Advice on How to Give a 3 Year Old Tylenal

My daughter hates grape flavored stuff too. Just go with liquid, cherry seems to go well as you have heard from other moms. There are some things my daughter doesn't like to take, for example when she was on Tamiflu...in those cases I was given the following advice, which worked like a charm: Mix with teaspoon of Chocolate Syrup, or Honey. :)

ok-I am sure everyone is going to think I am horrible for doing this and I will probably have people roll their eyes, but this is what I do because it works for me. I never bribe my daughter because I don't believe in it, but this is the one case I do....but I kind of only use it when necessary. If she is putting up a fuss, I tell her she can have a candy. I don't always have to do it. I remember being a kid and getting a sucker at the doctor when I got a shot - just the same concept I guess. :-)

I remember being a kid and my mom always trying to hide medicine in juice and it would just make me so mad. That is why I don't try to hide it in anything. You could offer it mixed with something, but I would tell her or let her make the choice of what it is put in. Let her have control.

Another thing that works for me is letting her give herself the medicine. This works well with liquids using a syringe. Switch back to liquid tylenol and give it a try. Sometimes it is all about control with three year old.

This happened with my son when he recently had swine flu. We had to force the liquid down his throat. It was awful, but better than him having a high fever! Try the liquid again and holding her down... Doesn't sound nice, I know, but remember it's for the best...
Just wanted to add that he takes it fine again - it was just when he was sick with the swine flu that he didn't want it. Weird.

I've had this issue on occasion with my kids, and I have no idea why they are fine one day and not ok with it the next.

We tend to stick mostly with the liquid meds. One of my sons didn't want me to give it to him, so I allowed him to use the dispenser after I measured it, and he sucked it right down every time. When I tried to give it to him - he hated it and fought me. It seemed to be a control issue for him. We also tried different types of dispensers (the test tube looking type, the syringe looking type, and the eyedropper) and he had a favorite.

We also tried the melt-in-your mouth type of little tablets or paper-like strips of meds. This is a big hit with all my kids, they love it!

None of them like the tablets too much, even if they are flavored.

When all else fails, I do mix it into a sweet drink or applesauce. I don't let them see me doing it. If they are very sick and unlikely to drink a large drink, I only give them a half serving of drink, so it's more likely they'll get all the meds.

And as a last resort, I use the eyedropper and hold them down and squirt it way to the back of their throat. Hate doing this, but it also works.

crush it up and try putting it in applesauce - yogurt, etc

N.
Wellness Coach

What about going back to liquid for a short time? For crushing the medicine you have, it is best to call a pharmacy and ask, some meds you can crush and others it can be dangerous especially with kids.

Kids at this age go through quirks and try to test boundaries (as kids this age will do) and this could be one of them, especially if she is trying to find independence. If you go back to liquid that is easier for them to swallow (if their fever is too high you can as a last resort pin them down to give the liquid to them - granted very last resort and only "if" their fever is too high!!! - you can always call the dr before you do that to see if that is the proper course to help with a very high fever). But if her fever is not too high maybe skip the medicine & give her a bath (if it is a low grade fever just let her ride it out). If she does not want a bath let her know that she has only 2 choices: medicine or bath and make sure you hold to that. No playing, tv, etc until she complies. Hope this helps, God Bless

At age 3 this is probably a power strugle. Take her to the Pharmacy and let her chose the Tylenol flavor she would take. Let her do it her self and let her chose how she wants to take it. My son use to like grape, now he wants buble gum. Good luck!

Hi T.-

I used to be a Nanny, today I'm a parent coach. When I was a Nanny my 3 year old charge said the chewable tylenol was "spicy". Later in an emergency, I took the same medication and it was "spicy".

Try liquid or a different flavor. We would give her a cup of water to wash out the taste too.

Good Luck-

R. Magby

My son has preferred swallowable pills since about that age (he met the weight req. though).

Other things we've done, before he was able to meet the dosage requirements for swallowable pills (or in a pinch when liquid/chewables are only what's available):

- Mixed liquid meds into hot chocolate
- Crushed pills and put them in OJ/Chocolate Syrup/Karo Syrup

Kids do that, especially when they are sick and three. If you can find a different delivery method (like liquid) so you can put it in her juice or that paper type thing it might work.

But she is three you know....

I sneak the chewables into my daughters vitamin bottle( she thinks her vitamins are candy)I sneak the liquid into her milk.Good luck

Ask her why she doesn't want to take it. If it's because of the taste let her swallow the pill whole, using lots of liquids to get it down fast, or crush it and put it in something with a strong good flavor. My granddaughter also started swallowing whole pills at this age. Her pediatrician was surprised but said that was no problem and wrote prescriptions for pills that had to be swallowed instead of liquid or chewable.

Giving her choices might help. Do you want to have water or juice after you chew this pill? Do you want to have the pill now or after you run around the room twice? Do you want the pill before or after you put on your jammies?

If she's being obstinate and willful give her a consequence. My daughter gives her kids a timeout. It seems that we're usually watching a movie when this happens at my house. I turn off the movie until the medicine is taken.

I agree that in this case it's OK to reward her for taking the medicine. Taking it is difficult for reasons that are not necessarily understood by us. My mother gave us a piece of candy after swallowing cod liver oil. It tasted so bad! For a chewable tylenol this time of year, hot chocolate seems reasonable.

Hi T.,

Have you tried crushing and putting it into juice? Maybe grape juice?

Good luck!
T.

will she take liquid? I give my 4 year old the liquid cherry and he is fine with it...maybe she doesnt like the flavor of the grape?