What do you do when your child refuses to take medicine? Getting our children to take medicine may be one of the hardest things that we have to do as parents. But it is still much better to deal with this situation than to have a sick child. We hate to see our children suffering from an illness.
“So if you want to know how to get children to take medicine without a fight, you are in the right place. Here are some tips”
1. Explain to them why they need to take medicine.
Kids are always curious, and if they have to do something against their own will, they get even more curious. It’s better to explain to your child the reason why they need to take their medicine. Tell them they need it so that they’d feel better. Tell them that it’s easier to take medicine than to stay in the hospital. Remind them that when they’re not sick, they can go out, play with their friends and have more fun.
2. Ask the doctor or pharmacist if they have liquid or chewable formulations.
Some medicines are available in liquid form or even chewable tablets. There are also capsules or pills that you can break into smaller pieces. These forms may be easier for your child to swallow. But always ask the doctor or the pharmacist first before you break the capsule or pill.
3. Teach bigger kids to swallow pills.Â
Bigger kids are sometimes given some pills instead of liquid medicine but not all kids can swallow pills easily. In this case, you have to learn how to get a child to take a pill. You can teach them to swallow a small piece of candy first. Or you can break the pill into smaller sizes. One expert even recommended blowing the child’s face gently to make them swallow.
4. Try to “mask” the flavor.
Kids don’t like to take medicine because it usually tastes bad. You may check with the pharmacist if there are available flavors, or if it’s possible to add flavoring to the medicine. You may also want to ask your child about the flavor that he or she likes if there are options.
5. Add medicine to their food.
You may ask, “Can I put medicine in baby milk?”. To be safe, ask your doctor if it’s okay. If it is, make sure not to put the medicine in too much liquid because if the baby doesn’t drink all the milk and there’s some leftover, it means he or she won’t get the full dose of the medicine.
Some parents crush the pill or open the capsule and mix it into food. It does wonders to hide not only the taste but also the medicine itself. However, you should ask the doctor if it’s okay to do this.
6. Chill the medicine.
If you’re wondering how to make liquid medicine taste better, try putting it in the refrigerator first. Chilled medicine tastes better. But make sure it’s okay to put the medicine in the fridge as some medicines should only be kept at room temperature.
7. Be creative.
If your child won’t take liquid medicine, try some creative ways to make him or her take it. One way is to put a small amount of honey or even chocolate syrup to hide the taste. Another is to dip a lollipop in the medicine so that the latter would taste sweet. If you’re giving the medicine to a baby, you can use the nipple from his or her milk bottle and put the nipple over the medicine dropper. Or you can use his or her pacifier.
Use these tips on how to get children to take medicine without a fight to make the situation less stressful for both you and your precious little ones. Keeping our kids healthy should be our priority.
Read also:
- Medicines for Babies and Children
- Flu Awareness to Your Kid’s Health
- How to Get a Toddler to Take Medicine?
