Welcome to our first Monday Consult. Each week I'll look for an expert to answer your most pressing questions about parenting. Because he was this blog's very first commenter -- and had an interesting question -- this week's answer goes out to Hugh, whose 4-year-old daughter has been begging for Children's Motrin when she's clearly not sick.

For this question, I turned to Dr. Daniel Levy, a pediatrician in Owings Mills and president of the Maryland chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Here's his e-mailed reply:

"With respect to your little 4 year old who loves Motrin, the most important issue here is safety. All medications should be stored in locked cabinets away from prying little hands and eyes. Kids should also know that any medication should only be given by a parent or caretaker.

"The second issue your reader raises is one of tantrums and feigned illness. The key to both items is this: Children are very process-oriented with their parents. That is, they pay most attention to facial expression, tone of voice, and gestures. If a parent maintains composure, speaks in an even voice, and reacts to what is being experienced instead of the content of the child's words, the child will soon learn to regulate her mood and behavior. In this instance, one might say, 'it looks like you are very upset, but I know you are not sick, and we give this medicine only when you have fever.' End of discussion. It is not necessary to have a whole repartee with a 4 year old.

"While the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend any of the cough and cold medications, medication to relieve pain or fever is still useful to ameliorate a child's discomfort. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are both wonderful, safe products when given in doses recommended by the child's health care provider."

(Photo by me)