The medicine battle
Do you give children medicine and can it be a battle? The worst is when they refuse to take the medicine and you have to resort to creative methods, such as hiding it in their favourite food or drink. Luckily, there are some easy ways to ensure that your child is taking his/her medicine without too much fuss. Read on for five tips that will help you win the battle of giving children medicine.
5 Tips for Winning the Battle:
If you’re struggling to get your child to take their medicine, here are some tips that might help.
-Create a fun or tasty ritual around taking the medicine
-Make it into a game
-Offer incentives for completing the task
-Use shortcuts like Precision Oral Syringes for liquid medicines
-Give reminders before bedtime
Mix medicine with food or drink
One of the best ways to get your child to take their medicine is by mixing it with their favourite food or drink. One way to do this is to mix the medicine in a cup of milk, juice or water. This will make it easier for them to swallow the pill, as they’ll be distracted by the taste of what’s in their mouth.
Another way is to mix it with something sweet like ice cream, pudding, applesauce, or yoghurt. Again, this will distract them from what they are eating and drinking while also making them feel better because they are getting something they enjoy.
Give children medicine in a treat form
One of the easiest ways to give children medicine is by making it into a treat. When your child sees a yummy dessert, they’ll be more likely to eat it. So, if your child needs to take some medicine before bedtime, try doubling up as a “treat.” You can either buy a fun dessert from a shop or make something at home.
This tactic also works well for children who need to take their medicine during the day because they will forget they’re taking medicine and think they’re having an after-school snack.
Use an Oral Syringe to measure and give the correct dosage
If you don’t want to measure out the correct dosage from your child’s liquid medication, use an Oral Syringe to measure and give the correct dosage. It’s the easiest way to ensure that your child is getting the right amount of medicine. To ensure you get the child to take the medicine, try and slowly empty the syringe into the inside of the cheek or underneath the tongue. This can help to avoid a child spitting the medicine out:
- Choose the correct size of Oral Syringe
- Draw up the required dose
- Put Oral Syringe in mouth and into cheek or underneath tongue
- Slowly squeeze the medicine out and be aware of how the child is taking it
Trick your child by giving them medicine disguised as something else
One way to win the battle is by tricking your child. The best way to do this is to give them medicine disguised as something else. It could be a favourite drink or snack that you know they will eat. If your child can’t go a day without a soda, for example, try disguising the bitter taste of the medicine by adding it into a Coke or other fizzy drink. This method will take away from the medicinal flavour and make it more enjoyable for kids.
Buy medicines that taste good.
One of the easiest ways to get your child to take their medicine is by buying medicines that taste good. If your child doesn’t like the taste of the medication, they will be less likely to take it, and you’ll have a battle on your hands. You can find special children’s cold medications or other medicines that come in flavours such as grape, cherry, or strawberry.
For more advice, please visit the NHS website