CBS: CHICAGO — Three daycare workers who allegedly gave gummy bears that were laced with melatonin to a group of 2-year-old children to calm them down for nap time have been arrested, CBS Chicago reports. Police say the workers — identified as 32-year-old Kristen Lauletta, 19-year-old Jessica Heyse and 25-year-old Ashley Helfenbein — each face two counts of child endangerment and two counts of battery.
A manager at the Kiddie Junction Daycare Center told police one of the teachers had been distributing the laced gummy bears without authorization from parents.
“Allegedly, this was done in an effort to calm them down before nap time,” police said in a statement Monday. more
But if I give a girl something to calm her down before a “nap” everybody gotz ta get all swirled up about it?
Hey, hey, hey!
But smoking dope in front of children is okey dokey! For pete’s sake.
But isn’t melatonin an all natural health supplement?
My how things have changed. My teachers wouldn’t dare slip us illicit substances.
However, my 3rd grade teacher was quite fond of ‘drinking’ Listerine. Kept a fresh bottle locked in the file cabinet. Come to think of it, she’d get quite sleepy after she ‘gargled’.
In the old days [circa 1910] in Canada it was fairly common to put a small amount of booze into a child’s bottle to help them sleep.
My nephew got into a bottle of those must have eaten 6 or so, didn’t affect him at all.
Didn’t Barack Obama have the correct percentage of Melatonin and a crisp crease in his pant legs?…
But in the same city it’s perfect okey-dokey to let that 2-year-old’s 14-year-old sister have an abortion without telling her parents.
Not saying I condone it… but I understand the temptation
Two of those 3 daycare wardens are sporting faces of meth.
One word Valium
I have seven grandchildren that don’t like to sleep. I totally understand why they did it. I’m not getting into right or wrong, but I don’t see how it’s criminal.
I guess we should be lucky those three didn’t take the gummi bears instead.
Since when did melatonin become a dangerous substance?
It’s an over the counter substance and considered a dietary supplement.
The entire Internet is acting like they were being given OxyContin.
Not what I would have done, but I’d never be a daycare worker either.
Charging them with a crime is idiotic.
If the kids aren’t tired at nap time then maybe they shouldn’t have to take a nap?
Let them play outside, they will sleep when they are tired.
Day care workers don’t have any business giving kids anything without the parents OK. I’d say that doing so is at least approaching a criminal offense, probably crossing the threshold for it. What if melatonin doesn’t have the desired affect, try something a little stronger?
“Sleep, sleep, my pretties” – Wicked Witch of the West
I’d sue the tar out of the whole shebang and their workers, and I never sued anyone.
Back in the 90s when my daughter was little, I ran a licensed, state-inspected home daycare for kids age 2 and under, and I just went straight for the chloroform when the kids got rowdy.
Okay, not really. But I understand the temptation.
Even though it was 60 years ago I still remember nap time in kindergarten.
There is nothing in the world more wide-awake than a five year old…
@Joe6Pak & Plain Jane — Thank you! Many of the comments on this thread are concerning. NO ONE has a right to give a child any kind of drug or nutritional supplement without the parent’s consent. Ever. Common sense is in very short supply, but common sense would tell most of us that we don’t know what might harm a baby or toddler. I wouldn’t want a daycare worker to give my child even a vitamin without my say so.
Here’s a pretty good write up by a pediatrician about this non-regulated supplement and children: https://drcraigcanapari.com/should-my-child-take-melatonin-a-guide-for-parents/
For many parents it simply boils down to keeping a good schedule of sleep and pre-sleep routines in place for their kids. And it wouldn’t hurt the parents to practice them, too. Most two year-olds have no problem taking naps — usually twice a day — if they are allowed to get tired.