How To Get a Child to Take Medicine
Having a sick child at home is a difficult task. Not only do they need to be pampered and made comfortable, they also need to take in certain medications. Kids hate medicine because of its unpleasant taste. If your child is being difficult during medicine time, here are some helpful tips.
What You’ll Need:
Medicine
Small rewards
FlavoRX
Food or drink
Dosage syringe
Sit Down And Talk
Toddlers and babies would put up a struggle during medicine time, but for older kids, one way to convince them to take the stuff is by talking with them. Before you give the medicine, explain what you need to do carefully, so he’ll understand. Be very firm, and tell him what and why he needs to do it. This will create fuss, but if your child understands, he’ll cooperate. Besides, it’s better than sneaking up the medicine on him in the future.
Choose A Good-Tasting Medicine
You’ll be surprised to learn that there are some that don’t taste bad at all. As much as possible, look for a medicine brand that tastes good for your child. There are syrups and pills available for kiddies that come in different flavors, such as strawberry, grape and orange. Find out which of these taste best. As long as your kid doesn’t have to deal with the icky taste he ‘ll be willing to take the medicine.
There’s also a product that’s available in many drugstores, called FlavoRX, that works by making a medicine taste better. It comes in different flavors, such apple, cherry and watermelon, and only costs a few dollars. You don’t need a prescription to buy it.
Offer A Treat
Kids won’t pass up a reward, and will even take their medicine to get it. Offer a small prize for your child, in exchange for taking the medicine. It can be as simple as letting him watch the TV show he likes, or giving him candy (just make sure it won’t affect his illness). Sometimes, children also appreciate simple gestures such praising them for the deed, or even a hug or kiss. Say words like “I’m proud of you, sweetheart”, or “well done, dear”. Be sensitive and appreciative of your child.
One tip: material rewards aren’t ideal for children who have terminal illnesses; you might want to try other tactics.
Squirt The Medicine
Using a syringe to make the child ingest the medicine is a great tactic. Because the stuff won’t pass through the taste buds anymore, the taste would be lessened and your child might find this method agreeable. For pills, crush the pills first, then mix into a liquid foodstuff (such as applesauce).
Lay your child on your lap, then insert the syringe with the medicine in it. Aim for the back corner of the mouth. This helps him to swallow easier. Push the medicine a little at a time, so the child can swallow comfortably.
Disguise It
This is an effective tactic many parents use to make their child drink their medicine. If the above methods don’t work, this may be the best solution. There are three ways to do this:
Use chocolate - If your child’s illness isn’t very serious, or if he’s allowed to eat chocolate, then this is a good tactic. Dip a spoon in chocolate syrup, before you place the medicine on it. When your child takes in the spoon he only tastes the chocolate.
Hide it in his food - Mix the medicine in your child’s meal, such as in his applesauce, pudding or mashed potato. If it’s in pill form, crush the pill first before mixing in. Be careful with this tactic, though because she might associate the medicine taste with the food and dislike it, leading to picky-eating.
Mix it in his drink - This is similar to the food method, except you use your child’s favorite drink, such as fruit juice, milk or hot chocolate. Once the child recognizes the taste, though, it might mean trouble for you.
One final tip: maintain a happy and cheerful disposition during medicine time. This makes the child less worried, so he’ll give in to drinking the medicine.