Parenting Tips On Getting Your Child To Take Medicine They Hate
Where the problem comes in is when your child does not like their medicine and does not want to take it. While you of course will give your child what the doctor prescribes but don't be afraid to ask about the taste and if you have a child that struggles to take a certain kind of medicine see if their is an alternative.
Yes we can force feed them their medicine but it is unpleasant for everyone and if your child gets upset enough they will just throw it back up anyway. Plus unless you are extremely proficient at this you may waste doses.
Anything you can do for your child to make it easier for them to take their medicine will get them healthier quicker and save you and them from some miserable moments.
I have found with liquids that don't taste good that if I have a drink ready with something sweet it seems to help, I have even been known to use a spoon full of sugar to help the medicine go down easier.
While no parent likes to do it you can plug your child's nose so they have to open their mouth and try it that way. If your quick it does work most of the time, but that doesn't solve the problem if they hate their chewables or can't swallow pills easy.
I finally resorted to bribery with the nasty tasting chewable medicine. We got a package of sweet tarts and she would have a sweet tart, follow it with the chewable, and then another sweet tart. This of course only works if you child likes this type of candy. But you can try others if you have to.
When it comes to pills that need to be swallowed that is sometimes tough for children to learn how to do. I have found that placing the pill in a spoonful of applesauce makes it easier for my daughter to get the pill down without choking.
I hope these tips help. Make sure you are firm when it comes to medicine, let them know that somehow someway the medicine must get into their tummy to make them feel better. But that doesn't mean you can't be sympathetic and follow the dosage with a whole lot of attention and love.
Robin Reckard, co-founder of Jorbins.com Lifestyle Magazine - http://www.jorbins.com/ keeps busy producing, writing, and editing for the magazine as well as raising and enjoying her six year old daughter. Be sure and visit Jorbins Baby and Parenting Section for other great parenting and child development articles. Lots of great Parenting Tips can be found there too.
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