Tips for Getting Children (Toddlers) To Take Medicine

When mine were younger and took the liquid medicine I used the little freezer pops that you make at home. It is the plastic container shaped like a popcicle. I put fruit juice in that along with one dose of medicine and a popcicle stick. Come time for medicine they get a frozen treat and most of the time never even knew they were taking their medicine. Hope this helps and hope she gets to feeling better!

This was how I used to give my son [even when he was 1 and 2 years old and everyone used to be amazed. I used to say'' sweetie! you must take this medicine if you should become fine. There is no choice except to open your mouth.Whether you cry or protest, you have no choice. The medicine will be bitter, but you have to swallow it. '' I started this habit even before he could think and voice any protest, You must start this early on, when slowly resignation would sink in and the child will learn to accept things. It must be gentle firmness. I always used to rationally tell him anything and my darling angelic child used to listen. Of course if the little one screams you will feel bad but we have to do this .Isn't it?

My daughter use to be really bad about taken medicine when she was around 1 and 2. There was times we had to hold her down and it usually took two people. It was awful. I felt bad, but she had to take her medicine. You really have not choice. As bad as you might feel, just remember, sometimes as parents, we must do what we have to do. Now, I did get the problem fixed and my daughter did start taken her medicine just fine, but it took time. I would sit my daughter on the kitchen counter where she was eye level with me and I would let her watch me get the medicine all together and then I would tell her if she took this like a big girl, she would get a sticker. Most of the times she would take it because she wanted a sticker. I would also clap and do a little dance for her if she took it without a fight. Something else I use to do is I would let her hold the dropper herself and take it all on her own. And that actually worked the best and she was doing that by age 2. Then by age 3 we moved to the little cups that hold the medicine and she would drink it all on her own, even if it was nasty because she knew she would be rewarded. Now she is 5 and just does it if she has to have meds. All I can say is make it fun for her and maybe have a special treat/sticker or a favorite drink on hand for when she takes the medicine. And then do a happy/goofy dance afterwords. Good luck and if all else fails and nothing works, then try to just make sure another person is around to help hold her down and just be fast about it. I know it sucks this way, but I do hope it gets better. I been down that road. And another thing, sometimes mixing medicine with a drink can actually make the taste more nasty. I was also always told by doctors that if you put medicine into a drink, like milk or juice, or any drink at that, you wont get the right effect, expecially with antibiotics. So I wouldn't mix things or then she might not get well like she should. Just ask a doctor because I was told this years back. :)

Have you tried combined it with jam or fruit preserves? Even it were a pill, you could crush it into the mixture, but with a liquid, it should blend in with it fine.

one time my daughter had refused her medication and she sayd she didn't like the taste, i opened a freezy and poured the medicine in. i tried it first just a little lick and it didn't hide the taste at all, but i tried anyway and she took it. other than that we have switched to chewable pills instead. my daughter has no problem taking those but some meds don't come in that.

I have a nephew and when he was a toddler he had many ear infections so he had to take some medicine. We usually just went to him and gave him the medicine. Not saying something like "this is good for you" "you are going to feel better". The less information they have the less they will fight. Don´t say it is a medicine. I remember once my nephew asking my sister if it was the time to take his juice (and the juice was a syrup). At one point he knew it was something special and that he would take only if he was sick, but every time he took the medicine we would say something like "how nice boy"

Both of my little one's have an infection right now and the way I find it easiest to get them to take the medicine is by giving them the dropper to take it themselves . They are both toddlers and I believe this makes them feel somehow more independent . We made a big deal about how good the medicine taste and how this will make them feel so much better . We often give them a little treat after they have the medicine just so they have something to look forward to when they are done . I am not sure if this will work for you but hopefully you will find something on here as it is so hard to try and force your child to do something that you know they don't want to do and it is somehow so much worse when you know they are sick to begin with and all you want to do is confort them . Another tip you could try would be to put the medicine in a different container so your daughter doesn't recognize the bottle as the same one as the medicine she didn't like and see if she will take it thinking you are giving her something that taste better . Sometimes they can be fooled into thinking they really like something when they don't just because we tell them they like it . Best of luck .

Hi jfeets! It's a real feat trying to get those kids to take their medication. My 6 year old has always been the most stubborn of them all. We asked the phamacist what we could do. She suggested a syringe for liquid meds. You can still stick it between those lips, no matter how tight they clamp shut. :) Another thing I learned while giving steroids to my son for his asthesma, is to feed the child a popcicle or something really cold before the medication. We used those little Mr. Freeze pops or ice cubes. They numb the taste buds on the tounge enough so they don't taste the medication. The kids think they are getting a treat this way, because they don't get the popcicles that often! Otherwise, keep trying different mixes with the meds. 7-up/ sprite/ sierra mist is a great one to mix with. I'm not real big on giving my kids soda, but the bubbles detract from the flavor. I hope your little one gets better soon. It's not fun to be sick! :(

Yes its a tough thing to make them take their medicines, specially if they are really bitter , but forcing them to take it by holding them down, should be the last resort if nothing else works out. What i used to do with my kids was similar to what you're doing, though i used to try different flavours of juices so that she does not connect grape juice to medicine always, so that may work for you, incase you try other variety or some other flaovoured juice for her. Sometimes, if she was still on the bottle, i used to put the medicine in her last few sips of milk and feed her along with it, she hardly ever got to know as tail end of their feed they are nearly sleepy as a tis, but that was when she was in the bottle stage. When they got a little older, i used to sit and explain it to them and tried the reward method, like - talk to them and explain that its important for them to take the miedicine to become alright, and if they take it, mummy will give you a candy, things like that. Of course when they are older, they take it knowing or else they will not get well. SO it all depends on what you try and what fits best for you and your child.