The Dramamine Experiment

   When we first embarked on our foreign service life a couple pediatricians and several friends advised that we give the boys Benadryl to settle them down and help them sleep on the plane.  This was the basic result:

  I've been frightened to try any kind of child sedative ever since.  But I've had more recent advice from a few foreign service moms to try Dramamine, a motion sickness medicine that contains anti-histamine.

  A couple of these mothers said that their children also had hyperactive reactions to Benadryl, so I decided to give it a try.  As with the Benadryl experiment I have elected to give it a try before the 15 hour flight.  Sunday afternoon seems like as a good a time as any.  I've set them on the couch watching "Oliver and Company."  At 12:50 p.m. I tried to give each boy half a tablet as recommended by the box.  Zack took his quickly and easily; I only managed to get part of it down Gabriel.

  Observation time!  Results to come.

Well, it's been an hour and the results are pretty ambiguous.  Zack seems a little more subdued.  Gabriel seems normal, but that makes sense given that he didn't take the whole dose.  But the results are not negative, so I think I'll be willing to give it a shot on the airplane.  Maybe being strapped down in their seats and coaxed to sleep will work with medicinal help.  At least they're not bouncing off the walls like they were after Benadryl!