Giving Eye Drops to Toddler?

Try waiting unitl she is asleep, like deeply asleep, she may wake up fast so do it as fast as you can! Good luck, I know how hard it can be to give a child eye drops!

Here is the secret!
Have her lay down and close her eyes like she is sleeping. place one drop in the corner of her eyes and then tell her to open them. The drop will slide right in like a dream! Good luck!

Hi Lisa!
Mine is 2.5 yr DD also. My tactics:
I would sit down eye level and explain to her over and over (as many times as it takes) that her eyes are ill, the drops are a must. It'll last a few days (?) and then she won't have to have the drops anymore.
Asking her for her "eyes & ears, please" in the simplest language possible, very calmly, touching her arms or hands so she knows I'm serious---but not scary. "The faster we do it, more still you are, the faster it's over."
Practice drops on a doll, let HER practice drops on a doll (saline drops, not the real thing of course).
Then LOTS & LOTS of praise if there's a successful application of the drops, maybe a treat.

I usually don't mention a reward until the task is done 'cause mine will focus on the treat instead of the task. "Wow, you did so great with your eye drops this morning, we have time to... eat another toaster pastry, or read another book, or watch a show..."

Good Luck & Good Mommin'!
A.

Wait til she is sleeping and good luck!

the best thing to do is to wait till she is sound asleep and before you put them in her eyes put it in your bra to warm up and it wont be so shocking. otherwise the only thing is to lay her on the floor and put your legs over her either in a kneeling position and all you can see is her head. this holds her still and you can get through it a lot quicker. i sit on the floor and put my legs over their chest and it is not pleasant but it is necessary. good luck and god bless

My husband is almost as bad as my daughter about getting drops in his eye. So I tried it the only we I can do it for him. I have them lay their head in my lap and close their eyes, then I put the drops in the corner of their eye. Tilt their head back a little so the drops run into the eye. It worked for my daughter, the conjunctivitis went away. It seems to better if they relax and don't have to watch it coming. Just explain what you're going to do in a calm voice, and maybe even show her what you mean by demonstrating on yourself (without actually using the drops).

Tough one. I had to just balance my bottom over my 2 and 3 year old's chest, while holding their shoulders and arms with my legs (hugging them down and against their sides. Then I would wait for them to calm down and ask them to close their eyes. Once closed you put the drops in the inside corners and when they open their eyes the medicine goes in all by itself. VERY VERY IMPORTANT CARRY THE DROPS IN YOUR POCKET FOR 5 MIN TO WARM THEM UP BEFORE PUTTING THEM IN.

Good luck it isn't easy but you'll make it.

My 19 month old has had pink eye a couple of times and it seems to be a little easier to give the drops at night and in the morning when he was preoccupied with a sippy of milk. I would sit in a chair hold him in the crook of my arm and when he laid back to enjoy his milk, I would quickly put a drop in the corner of each of his eyes. He couldn't wipe it easily because he was holding the cup. Good luck!

I have had my daughter lay her head in my lap and close her eyes. I then drop the drop in the inside corner of her eye and have her open them....the drops roll right in. I think the anticipation of the drop coming towards your eye while it's open is the worst part! It seems to have worked for us. Good luck!!

Hi Lisa, Just a thought, but try doing the drops when she's asleep.

Good luck!

We laid our little one down in our laps and would sing "Jeepers Creepers." We would get her excited for it by starting the song when we got the drops out and tried to distract her as much as possible with the silly song. It was a two person effort with one doing the drops and one holding her gently with her head in Daddy's lap.

Have her close her eyes and then put a drop or two of the medicine in the inside corner of her eye. Then have her blink. The medicine should slide right in and then repeat for the other eye. I have personally experienced this battle. It's frustrating but hopefully this will help. Good Luck!!

I know you already did this--but I wanted to share something my little sister taught me...when her kids need meds or things where they won't hold still, sometimes even diaper changes depending on the kid she sits with the childs head between her legs and holds their arms down with her legs, and if necessary also thier legs with her legs. they absolutely can't move, you don't have to worry about sitting or pushing too hard and you have your hands, both hands free to give the medicine etc. It was genius. I used it with my dd after she showed me--

I only do it when she is sleeping. then there is no fight.

My daughter was a baby but we dropped it on her nose and let it run into her eye. She ddn't like it, but it was better then trying to get the thing right up on her eye. Have you tried tickling him and stuf to make him silly happy and then sort of "springe" it on him while you got him pinned down. Just remeber pulling off bandaides when you were little...yank it fast and the pain went away. Surprise attchs work best. try not to make a bi deal. Just do it and get it done...then hug him letter saying he will see how muh better he will feel soon. Sorry...I mean soon...didn't read it was a gril at first.

I don't know if you ladies are aware of this or not. They make a version of conjunctivitis medicine that is an ointment instead of an eye drop. You just wipe the ointment accross/in eye. It ends up blurring your vision for 2-3 minutes, but it is soooooooo much easier than the drops. You don't have to worry about wasting medicine because you missed the eye. It only takes a second to swipe it in there, so there is a lot less struggle with the little ones. Next time your little ones have eye issues, you should ask your doctor for this option.

If you can do it while she is asleep that is easiest. But the best way when she is awake (Shown to us by our doc)is to have her close her eyes which she will naturally do when you hold her down (You will have to hold her down) put the drop in the corner of her eye. When she opens her eyes the drops will roll in. Remember to hold her hands down because it is also natural for them to wipe at their eyes and then wipe the meds out. It is no fun, but at least this way you aren't waisting the drops!

I am one of those moms that tries it all first, the soft approach but if it fails and it is medical related, sometimes you just have to pin her down and put the drops in.
I give my kids an option to help be part of the process, explain why it is so necessary for them to have the medicine and then if they refuse it is the hard way. Not what I am sure you wanted to hear, but at the same time power struggles when it comes to medicine are just not negotiable in my house! :) If you have to do it alone, you are going to have to find a position where she is laying in your lap, putting your leg gently over her arms and hold her head still and pull her eye lid down quickly. I am sure it seems disturbing and she isn't going to be happy. Give her a reward for doing it even with a struggle so she feels she was being helpful, even if she wasn't! :)
If you can I would get someone else to hold her down, as bad as that sounds and hold her arms down, pull down her eyelid and put the drops in. Tell her if she doesn't allow you, then you will call the Dr and he can tell her why it is so important and he can do it. Not to scare her about the Dr but at the same time my kids tend to listen to the Dr telling them vs me.
Good luck! :)