5 Tips to Get Your Children to Take Medicine Without Hassle

 It's not uncommon for the average child to get sick up to 8 times every year. From common colds to stomach bugs, kids are often more prone to getting sick than adults.

When your child is sick, you'll do just about anything to make them feel better. Parents will often do everything from taking off work to take their kids to the doctor to purchasing the best medicine money can buy if it means getting their kids back to normal.

It's not always easy for parents to get their children to take medicine, though. Some kids will outright refuse to swallow a single dose of medicine, no matter how hard their parents try to get them to do it.

Here is a caution about children and over the counter medicine overdose.

Are you experiencing this problem at the moment? Here are five tips to get your children to take medicine without the usual hassle.

5 Tips to Get Your Children to Take Medicine Without Hassle

Pick Out the Right Flavor Medicine for Your Child

For years now, pharmacies have been helping kids to take medicine by adding flavors to their liquid medicine. Cherry, grape, and bubblegum have become some of the most popular flavors.

But these days, there are also lots of other flavors that parents can choose from when they ask a pharmacy to fill a prescription for their child. These flavors include lemon, watermelon, and in some cases, even options like root beer!

If there's a flavor that your child loves, ask your pharmacist if there's a way to add that flavor to their medicine. They won't mind taking medicine as much when you've taken the time to add flavoring to it.

Put Your Child's Medicine in the Fridge Before Giving It to Them

If you drink almost anything when it's room temperature, it's not going to taste as good as it would when it's cold. This applies to water, juice, and, yes, even liquid medicine.

As soon as you pick your child's medication up from the pharmacy, you should bring it home and pop it right into the refrigerator. This will cool it down and make it easier for your child to take it.

There are even some parents who have started to pour liquid medicine over crushed ice for their kids. Your child will have a blast taking their medicine when you make it feel like they're getting a special treat when they take it.

Mentally Prepare Your Child to Take Medicine

When you know that your child doesn't like to take medicine, you might get into the habit of waiting until the very last minute to tell them that they have to take it. More often than not, this leads to them throwing a tantrum in the middle of your kitchen.

While taking this approach might seem like the easiest option for you, you should consider talking to your kids about taking medicine ahead of time. This will give them some time to prepare for what's to come mentally.

You should also let them know about some fun activities you're going to do after they're finished taking their medicine. Say something like, "We're going to give you your medicine in 10 minutes—and then we're going to take a walk over to the park!"

This will get them excited for what's to come as opposed to making them dread medicine time.

Trick Your Child's Taste Buds Into Enjoying Medicine

If your child hates the taste of their medicine after they take it the first time, you're going to be in for an uphill battle when it comes time to give them their next dose. They're going to fight tooth and nail when they hate the taste of their medicine.

There's a way to trick their taste buds into enjoying their medicine more right from the start. You can attempt to get out ahead of the bad taste of the medicine by coating their tongues with something else.

Some parents will give their kids a drizzle of honey to eat before giving them their medicine. Others will pour a little bit of chocolate syrup into their kids' mouths before providing them with their medicine.

These things can mask the taste of the medicine and make taking it more enjoyable for kids. They might even start to look forward to it over time.

Set a Great Example When You Take Medicine Yourself

 

Do you complain about having to take medicine when you're sick? If so, that could be a big reason why you struggle so much to get your child to take medicine.

You should do your best to set a great example for your kids when it comes to taking medicine. 

Your kids likely look up to you and emulate you in so many different ways. It's why you should go out of your way to set a positive example for them when taking medicine.

You might even want to take your regular prescription drugs at the same time as they're taking their medicine, so they feel like you're in this together. It's an effective way to illustrate the importance of taking medicine to your kids.

Giving Medicine to a Sick Child Doesn't Have to Be a Huge Hassle

For a parent, there's nothing worse than having a sick child on your hands. You'll often feel sick to your stomach when you have to sit and watch your child suffer from an illness.

Having a sick child at home can also be very frustrating for parents who struggle to get their kids to take medicine. Some of them end up yelling at their sick kids after they steadfastly refuse to take the medicine that was prescribed by their doctor.

Use the tips listed here to make it easier to give medicine to your kids. You won't have to fight with them all the time over it when you put these tips to the test.

Read our blog for more tips that'll help you keep your kids and your whole family healthier.