How to Help a Child Take Medicine

Getting a young child to take medicine might be one of the most frustrating tasks a parent has to deal with. Let’s face it, the majority of medicines indeed taste nasty. So thus begins the crying, the tantrums and the screaming, which usually lead to half, if not all, the medicine spilling all over the place. It may also be difficult to get a child to learn to swallow a pill, which leaves parents wishing there was a better way. Here are some techniques a parent can implement to help a child take medicine.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Ice pop holder or ice tray
• Medicine syringe
• Applesauce, pudding or ice cream

1. Disguise the taste. This can be achieved by adding the dose of medicine to the child’s favorite fruit drink. However, use a small cup, add the medicine, then a small amount of juice and make sure the child drinks it down immediately. Do not leave the child unattended with the medicine dosed drink because they may not drink it all and this will defeat the purpose of giving them the medicine.
2. Freeze the medicine into an ice pop or ice cube. This can be done by mixing the dose into juice and then using ice pop holder or an ice tray to freeze the dose. Make individual doses ahead of time, but do not mix all the doses into one batch of juice because it will not evenly distribute. It is better to make each individual dose separately. Also, check with the doctor that the type of medicine does not lose its properties when frozen.
3. Use a medicine syringe. Draw up the correct dosage and let the child suck it out syringe at her own pace. Do not try to forcefully push the medicine into her mouth, because this will only make the child scared and defensive and the parent will wind up wearing the medicine when the child spits it back out.
4. Crush pills and add it to juice. Again, juice is a good way to lessen the bad taste of medicine and can also make it easier to administer a pill with ease. Crush the pill, dissolve it in a small amount of juice and then have the child suck it up through a straw or drink it down fast.
5. Add a crushed pill to applesauce, pudding or ice cream. Crush the pill, mix it into the chosen soft food and spoon it to the child.
6. Negotiate a deal with the child. Sometimes, a parent has to stoop to bribery in order to get the child to take the medicine. The bribery should not be with every dose, but rather make a deal that extends out till after the child is done with the required medicine. In other words, offer a reward to the child only when they succeed in taking the medicine without a battle and the reward will be given only after the child is better and done with the medicine. Now, this may not work for medicine a child may need to be on long-term, and therefore, the parent should try one of the other methods.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to help the child understand why he needs to take the medicine. Making children understand the importance might help them take the medicine without a fight.