When your toddler is sick, the last thing you want to do is struggle to get them to take their medicine. Luckily, there are some clever hacks every parent needs to know to make your toddler take liquid medicine a breeze.
So, What are medicine hacks for kids?
“Medicine hacks” for kids can include mixing medication with a favorite drink, using a syringe to administer liquid medication, and disguising pills in food. However, it is important to always follow medication instructions and consult a healthcare provider before altering dosages or administration methods.
In this blog post, we will discuss the best toddler medicine hacks.
How To Give Medicine To A Toddler Who Refuses?
Here are six effective strategies for assisting a toddler with taking his or her medicine:
1. Administering Medicine is Key
Giving your toddler a particular medication (child medicine/liquid medication) in a particular manner can make all the difference. The majority of toddlers dislike the appearance and fragrance of most medicines.
It’s not hard to understand why your parents feel the way they do if you recall what they forced you to ingest when you were younger. To begin, you may use a medicine dropper or a plastic syringe instead of a spoon.
This will alter the look and make it more commercial. Even if it only works a few times, it’s still worth a try, especially with a young child!
Second, try to hit the back of your toddler’s mouth with a full-dose dropper or syringe.
In this manner, they will not taste as much of the medicine and, even if they begin to chokea tiny bit, they will most likely administer medicine rather than spit it out since it is quite far down in their throat already!
2. Break it up
This is the best medicine hack for kids. Toddlers have been known to gag on a huge mouthful of medicine because it is too harsh or bitter for them.
Instead, break down the dose into smaller portions and deliver it over a shorter period.
3. Honesty is Key
Don’t be fooled by the name of your medicine. Resist the urge to call it candy and don’t suggest that it’ll taste nice when it won’t.
Instead, go in the opposite direction and explain exactly what it will accomplish.
When your child is around the age of three, you may begin to explain that medicine will make him or her feel better and that the discomfort will fade.
If you call medicine candy or anything sweet, you may be enabling them to look for it when you’re not there to taste it or even increase the risk of overdose.
4. Don’t react
Your toddler will mimic everything you do, so if you react badly to them taking the medicine or display a negative reaction towards it, they will as well. Instead, act naturally and attempt to be as happy and cheerful as possible.
If your toddler continues to refuse the medicine and it’s critical, this might be tough. Instead, try to shift the conversation and return to taking medicine after everything has calmed down.
5. Talk about it
Try to have more conversations with your child about medicine and doctors.
This may have a significant impact on how quickly they respond to any more special care and attention you may need to provide them. Be honest and transparent. And as mentioned above, do not refer to medicine as sugar water or candy. Tell them how it tastes.
If your toddler understands what’s going on, they’ll be less inclined to protest. Making it into a fun (of course, under supervision) game that they look forward to taking medication or supplements once a day is another option.
Playing make-believe and having them play the “taking medicine game” with their special jar are two examples of simple activities that will go over well.
6. Self-empowerment
Providing choices for toddlers greatly enhances their self-esteem, which is especially important given that they are still developing. If you can offer your toddler a choice, do so! Toddlers adore the ability to make decisions on their own.
You may, for example, ask your child to take their medicine using a dropper or a cup. They’re more inclined to comply if they believe it’s their choice, especially if you eat the entire portion yourself.
Let’s take a look at how to get a toddler to swallow his or her medicine without spitting it out.
Getting Toddlers To Take Medicine Who Refuses – 4 Alternative Medicine Hack For Kids
These 4 tips on getting a toddler to take medicine will hopefully make the process a little bit easier for both you and your child.
1. Dosage cups
These are for children who can drink from a cup without spilling it and can accurately fill the cup with medicine.
2. Dosing spoons
These will be ideal for a toddler who can drink from a cup unaided but still spills it. Make sure you have some wipes in handy just in case the baby spills the medicine.
3. Droppers
These are for toddlers who have yet to master drinking out of a cup.
4. Syringes
You may use an oral syringe to administer medicine to the back of a toddler’s or a very young baby’s mouth.
5 Secrets For Breaking Through A Toddler’s Resistance To Medicine
1. Choose Aim And Fire!
The tip of your tongue has the greatest concentration of taste buds, so try putting it in the back of the mouth rather than in the front. One of the clever toddler-proofing ideas is to drop medicine behind the teeth and try to hit it in the cheek.
In this way, the cure simply glides down the throat and then performs its magic!
2. Offer A Reward
Don’t go over the top, but a little reward will go a long way. This is especially true if the medication must be taken immediately.
Make it more interesting by using something intriguing (stickers to a reward chart) and you’ll be amazed at how quickly it makes a difference.
3. Give Them An Ice Lolly
For extremely hesitant youngsters who despise the taste of medicine, try this unusual approach. Allow them to suck on an ice lolly or some ice for a few moments before giving them the medicine.
This will numb their taste buds and make them less sensitive to extremely harsh medications, allowing them to ingest them with greater ease.
4. Hide it away
Double-check with your doctor whether it’s safe to conceal the prescription pill in foods or beverages.
You’ll be able to do this much more frequently than you think!
A glass of fruit juice or a spoonful of apple sauce or maple syrup is an excellent place to start.
5. Disguise the taste
Some pharmaceutical firms and well-known brands sell medicines with flavors that you may mix into them to conceal the flavor.
Watermelon, banana, or grape are the choices. Check with your local store to see if any of these selections are available.
Medicine Hack For Kids – What More Can You Do?
- If you force a child who is unable or unwilling to eat medicine, it may result in vomiting.
- If one fails to work, seek an alternative approach for getting toddlers to take medicine.
- If your child is suffering from chronic pain, be sure to visit your doctor and see if they have any alternatives for specific problematic drugs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Why is it so tough getting child to take medicine?
Ans: Because the taste is usually unpleasant, and no child wants to take something that tastes bad. Also, many medicines are bitter, and some have a strong smell. Some children may gag or vomit when taking medicine. If a child doesn’t want to take medicine, there are a few things you can do:
- Try using a mask or holding your child’s nose closed while you give the medicine.
- Try using a syringe or dropper to give the medicine one drop at a time.
- Try mixing the medicine with food or drink. Apple sauce or ice cream can help mask the taste of bitter medicines.
- Ask your pharmacist for flavored liquids or powders that can make taking medicine more pleasant.
Q2: Can’t get 2 year old to take medicine. What to do?
Ans: There are a few things you can do to try and get your 2-year-old to take medicine:
- Mix the medicine with something sweet like juice or syrup.
- Try crushing the medicine into a powder and mixing it with food.
- Give your child a toy or sticker after they take the medicine.
- Try making a game out of taking the medicine.
- If you’ve tried all of these things and your child still won’t take their medicine, you should talk to their doctor about other options.
Q3: What is the best way for getting babies to take medicine?
Ans: There is no single answer to this question as every baby is different and will respond to different methods in different ways.
However, some tips that may be helpful include holding the baby while administering the medicine, using a syringe or dropper to place the medicine directly into the baby’s mouth, or mixing the medicine with food or drink.
If you are struggling to get your baby to take medicine, it is always best to consult with a healthcare professional for advice.
Conclusion
There are a few things you can do to try and get your toddler to take their medicine, even if they are refusing.
First, see if you can find a child-friendly version of the medicine. There are many brands that offer medicines in different colors and flavors that may be more appealing to your toddler.
Second, try using a medicine dispenser that is designed specifically for toddlers. These dispensers often have characters on them that your toddler may be interested in, which can help make taking their medicine more fun.
Third, try giving your toddler their medicine with food or drink. Some toddlers may be more likely to take their medicine if it is mixed with something they already enjoy eating or drinking.
If you have tried all of these tips and your toddler still refuses to take their medicine, talk to their doctor about other options.
