Giving Medicine - Lehigh Acres,FL

This sounds silly but we always pretend to give the medicine to my 3 year old daughter's baby doll (or stuffed animal) first. We play it up. "Come on, baby doll. Don't be scared. It's just medicine. It makes you feel better." The baby doll won't take it. A few more attempts with the baby doll. And then I say to my daughter. "She won't take it. She's too scared. Can you show her how you do it?" Boom! Medicine gone. Works every time!

Best,
T. Y

Have his favorite drink or food ready - something to make the taste go away FAST, and it's also a reward for taking the medicine.

Be honest - it tastes yucky, even grownups have to take yucky medicine, but it's to make the germs that make you sick get out of your body.

And give him the power. This worked like a charm for us, and I started doing it at this age.

If you have th syringe thing - most pharmacies give them for kids - put the medicine in it and give it to HIM so he can give it to HIMSELF. He can practice with water or something. He can give water to you with it. Let HIM do it.

He HAS to take it, but if HE can give it to himself, it's not a battle. You're supporting him. And seriously, have that drink or yogurt or whatever RIGHT THERE so as soon as that medicine is in his mouth, he can shove the good tasting stuff in there to make the taste go away.

And praise the heck out of him for "doing such a good job taking care of himself, even though it tasted yucky" - because that's what he did :)

What Patricia G said. Exactly. I never had a problem with my kids taking medicine. Even my child who turned out to be picky about food (and also extremely stubborn). Sometimes you have to be very patient, but if you don't make not taking the medicine even be an option that's discussed... just "matter of fact" the whole way... then eventually, they will screw up the courage to just take it. IF you let them have some control, and IF you provide a "chaser" RIGHT THERE ready the second they swallow.

If you are trying to break a fever then try the chewable Tylenol or Advil. Sometimes you can get other medicines, such as antibiotics, in a gummie form. My kids hated the liquid medicines but loved the chewable.

I found with liquid meds, if I put them in a medicine cup that THEY could be in control of, things went more smoothly. I followed the 'shot' with a favorite juice chaser.

best!

The fever is his body fighting off whatever bug he got. As long as the fever isn't super high (103-104), let his body do whatever it needs to do. If the medicine distresses him more than the fever, don't give him the medicine. (This only applies to analgesics, not antibiotics.)

Did you talk to the pharmacist about different flavors? There are usually 20 or more to choose from.

I would see if there are other remedies that might work instead of medicine. For example, for a low grade fever you might try a cool bath instead. If it is medicine that he absolutely needs, try giving him some control and offer something he likes to help get the taste out of his mouth and double as a reward for taking it.

I'm with those who say give him the control, and a reward to earn. My son is particular about how he wants it - in a syringe, not a little cup, and he wants to do the syringe himself. But if he can do it on his own terms, he will take it.

Good luck

Can you have a drink ready for him right after? I even have a nice glass of water to wash down the taste after I take medicine and I'm 32. My kids don't fight me to take medicine, never really have, but we always did the favorite drink right after. Unless it was counteractive to the medicine.

They also like to have control of the situation. So let him give it to himself. If you get your meds filled at Target, I think those come with the fun top where you can turn the bottle upside down to get the meds?? If so, let him help you fill the syringe and get it to the right level. And then prepare him, sympathize. Yes, I know this is gross, but it will make you feel better so you have to take it.

Is this over the counter fever reducers? My sons love the grape flavor but if I accidentally by berry that both refuse it, so you may want to try a different flavor. I put it in the syringe that come with it and let them actually push the plunger. They like being able to do the plunger themselves.

I would ask him what he is afraid of. If he doesn't like the taste, then have something yummy handy after he's taken the full dose, like a hershey's kiss, s that he can get the taste out of his mouth. Explain to him that you know he is not feeling better and that medicine isn't yummy but it's important to make him feel better. I told my DD "Yeah, the cough syrup is awful - adult version, too - but that's to discourage people from taking too much and hurting themselves." So she deals with it and drinks juice immediately thereafter. If the fever is not super high (like 100 vs 104), then I would let it go and simply say you have medicine and when he's ready to take it like a big boy, you can help him feel better. And then I'd give Ibuprofen b/c it lasts longer.