From time to time, kids need to take medicine to recover from sicknesses. It’s a natural part of life, but it can be a major headache for parents. When kids are resistant to taking their medicine, you might find yourself grasping at straws, trying to find a way to get the kids to do what’s best. As a parent, you know what is best for your children, but you may not know how to get your kids’ cooperation.
Please! Always be aware that medication overdose is real and always follow the directions on the medicine and store in a place your child cannot reach.
Try these five tips for getting your kids to take their medicine.
- A Spoonful of Sugar
It may sound cliché, but a touch of sweetness does help the medicine go down. Many doctors recommend white grape juice as a medicine mask, and it seems to do a great job at covering up the taste of many medicines. Flavored yogurt and applesauce are other healthy options commonly used by parents. However, when all else fails, one tried and true tactic is to dip the medicine spoon in chocolate syrup before administering the cure. - Keep a Positive Attitude
Your children pick up on your subtle emotional cues and attitude changes, especially when the medicine is involved. If you treat the process as a chore or bring negative energy into the situation, your children will not be likely to cooperate. Maintain a positive attitude about your children’s medicine, and they will be more likely to follow suit. Keep a smile on your face and a spring in your step, and remember that medicine is supposed to make people feel better, not worse. - Consider the Future
Think about upcoming special occasions or favorite activities of your children. Remind them that if they don’t get better quickly, they’re going to miss out on a lot of fun. Things like birthday parties, weekend getaways, or even sports games are often enough to remind children what they’re missing. Convincing them to take their medicine will be much easier when your children are focused on recovering for the future rather than moping about the present. Always look forward to the light at the end of the tunnel. - Put the Kids in Control
As much as you may yearn for the carefree life of your childhood days, most children constantly reach for maturity. How often have you heard them declare that they are no longer babies? Put them in the driver’s seat for a change and let them take life for a test drive. Your children may be more likely to take their medicine if they feel like they are in control of the situation. Give this technique a try when your kids are sick. You might be surprised at how well it works. - Give Medicine a Makeover
There is a reason that gummy vitamins for adults, like smarty pants vitamins, are so popular today. People of all ages are more likely to take their medicine when it’s presented in a fun and attractive way. Give your child’s medicine a makeover to make it more appealing. Adding food coloring to liquid medicines can make them appear more inviting. You can’t much for pills and capsules, but transferring them to a fun container may help. Make your kids’ medicine look fun and cool, and they’ll be much more cooperative.