How to Get 4 Yr Old to Take Medication

I had to end up telling my daughter at that age if she didn't take it for me, she would have to have shots to get better.

I agree with bribery and also letting her have control of it. I found after switching my daughter from the medicine dispenser to the regular medicine cups she had control and drank it right up. If the control thing is not the issue bribery. I would never mix it with anything as you will never know if she is getting the proper dosage.

I've been through my fair share of not wanting to take meds. I had most problems with my youngest but if I had my oldest pretend to take it first then my youngest took it no problem. Didn't always work, but sometimes it did. Thank goodness my oldest was a good sport about it.

Tell your 4 year old why she HAS to take her med. Tell her you undrestand how yucky it is, hold her hand and have a piece of her fav candy ready for the aftertaste. Make it clear she must take it.

ask your pediatrician or pharmacist to change it to the chewable form...same med, different form...my son always liked the chewable one, and it's easier to take on the go, whatever...it doesn't have to be refrigerated. If not, try a medication syringe rather than the little cup...you can just squirt it down.

good luck!
D.

My 2 and 1/2 year old son has been on antibiotics three times since mid January (sinus infection, conjunctivitis, ear infection). By the third time, he was refusing and I had to hold him down. However, for my husband, he would take it without too much fuss. So, my husband did the evening dose and I did the morning dose. I tried to do it after he had breakfast and was in a better mood. And I told him if he didn't take it he would get a timeout. That seemed to work. Good luck to you!

Both my girlst 6 and 3 have to take meds everyday. They are in capsule form and I mix it with some applesauce and then sprinkle a little bit of sugar on the top. LOL I make sure they see me put the sugar on the top. They take it pretty good. My 6 y/o HATES taking meds and will do ANYTHING not to have to take them...even liquid. So far the applesauce has worked, you could even use vanilla or chocolate pudding. The thing is they are gonna want to "chew" the granuales and that is what tastes so nasty. Now for liquid you can get it flavored, GRAPE/BUBBLE GUM IS THE BEST FOR ANYTHING. I suppose you could mix the liquid in with some pudding too.

You can teach a kid how to take meds really easy. I have started pill swallowing for my kids. LOL that doesn't sound good. Anyways, we start with nerds or pop rocks. They dissolve on your tongue and are small enough that they can swallow them without choking. As soon as they swallow it, I give an instant reward, usually a gummi bear or sticker and LOTS & LOTS of praise. Then when they get good at swallowing that, move up to something bigger until you get ready to try the pill. It takes some patience and work, but I've found that no matter how much reasoning and begging I do it doesn't seem to click with them. Keep it up, you'll find something that works.

When our oldest was little she had to take antibiotics too for several occasions so we ended up doing this:
we bought her favorite ice cream and for every spoon of medicine she took a spoonful of ice cream right after so the taste from the medicine wasn't so bad.
It worked like a charm and she always finished her treatment. I know we shouldn't bribe children with food/snacks but this is the only thing that worked for us, she would not take it any other way.

Now she is almost 9 years old and it's been years since we don't have to trick her, now she just drinks water with her medicines so don't worry about it creating a habit forever. by the way I tasted her antibiotics back then and the y were horrible, I felt bad for her!

Try making Popsicles. Good luck!

My kids had a range of responses to antibiotics when they were little, so I empathize with you! When my easiest-to-medicate child had earaches as a baby, I used to squirt the dropper-ful dose down his throat, getting the tip far enough back that he couldn't spit it out. Then I held his mouth shut . No, it never choked him! One thing that worked when the stubbornest child, then around 4, had to take an antibiotic but didn't want to, was explaining the alternative...an injection. No, not as a threat, but the antibiotic is necessary, so the means of delivery might need to change. Call your doctor and see if it's a possibility or if there is a chewable antibiotic that could be substituted. Good luck and hold fast! You have to win this one to get her over the ear infection!

Perhaps a little good old fashioned bribery? Is there something she really likes to eat/drink? Like a certain candy, soda? Allow her to have it AFTER she takes her medicine. I think a measuring syringe is the best thing to use at that age and my son liked to do it himself--maybe he didn't like feeling like he had no control over taking it?

bribery....that is what we have to do. I let my daughter pick a special candy. I know it is bad, but it works for the most part.

We are in the middle of a course of medication that is super super nasty and the DR recommended taking it mixed with hersheys syrup.

I have a few suggestions:

1. Call the pharmacist to see if you can even mix it with anything. Some drugs are completely compromised when mixed with certain foods. Before trying to sneak it into anything, please call and ask if it's even a wise decision.

2. Ask the pharmacist if they can flavor it - there are literally hundreds of flavors available to help kids take medicines easier.

3. Personally, I'd do the dropper in the mouth and the shutting of the mouth technique. My kids are really good medicine takers, though, so I haven't had to deal with this problem personally.

For 9 years, I sold injectible medications (Diabetes products) - the biggest issue we had was people being afraid of taking shots - please don't threaten to make her get a shot if she won't take it orally. A lot of medications can only be given by injection because of how the body processes them - threatening will only create a fear and an aversion should an injectible medication really be needed down the road.

I think the best advice you've received is to reason with her and really explain why she has to take it. Since this is her first time, she may just need to understand that sometimes things that don't taste too great can be really important for making her better.

Good luck.

Let her pretend to give her doll some first, then see if she'll try. Also, pretend to take it with her. Get a spoon and say, "on the count of 3 we'll do it together"

my son is on antibiotics and he is taking it all by himself now! The last time he was sick tho, he through fits so I ended up making him a "medicine milkshake." I used one of those yogurt kid drinks (which is also good for them while being on antibiotics) and mix in the medicine and then fill the rest of the cup with milk. He sucked down that drink so quickly! Hopefully you can find a way! It's no fun having sick kids :(

I would not recommend sneaking it in something. We tried that but if they catch on and refuse to eat it, then what? You have an even larger portion of something "yucky" to try to get in them. Try different delivery methods - spoon, syringe, medicine cup, to see which works best and give them a bite of something yummy everytime they take a little sip. They can't do anything else until it is gone. You have to stick with it! - not fun I know, but it has to be done.

Tell her if she takes her med, she can have a piece of candy,or her favorite food,movie ect.praise her for taking her med.I use too have a sticker board on my frig, when my son was young. when he took his med he would get a sticker of his choice too put on the board. He thought it was a big reward.Did not have trouble getting him to take his meds.After I started the sticker rewards thing..It also worked for behavior.Try it ,it might work for you. He had ear infections so much we had his adenoid buds taken off, and tubes put in.Also get a ears ,nose and throat doctor.I used DR Sprik. He was a life saver for us.

did you have the pharmacy flavor it? Most pharmacies can make it any flavor you want! take her in to see the list and have her pick out her favorite!
also...do it out of a syringe type dispenser, and let her give it to herself. My daughter didn't like the feel of someone pouring it in her mouth, but she'd suck on the syringe thing and take it that way.