It’s typical for children to love the yummy stuff while hating the yucky stuff. But, unfortunately, the yucky stuff can be good for them, as is the case with medicine. That’s why many parents scratch their heads a lot trying to figure out how to get kids to take medicine without triggering a war between them and the stubborn little ones.
If you’re wondering how to get a toddler to take medicine, the short answer is that you need some patience, creativity, and help from a pediatric care specialist. For the long answer, check out these ten stress-free tips for how to get kids to take medicine.
Show Your Child a Lot of Love
When your toddler won’t take medicine, it’s easy to get frustrated and impatient. You might be tempted to force the medicine down, but this only leads to more stressful situations. Kids can easily sense when you’re upset, and this affects them negatively.
The best approach is to adopt a positive demeanor. So, if your child spits out their medicine or draws their lips tighter than a purse-string, try your hardest not to lose your cool. You should relax your facial expression, so it doesn’t warn your toddler of unpleasant things to come.
Be kind to your child and remain cheerful if they’re defiant. When it comes to how to get kids to take medicine, this is the first step to a stress-free event.
Help Your Child Understand
Research shows that babies develop logical reasoning at an early age. So, if you’re wondering how to get kids to take medicine, you could try explaining how the whole process works in terms they understand. Let them know the medicine will help them feel better and remind them of all the fun things they will be able to do once the treatment has done its job.
This works better than pretending the medicine will taste like candy. You can fool kids once or a few times, but when they finally catch on, they will learn not to trust you. Another dangerous lie is referring to medicine as sweets. You can only imagine how your child won’t hesitate to gobble those “sweets” if they are left lying around.
However, once you tell them the truth and it clicks, you’ll usually never have a problem with your child turning their nose up at medicine.
Make it Yummy
When figuring out how to give baby medicine, you can’t always count on them being understandable. Kids that are too young to understand the importance of medicine need you to be more creative. Fortunately, there are many ways how to get kids to take medicine without giving them a clue about what’s going on.
When a toddler won’t take medicine, chances are they’re repulsed by the taste or find the texture strange. In that case, try getting flavored medicine or mixing the medicine in with food or a liquid your child loves. For instance, you can disguise the medicine’s taste by mixing it with small amounts of yogurt, chocolate syrup, or juice.
“However, be sure to seek advice from a qualified medical professional on whether it’s okay to mix specific prescriptions with food before doing so,” says Dr. Ana M. Hernandez- Puga .
Evade the Taste Buds
As mentioned, kids hate foul-tasting medicine. So, the trick to how to give baby medicine is to make sure they don’t taste the medicine. Simply minimize contact with the taste buds by placing the medicine as far back into the mouth as possible.
Use a syringe or dropper to drop the medicine slowly at the back of the tongue or the inside of the cheek. That way, it will trickle down the throat easily without aggravating the taste buds.
Another tip on how to get a toddler to take medicine is to have them suck on something cold like a popsicle or ice just before taking their medication. This numbs the taste buds so they don’t get in the way.
Make it Easy to Swallow
Sometimes your toddler won’t take medicine simply because they find it difficult to swallow. So, avoid squirting medicine directly at the back of the throat, as this can cause choking. Instead, drop the medicine along the inside of the cheek, close to the throat for easy swallowing. Don’t squirt too much medicine at once, but try to split each dose into smaller parts, so your child doesn’t have to gulp.
Find Better Alternatives
Before finding the perfect solution to how to give baby medicine, you might have to do some trial and error. For instance, you can discuss different techniques for medicine delivery with a qualified medical professional. A good old spoon works for some parents, while others have discovered that syringes and droppers work like magic.
Similarly, there are various medicine formulations for children, including chewable tablets, suppositories, and doses with a lower concentration or a different flavor. Be flexible and experiment until you find something that works for you and your child.
Give Your Child Some Control
When trying to get your child to take medicine, it’s essential to work with them, not against them. It’s typical for children to want control and independence, so give them options. That way, they will feel that they have some say in the matter, even if skipping the medicine is not an option.
You can ask them whether they want to take their medicine via a spoon, syringe, or some measuring device. Or you can ask them if they prefer medicine with a specific color or flavor. However, don’t let your child determine when to take the dose. Stick to prescribed times but give them some form of control within reason.
Make it Fun and Interesting
Your child doesn’t have to associate taking medicine with negative memories. Sometimes all you need is a little creativity to make things fun and memorable. For example, you can make funny faces, so they laugh or do a crazy dance and applaud them every time they take their medicine.
When you incorporate child’s play into medicine time, the distraction means your child won’t focus on the medicine and why they don’t want to take it.
Reward Your Child
Don’t think of rewards as bribery but more like an incentive to promote good behavior. A reward can be something as simple as a hug, a word of praise, or a sticker with a fitting message. Offering your child something can also be a way of saying sorry in instances where you have to force them to take their medicine.
This is only necessary for prescribed medication. Be gentle when restraining your child and keep them in an upright position until they swallow. Let them know you would appreciate their cooperation next time and do everything possible to show you love them.
Consult Dr. Ana M. Hernandez-Puga
As a parent, you must do your research to ensure you’re giving your kids medicine safely, even as you apply these tips. When in doubt or if you’re not sure what to do when your toddler refuses medicine, we strongly recommend contacting the best pediatrician in Miami.
Sometimes, your child may vomit after taking medicine, or their condition gets worse. In that case, you must contact Dr. Ana M. Hernandez-Puga as soon as possible. At Doctor Ana’s Pediatric Practice, we have years of experience with handling young patients compassionately and efficiently. We want you and your child to enjoy a stress-free experience, regardless of the treatment prescribed for them.
What do you think about these clever tips for getting kids to take their prescribed dose? If you love them, you’ll also love learning more about how Well Child visits can help your child. Fill in our contact form, and we will be in touch!
