why I go to 117. You can park in one spot and shop at both GE and Target.

 

I know the rubber mats that you speak of. I bought some from Target last summer. :)

 

LOL.  Maybe the target by me sucks, whereas the grocery store is good.  Ya never know.  My Mom refused the mats once she saw them anyway (didn't want to "mess up" her laminate floor) so it ended up being n/a.  But I mean, what would I buy at Target?  All their clothes seem to be targeted to teenagers or women who want to still be able to dress like teenagers, which is NOT flattering on my 41 year old ass. 

This Saturday is the Brecksville consignment sale.  My wife says this is the best one in the region. Nothing like getting stylish kids shoes for $1 that normally cost $35.

What do you guys think about giving kids medicine to knock them out when they're acting wild and crazy at 12:00AM? I was babysitting my nephews last night and the older one, "The Terrorist" wouldn't stop throwing giant toys down the stairs and the other one climbed up on the couch and started tearing up the blinds. I kept telling them "Stop the madness!! Stop the madness!!" They wouldn't stop so I made them stand in the corner. They wouldn't stop their Shinannigans even after I put in Monsters Vs. Aliens so I finally had enough. I said "that's it; Uncle Dave has something that's going to knock you two the hell out! "  I went in the medicine cabinet and found some NyQuil. The terrorist wouldn't drink it, even after I explained to him that it was cherry and tastes delicious; so I put it in a sippy cup and mixed it with kool-aid and he guzzled it down not knowing that it was laced. I gave them a very small dose but sure enough, 20 minutes later they stopped dead in their tracks and went to sleep. Problem solved.  :-D

 

There's better ways to handle this.  I certainly hope that was children's nyquill you gave them.  You have to be careful with cold medicines and children, especially the younger ones.  Some of those ingredients can be dangerous.  Like go to sleep and don't wake up dangerous depending on dose size and body weight.

 

Let me offer this pointer.  You have to understand that kids often get one last "wind" before they crash at night.  One minute they are bouncing off the walls and the next they are out cold.  The trick is just getting them to lay still.  A bedtime book usually does the trick.  Movies, not so much (unless it is a movie the kid has seen 100 times before).  Try and find a book that has more than 4 words on a page so you are not constantly flipping to new pages and, consequently, stimulating them with new pictures.  The best bed-time books have a higher text-picture ratio than, say, the average Dr. Suess book.  I have this great disney book which has about 20 bedtime stories in it, all the classics (Peter Pan, Snow White, Aladin, Little Mermain, Jungle Book, etc.).  I think it cost me about $15 at Toys R Us and has been worth every penny. 

LOL. Maybe the target by me sucks, whereas the grocery store is good. Ya never know. My Mom refused the mats once she saw them anyway (didn't want to "mess up" her laminate floor) so it ended up being n/a. But I mean, what would I buy at Target? All their clothes seem to be targeted to teenagers or women who want to still be able to dress like teenagers, which is NOT flattering on my 41 year old ass.

 

My usual shopping outing takes me to two different locations and four 'stores'. 

 

1. Park at Daves

2. Go to West Side Market for peanut butter, coffee, samosas and then to the produce area to buy Ohio-grown vegetables and apples.

3. Walk to Dave's to buy beer and wine (cheaper than other places)

4. Go to W.117 Giant Eagle for the rest of the groceries. Including the GE brand organic milk for the kids (cheapest gallon jugs in the region)

5. Walk next door to Target for select items (tolietries, diapers, cat food, Target brand skim milk, frozen dinners)

 

This may seem like a lot, but I enjoy it. I enjoy the market for so many reasons. The vendors know me and I always run into other people that I know. I also usually have my 4 yr old with me. Sometimes I also have the 2yr old as well.

See, that's really not a lot.    I love the WSM, my vendors know me as well, or at least they did when I went more regularly (before I got PG, mr. RNR took over WSM duties until recently).  I go once-twice a month.  When I get back to my hood, I go to GE, and then I have all the stuff I need.

 

I'd like to know what produce vendors you are buying from though, the vast, vast majority are NOT ohio-grown.  They buy from the same place the grocery stores buy produce, but they don't get to pick first.  Basketeria does have some organic and in season, some local, and I've seen a little local at Calabrese's, but those are the only ones.

 

 

This Saturday is the Brecksville consignment sale. My wife says this is the best one in the region. Nothing like getting stylish kids shoes for $1 that normally cost $35.

 

Actually, keep an eye open for the Parma one at Valley Forge H.S.  I think that one is even better. 

What do you guys think about giving kids medicine to knock them out when they're acting wild and crazy at 12:00AM? I was babysitting my nephews last night and the older one, "The Terrorist" wouldn't stop throwing giant toys down the stairs and the other one climbed up on the couch and started tearing up the blinds. I kept telling them "Stop the madness!! Stop the madness!!" They wouldn't stop so I made them stand in the corner. They wouldn't stop their Shinannigans even after I put in Monsters Vs. Aliens so I finally had enough. I said "that's it; Uncle Dave has something that's going to knock you two the hell out! "  I went in the medicine cabinet and found some NyQuil. The terrorist wouldn't drink it, even after I explained to him that it was cherry and tastes delicious; so I put it in a sippy cup and mixed it with kool-aid and he guzzled it down not knowing that it was laced. I gave them a very small dose but sure enough, 20 minutes later they stopped dead in their tracks and went to sleep. Problem solved.  :-D

I can't believe you did that! Was there any Scotch in the house?

BTW, in case anyone else shops there, the Athens market is moving.  To the burbs.  After 51 years in their location near the WSM, they are moving to Brookpark.  I think middle of this month.

What do you guys think about giving kids medicine to knock them out when they're acting wild and crazy at 12:00AM? I was babysitting my nephews last night and the older one, "The Terrorist" wouldn't stop throwing giant toys down the stairs and the other one climbed up on the couch and started tearing up the blinds. I kept telling them "Stop the madness!! Stop the madness!!" They wouldn't stop so I made them stand in the corner. They wouldn't stop their Shinannigans even after I put in Monsters Vs. Aliens so I finally had enough. I said "that's it; Uncle Dave has something that's going to knock you two the hell out! "  I went in the medicine cabinet and found some NyQuil. The terrorist wouldn't drink it, even after I explained to him that it was cherry and tastes delicious; so I put it in a sippy cup and mixed it with kool-aid and he guzzled it down not knowing that it was laced. I gave them a very small dose but sure enough, 20 minutes later they stopped dead in their tracks and went to sleep. Problem solved.  :-D

 

There's better ways to handle this.  I certainly hope that was children's nyquill you gave them.  You have to be careful with cold medicines and children, especially the younger ones.  Some of those ingredients can be dangerous.  Like go to sleep and don't wake up dangerous depending on dose size and body weight.

 

Let me offer this pointer.  You have to understand that kids often get one last "wind" before they crash at night.  One minute they are bouncing off the walls and the next they are out cold.  The trick is just getting them to lay still.  A bedtime book usually does the trick.  Movies, not so much (unless it is a movie the kid has seen 100 times before).  Try and find a book that has more than 4 words on a page so you are not constantly flipping to new pages and, consequently, stimulating them with new pictures.  The best bed-time books have a higher text-picture ratio than, say, the average Dr. Suess book.  I have this great disney book which has about 20 bedtime stories in it, all the classics (Peter Pan, Snow White, Aladin, Little Mermain, Jungle Book, etc.).  I think it cost me about $15 at Toys R Us and has been worth every penny. 

 

It was baby cough medicine, prescribed to one of them with all the dosage information listed. I only did it as a last resort. Nothing seems to calm them down; I think it's because my sister gives them so much sugar all day long. They beg for soda and she always gives in. Next time I'll try reading to them and see if that works.

 

I think you would have to give them an extremely large amount for them to not wake up. The last thing I would want is for that to happen. My sister said their doctor gives them liquid codein for really minor burns and stuff like that. That concerns me a hell of a lot more than dextromethorphan or however you pronounce the stuff they put in Nyquil.

This Saturday is the Brecksville consignment sale. My wife says this is the best one in the region. Nothing like getting stylish kids shoes for $1 that normally cost $35.

 

Actually, keep an eye open for the Parma one at Valley Forge H.S. I think that one is even better.

 

I started a separate thread about a big consignment sale I'm part of that's coming up in 2 weeks, I wonder if we should have these responses about other good sales moved there?

What do you guys think about giving kids medicine to knock them out when they're acting wild and crazy at 12:00AM? I was babysitting my nephews last night and the older one, "The Terrorist" wouldn't stop throwing giant toys down the stairs and the other one climbed up on the couch and started tearing up the blinds. I kept telling them "Stop the madness!! Stop the madness!!" They wouldn't stop so I made them stand in the corner. They wouldn't stop their Shinannigans even after I put in Monsters Vs. Aliens so I finally had enough. I said "that's it; Uncle Dave has something that's going to knock you two the hell out! " I went in the medicine cabinet and found some NyQuil. The terrorist wouldn't drink it, even after I explained to him that it was cherry and tastes delicious; so I put it in a sippy cup and mixed it with kool-aid and he guzzled it down not knowing that it was laced. I gave them a very small dose but sure enough, 20 minutes later they stopped dead in their tracks and went to sleep. Problem solved. :-D

 

There's better ways to handle this. I certainly hope that was children's nyquill you gave them. You have to be careful with cold medicines and children, especially the younger ones. Some of those ingredients can be dangerous. Like go to sleep and don't wake up dangerous depending on dose size and body weight.

 

Let me offer this pointer. You have to understand that kids often get one last "wind" before they crash at night. One minute they are bouncing off the walls and the next they are out cold. The trick is just getting them to lay still. A bedtime book usually does the trick. Movies, not so much (unless it is a movie the kid has seen 100 times before). Try and find a book that has more than 4 words on a page so you are not constantly flipping to new pages and, consequently, stimulating them with new pictures. The best bed-time books have a higher text-picture ratio than, say, the average Dr. Suess book. I have this great disney book which has about 20 bedtime stories in it, all the classics (Peter Pan, Snow White, Aladin, Little Mermain, Jungle Book, etc.). I think it cost me about $15 at Toys R Us and has been worth every penny.

 

It was baby cough medicine, prescribed to one of them with all the dosage information listed. I only did it as a last resort. Nothing seems to calm them down; I think it's because my sister gives them so much sugar all day long. They beg for soda and she always gives in. Next time I'll try reading to them and see if that works.

 

That's funny David.  Just be careful with that stuff man.  Probably wound up from being at their uncles house.  As a last resort, and not very often, maybe long car trips, childrens Ibuprofin is probably safer.  But I would not reccommend it because it is drugging.  Outside of teething, we have never really needed to use it.  htere are some nights during teething that I have found are unbearable...especcially the 2 year old molars I have found to be the worst. 

I edited my last post up-thread. You all are making me look like a bad uncle when their doctor gives them NARCOTICS?! bah! lol

 

 

 

That's funny David.  Just be careful with that stuff man.  Probably wound up from being at their uncles house.  As a last resort, and not very often, maybe long car trips, childrens Ibuprofin is probably safer.  But I would not reccommend it because it is drugging.  Outside of teething, we have never really needed to use it.  htere are some nights during teething that I have found are unbearable...especcially the 2 year old molars I have found to be the worst. 

 

Ibuprophen is liver toxic and bad for your kidneys and heart as well. Tylenol is also liver-toxic. Everything seems to be bad for you in some way. I just don't understand the holier-than-thou attitude about "drugging" children. I don't hear anyone preaching to parents about giving their kids 'happy meals' so they can end up with a scarred liver and diabetes. :x

And of course, we take the kids to alot of stuff in Downtown Cleveland and UC.  We try to stay away from the restaurants though, just becasue all 4 are under 5 yo. 

 

I hope you have at least one set of twins  :-o :-o

 

 

No twins, just not much break time between pregnancies.  My wife is a super trooper man.  Not to say she doesn't complain in the eighth and ninth month.  But man, she fights through it.  She tries to be pregnant in the winter for those months.  We are done though....hopefully. 

Ibuprophen is liver toxic and bad for your kidneys and heart as well. Tylenol is also liver-toxic. Everything seems to be bad for you in some way. I just don't understand the holier-than-thou attitude about "drugging" children. I don't hear anyone preaching to parents about giving their kids 'happy meals' so they can end up with a scarred liver and diabetes. :x

 

"Everything seems to be bad for you so I'll just do whatever I feel like" is not really a good argument IMO. It's like everything is bad for you, so I'm just going to wrap myself up in an electric blanket, eat bacon and smoke until I die of cancer.  It doesn't mean you shouldn't avoid unnecessary harm if possible.  Giving kids drugs to calm them down is not a good behavioral solution.  If you can't deal with their energy in a better way, or if they are unruly because their parents don't discipline them, I wouldn't babysit for them.  And PLENTY of people are preaching about how bad for you fast food is, particularly to children.  It's not a "holier than thou" attitude at all.  I am certainly not a child and I rarely take medicine unless it's really necessary. 

I edited my last post up-thread. You all are making me look like a bad uncle when their doctor gives them NARCOTICS?! bah! lol

 

 

 

That's funny David. Just be careful with that stuff man. Probably wound up from being at their uncles house. As a last resort, and not very often, maybe long car trips, childrens Ibuprofin is probably safer. But I would not reccommend it because it is drugging. Outside of teething, we have never really needed to use it. htere are some nights during teething that I have found are unbearable...especcially the 2 year old molars I have found to be the worst.

 

Ibuprophen is liver toxic and bad for your kidneys and heart as well. Tylenol is also liver-toxic. Everything seems to be bad for you in some way. I just don't understand the holier-than-thou attitude about "drugging" children. I don't hear anyone preaching to parents about giving their kids 'happy meals' so they can end up with a scarred liver and diabetes. :x

 

It's probably not so much the side effects of it, it is moreso the maturity of being able to withstand the kids, calm them down and get them to bed with out using drugs.  That's all.  I'm not picking on you, it's really something that just comes with experience and parenthood.  It's not easy man...but it is fun.  Just laugh about it.  And trust me, kids are tough, tough, tough, when they are at grandma and grandpa's or aunt and uncles.  I could imagine the time you were having!

I edited my last post up-thread. You all are making me look like a bad uncle when their doctor gives them NARCOTICS?! bah! lol

 

Well.... you did say that you "went in the medicine cabinet and found some NyQuil."  I suppose you were using NyQuil as just a generic term for "baby cough medicine".... but how are we supposed to know that.

 

And, to gotribe's response, I am not sure if I agree with the ibuprofen thing either but to each his own.  I have found that infant's tylenol is the best at breaking fevers (which my kid gets no matter what their sickness is.... self-defense mechanism his doctor tells me) and help them get a good night's rest.  For the teething thing, try freezing a towel and letting them chew on it... but there is really no way to totally avoid the misery you will feel as a parent during that stage.

I edited my last post up-thread. You all are making me look like a bad uncle when their doctor gives them NARCOTICS?! bah! lol

 

 

 

That's funny David.  Just be careful with that stuff man.  Probably wound up from being at their uncles house.  As a last resort, and not very often, maybe long car trips, childrens Ibuprofin is probably safer.  But I would not reccommend it because it is drugging.  Outside of teething, we have never really needed to use it.  htere are some nights during teething that I have found are unbearable...especcially the 2 year old molars I have found to be the worst. 

 

Ibuprophen is liver toxic and bad for your kidneys and heart as well. Tylenol is also liver-toxic. Everything seems to be bad for you in some way. I just don't understand the holier-than-thou attitude about "drugging" children. I don't hear anyone preaching to parents about giving their kids 'happy meals' so they can end up with a scarred liver and diabetes. :x

 

Yeah, I can't really endorse drugging the kids. Besides, if you're looking for pure, immobilizing narcotic effect, you can't go wrong with a Spongebob DVD.

 

More seriously, though, if you're actually putting kids down for the night, sometimes two (or more) will get into a silly spiral and NEVER get to sleep. In that case, it's a case of dividing and conquering. Immobilize one (with, say, Spongebob) and take the easy one to bed. HTS' advice about getting them to lie still is right on. I find what works is to remind them that the body does most of its growing at night, and if they want to wake up taller, they have to lay VERY still with their whole body laying still and arrow straight so their neck arms and legs know which way to grow. It also helps to see if they can listen very carefully to hear themselves growing. This helps regulate their breathing and center the mind on the body, not a million other places it's racing when a kid is having a spaz attack. Once you get one down, go to work on the other.

 

Also, your demeanor is very important. The crazy kid's prime directive is to break you: if you lose your cool, the child has won. Remain Gandhi f$&king Calm, and they won't know what to do. If they've never been disciplined, they won't respond to things like time out or 1-2-3 Magic, but it's very important to not threaten action that they know you can't carry out. Make it a cause and effect situation with a graspable punishment and walk them through the terms. Such as, "Do you like that toy? If you want to keep playing with it, you'll need to settle down. If you can't settle down, the toy goes away for an hour." An hour is real; an open ended-period of time, or a threat to throw the toy away, is not.

 

Remember: kids are capable of unspeakable evil. You will never beat them at their game, so you have to hit them where they live. If nothing else works, call your sister and tell her she needs to get home before family services does. You're under no obligation to give her kids their first taste of real parenting.

 

 

I find what works is to remind them that the body does most of its growing at night, and if they want to wake up taller, they have to lay VERY still with their whole body laying still and arrow straight so their neck arms and legs know which way to grow. It also helps to see if they can listen very carefully to hear themselves growing. This helps regulate their breathing and center the mind on the body, not a million other places it's racing when a kid is having a spaz attack. Once you get one down, go to work on the other.

 

THIS.  My Mother used to call it playing "stick" or "rock."  When you'd move or talk she'd go "sticks don't talk!"

Thanks for the advice.  I'm glad I brought this up.

All this talk about shopping I don't understand at all.  I prefer the small druggist and the large library not vice-versa.  Cincy's downtown library is fantastic for kids.  Heck, you pretty much drive to a grocery store no matter where you live in Ohio.  So you drive to a grocery/pharmacy once a week, but you drive to work every day.  Might as well live closer to work IMO. 

All this talk about shopping I don't understand at all. I prefer the small druggist and the large library not vice-versa. Cincy's downtown library is fantastic for kids. Heck, you pretty much drive to a grocery store no matter where you live in Ohio. So you drive to a grocery/pharmacy once a week, but you drive to work every day. Might as well live closer to work IMO.

 

I agree with you. I was just responding to RnR's preferences.

But I don't drive to work every day.  I take public transit.

I edited my last post up-thread. You all are making me look like a bad uncle when their doctor gives them NARCOTICS?! bah! lol

 

Well.... you did say that you "went in the medicine cabinet and found some NyQuil." I suppose you were using NyQuil as just a generic term for "baby cough medicine".... but how are we supposed to know that.

 

Well it says Dextromethorphan or whatever, on it. That's basically Nyquil. I'm not sweating it though; just having fun on the internet.

I edited my last post up-thread. You all are making me look like a bad uncle when their doctor gives them NARCOTICS?! bah! lol

 

Well.... you did say that you "went in the medicine cabinet and found some NyQuil."  I suppose you were using NyQuil as just a generic term for "baby cough medicine".... but how are we supposed to know that.

 

And, to gotribe's response, I am not sure if I agree with the ibuprofen thing either but to each his own.  I have found that infant's tylenol is the best at breaking fevers (which my kid gets no matter what their sickness is.... self-defense mechanism his doctor tells me) and help them get a good night's rest.  For the teething thing, try freezing a towel and letting them chew on it... but there is really no way to totally avoid the misery you will feel as a parent during that stage.

 

Yeah, we use the freezing towel, and that does help.  However, in the bad stage of teething when they end up getting the diarheah and then the fever, we definately use the ibuprofin...it may be tylenol, but I'm not sure.  It's red, that's all I know.  No matter what, they need a good night sleep, and it helps them with that.  There i sabsolutely nothing wrong with using medicine if it is being used for pain and illness.  Now cold and cough medicine on kids under two, NEVER.

Also, on a side note, I am two cans away of buying formula ever again!  I think we own half of Nestle by now.

Now onto your final crate of diapers.

BTW, in case anyone else shops there, the Athens market is moving. To the burbs. After 51 years in their location near the WSM, they are moving to Brookpark. I think middle of this month.

 

Terrible situation.  I don't know if it's Ari Maron's fault or theirs, but something should have been worked out.  I think they will lose a lot of business.  Athens is a staple in the neighborhood, especially for the 1300+ St. Ignatius students for lunch/after school sandwich.

BTW, in case anyone else shops there, the Athens market is moving. To the burbs. After 51 years in their location near the WSM, they are moving to Brookpark. I think middle of this month.

 

Brookpark Road is not exactly a thriving commercial corridor.

 

Terrible situation. I don't know if it's Ari Maron's fault or theirs, but something should have been worked out. I think they will lose a lot of business. Athens is a staple in the neighborhood, especially for the 1300+ St. Ignatius students for lunch/after school sandwich.

I have kind of always looked at it this way.  You can raise a kids that are 12 and under pretty much anywhere within the city, suburbia, or exurbia.  They tend to have fun with whatever Mom and Dad take them to do, and tend to follow Mom and Dad's instructions.  It the teen years tht you have to think about.  If they go to private high schools, you have to figure that most of their friends are going to be from suburbia.  I can say for Cleveland, most of the kids at Ignatius and Ed's are pretty much from the suburbs.  So, my take is, if you raise the kids in the city, to give them that actual city experience, inner city schools would be the place to send them.  I just think sending them to proivate schools within the sity would almost "de-urbanize" them if you will, due to the kids they are going to school with.  I know, as far as Cleveland goes, Ignatius and Ed's are screaming suburbia out the front doors.  House parties are in Westlake and Solon, not East Blvd and Tremont. 

 

I don't quite get your drift on this. Are you suggesting that if I send my kid to Ignatius for high school that I might as well must move out to Westlake? I think that there is a lot of value in raising a kid in Ohio City. If my son ends up going to Ignatius, I don't think that wipes out all the urban influences that his home neighborhood provides him.

 

 

 

As far as Ignatius goes the school itself and the teachers really promote the city of Cleveland at least when I attended there 6 years ago. Ignatius is what made me love this city because I use to walk around after school in Ohio City and sometimes took a bus downtown just to explore.

 

Ignatius also makes its students, a couple of times a year, walk down to St. John's in downtown as well as having a lot of other events that take place in and around the neighborhood and city. They took trips downtown for some classes like baseball literature where the field trip was to see an Indians game. In religion class they make the students volunteer either at a school, soup kitchen, etc and it was all within the inner city and many of the students enjoyed it. It's hard to find kids from Ignatius that don't have respect for the city or have no idea what the city has to offer. That also has to do with the parents who take their kids to things like the orchestra, a play, or a game but in general the teachers and the school always tried to promote the city and always had a positive outlook on it.

Gotribe,

 

I definitely wouldn't say "most of the kids at Ignatius" are pretty much from the suburbs.  I don't have exact statistics and I can't speak for St. Eds, but I know that there is a very sizable portion of students from within the city limits at St. Ignatius.

 

And Ctownrocks1 is absolutely right...they do a lot to promote the city of Cleveland.

All this talk about shopping I don't understand at all.  I prefer the small druggist and the large library not vice-versa.  Cincy's downtown library is fantastic for kids.  Heck, you pretty much drive to a grocery store no matter where you live in Ohio.  So you drive to a grocery/pharmacy once a week, but you drive to work every day.  Might as well live closer to work IMO. 

 

I agree.  I'm able to buy most  things I need in downtown Cincinnati, and it's nice to be able to walk a few blocks if I need to buy a gallon of milk.  I even have my prescriptions filled at the downtown Walgreen's.  The pharmacist there is one of the nicest and most helpful pharmacist I've met.  I totally agree about the grocery store.  If I'm stocking up on things, I would rather drive my car to a large grocery store anyways. 

 

When I was a kid, I usually went to the main library over the branch  ones.  My mom always drove me to the downtown one any time I had to do research for school projects.  I was so used to the main library that I felt lost whenever I stepped into a branch library.

Just laugh about it.   And trust me, kids are tough, tough, tough, when they are at grandma and grandpa's or aunt and uncles.  I could imagine the time you were having!

 

That's my whole philosophy for life now. I'm only 23 but I've been through hell and back due to a lot of things out of my control but I started to find humor in it :) I still love my nephews to death, even the terrorist. The best thing about kids is that even when they get on your nerves sometimes, they remind you to lighten up. They find humor and joy in everything around them. Nothing like taking them out to Galaxy or Chuck-E-Cheese and seeing their eyes light up like a pin-ball machine. 

Also, on a side note, I am two cans away of buying formula ever again!  I think we own half of Nestle by now.

Now onto your final crate of diapers.

 

Breastfeeding and cloth diapering here still. Woo hoo!  I sure hope we can keep the BF up as long as I want.  With his dairy problem, we'd be shelling out enormous money for one of those special formulas if we had to switch.