Needed: a "How To" on Giving a 3 Y/o Medicine!

My 4 year old has medical problems and autism. She takes 4 medications per day. Pudding and cool whip works. Believe it or not, she has been taking pills for 2 years. I never thought it would work, but my DR. suggested I try it. Also, for tylenol my daughter takes the meltaways. They taste good and melt in the mouth. Hope this helps.

Show her how the syringe works and let her give it to herself. If that does not work, try what we used to do for babies: blow in her face while you put the medicine in her mouth. It makes them swallow. Bribery is always good in these situations, too. Reward her with something she loves: a sticker, a sip of chocolate milk, a couple M&Ms, whatever it takes to make the medicine go down. From a very health-conscious mom here, tho, I will warn, only give her medication if she really really needs it!

J....When my boys where little they wouldnt take meds either. So what I would do is give them alittle bit of flavored apple sauce and put the meds in there. Good Luck

My son who is now 5 had that same problem. He has been sick off n on all winter so i asked our family dr. what i can do and she suggested to just let him have a drink of something when he finished. I has asked her if it would dilute the meds and not have the full effect and she said no that it wouldn't. I started out giving him juice, and then when he didnt like the flavor of the medicine he has water on the side. I know exactly what u have gone thru. Good Luck to you.
C. M

I have a 3 y/o little girl who doesn't like to take medicine either, we can get her too, but it can be a challenge. The only way she will take it is if it is bubble gum flavored, because it tastes like candy, and if we give it to her in the squirty things you use for babies. When we can't find a medicine in bubble gum, we try to stick to something pink, she hates grape and refuses to take it, we let her wash it down with water, and that seems to help. I hope this helps and good luck.

There's a homeopathic remedy you can give in stressful situations, it's called RESCUE REMEDY. It's a spray. YOu can get it at fruitful yield or Whole Foods (in a yellow box). It's totally safe to use at the same time as prescription meds and has no side effects and will not cause any dependency. It can work instantly to get them to calm down. I use it on my baby when she's hysterical. I even use it on my dog who's stressed about riding in the car and stands the whole time. She lays down and relaxes after I give it to her.

My nine year old still has a hard time taking medicine. It can be very frustrating. I've been able to crush some medicine up and put it in his milk. I've also had his medicine flavored vanilla by the pharmacist, and mixed it up with vanilla yogurt, or a vanilla shake. All those seem to work pretty good. For tylenol I was able to buy the chewable tablets that taste like sweet tarts. They look and taste link candy, so that has helped. I also believe some cough medicines come in a frozen popsicle form too. Good luck.

I have given the medication mixed in with a sippie before with good results. Or... if it's liquid medication, put it in a "special" cup. If they're pills, crush them up, put them in applesauce and don't make a big deal about it.

Hi,

My nephew did the same thing. My sister would mix his meds into chocolate pudding. Hope this helps.

S.

We just went though the same thing when we all had influenza with 4 days of extreme fevers. I tricked my son into drinking his Children's Motrin by putting it into his glass of Gatorade. I'm sure juice would make a good "cocktail", too.

My 7 y.o. JUST grew out of this...thankfully! All he would take was Dimetapp. Luckily he hasn't had a fever in years because while he'd grown out of the "screaming crying" stage he would get the medicine down and psych himself into throwing it back up. Every single time. UGH!

He had strep in December and I figured him for a big fat shot, but he agreed to try the bubble-gum amoxil. He liked it so he took it. He has had an ear infection now for almost a month and the amoxil didn't work so he is on Omnicef, which is strawberry flavored. I was terrified that he wasn't going to take it, so I actually have made strawberry applesauce for him to take it. I use about 1/4 cup of applesauce, a spoonful of strawberry jello, and then the medicine dose. He loves it! I was afraid if he tried it alone he would throw it up and would not take it in the jello.

We tried the holding him down and syringing it in his mouth...when he was 3...and he threw it up. Not worth the drama for us.

Oh and my sister, whose son takes a ton of medicines, puts the medicine in juice boxes. Squirts it in the juice, mixes it up and then makes sure that the kid drinks it all. And he is not allowed juice boxes otherwise, so he doesn't know the taste is any different. (My kid never ever fell for this. Ever.)

Good luck. I feel your pain and frustration!

If it is liquid medicine, you can probably try to do a "tea party". If she doesn't know it is medicine, she may go along with it.

Well J., I have a 2 1/2 and 1 1/2 both girls and this is what I have done in the past. . . 1. Bribbery!!
My 2 1/2 LOVES taking her meds now, because once she is done I give her a Hersheys kiss or 2 M & Ms. As for the little one, she too gives a fuss, so I have to calmly wrap her in her blanket and give the medication in small doses by placing the syringe to the side of her mouth. It takes practice and I talk calmly and sweetly to her (to try to relax her). Instead of this becoming a crying fest, medicine time is now becoming a quick and easier task. Hope this helps.
Becca

Dear J.,

My three year old is the same way. I have to mix it in with choc/straw milk and I have to make sure that she doesn't see me. Since she loves straws, I give her a straw to use and she will suck it down in a heart beat, but I also make sure not to give to much at one time. As for some of the liquid meds that we aren't suppose to mix with milk, i put it in a syringe and let her do it herself and bribe her with a piece of candy or money. i hope this helps.
B.

My oldest was like this. We finally had some luck once he was old enough to take medicines in chewable for. Of course, this only worked for things like Tylenol and Ibuprofen, not antibiotics. Many of these meds will not have dosing info for children under 6, but if you check the actual concentration (mgs of medication), you can usually figure out what they need (for example, often it works to half the dose that an older child would get). But do have a pharmacist help you figure it out for the first time.

For prescriptions--many pharmacies will flavor the meds for you and have a lot of flavors to choose from. If the base medicine is not too bad, this may help the taste and if your daughter gets to choose the flavor, she may be happier to take it.

As a last resort, you can try mixing the meds in juice or applesauce or whatever, but that is risky since you can't be sure they took the whole dose unless they eat or drink all of whatever you mixed it in. Still, when they are that resistant, some is better than none.

Good luck!
--S.

At 3 she most likey does not use a pacifer. But I seen at Walmart they had a pacifer that you can put the liquid medicine in and they just suck on it like normal.
I have a 13 year old who still gives me a hard time, she did it this morning as a matter of fact. I talked her into eating a cookie right after. She use to throw it up like your daughter, also. Thank God that has stopped. Not sure about mixing it with the food, you don't want her to stop liking or eating something because it tast like the medicine she hates. What about the bubble gum flavored medicine?

They have some meds that are like a powder (almost like candy pixie stick) I give my daughter the mucenex like that is an idea

My 2 1/2 year old is the same way. Recently she had pneumonia and was horribly sick. She was refusing to even try the antibiotic. Wouldn't take any fluids either. My husband went out and bought grape soda (she'd never had soda before) and mixed her antibiotic with it in a small dixie cup. I was totally against it but it worked! I think it was another two days before I was able to get any other kind of fluid in her so I didn't mind giving her all that sugar. Good luck!

What finally worked for us was our pediatrician telling our daughter that if she did not take the medicine by mouth, he would have to give it to her in a shot. Honest talk from the doc (not mom and dad) was something she took seriously.

I agree about mixing the meds with food. If it is a liquid medicine mix it with some juice. If it is a pill, ask the doctor if you can crush it and mix it with applesauce, a mashed banana or her favorite soup. You might be able to mix in a small amount of spaghetti sauce that you put on her noodles. Just don't make a fight out of it because most kids will only become more resistant. Hope this helps.

Hi J.,
I had to ask the very same question to all the Mama's 2 years ago!
The one that worked for me was to put it in some pudding. Since my daughter like the little Snack Pac" puddings she never questioned it! Not to mention she thought it was great that she got a couple spoonfuls of pudding in the morning and before bed.
I bought the sugar free or lite pudding so I didn't feel so bad giving it to her.
It worked like a charm.
Good luck!
P.

We have to try to sneak it into my son's juice. Chocolate milk works really well too. We will only give him the choc milk when he gets medicine so he doesn't really know what choc milk tastes like without medicine in it. I know that sounds terrible but it works. I also tell the doctor when he gets a prescription because sometimes there are some medicines that taste better than others and he'll give the better tasting one.
Hope this helps!

I have a 3-yr-old son who is the SAME way! He hates medicine and throws a fit when I even mention the word! We, too, tried the holding him down and forcing the medicine in trick, but he threw it up. Every time.

So now we do mix the medicine with juice. Right now he doesn't take any medicine that isn't liquid. He's had a fever sporadically the past couple of days and the ibuprofin goes in his juice every time. He doesn't suspect a thing. I do make sure that I don't give him a whole cup; that way, he'll drink it straight down and get all the medicine at once like you're supposed to.

I really appreciate the other responses. I'll have to remember the advice for what to do about pills.

I wonder if using a dropper, while she is asleep and putting just a tiny drop at a time in....or do you think she'd wake to that? If she didn't wake from a suppository...her reflexes might take over and she just might take the medicine. I have a friend whose #2 girl was just like that and it was an unbelievable struggle...as you know! (we didn't think of a dropper at nighttime)

Hi, J.! I have a mentally retarded sister and my mom has been giving her medicine to her in applesauce, pudding, yogurt, and, although not the healthiest choice, cool whip for years. My sister gladly takes the cool whip always. And, it turns really cool colors with whatever the medicine color is and could even be swirly and cool. I hope this helps.

I agree with many of the other mom's...put it in a SMALL amount of drink or food (yogurt, applesauce, etc.) to make sure they get it all and to hide the taste. It works great with my 1yr. old and 5yr. old. Unforunatley for my 5yr. old this is a trick I just learned about 5 months ago. Good Luck.

A lot of medicines can be mixed with foods or an ounce of juice/ milk. Check with your local pharmacist to see.

Good luck.
N.

Here's some advice that I received from a pharmecist and then checked with my kids' pediatrician.....Both said that a teaspoon of hershey's syrup in the medicine cup will take away the sour taste and let kids drink the medicine. I've done it with my kids with the flavors that they do not like and it worked for them. Good luck.

I put liquid medicine in a small cup of grape juice, and my son gladly drinks it.

Ask the doctor to give you the medication in pill form. They make them in bubblegum and such. If she won't eat it straight then hide it in something she likes.
This isn't new to anyone that has had kids. At some time or another they will throw a fit because a. they aren't feeling well, b. it is something you want them to do and they don't wannaaaaaa.
Like visits to the doctor and the dentist. I always have sat down with my kids before the fuss starts and explained that some things are done to keep us from getting more sick and to help us stay well. They don't have to like it but they DO have to deal with it. Even at 3.
It sucks to be the parent some times. =) We ARE the necissary evil!

I have a three year son. Very Very Stubborn. But he gets it naturally. And at that age I have learned to pick my battles because they are so resistant to a variety of things. Now my son loves medicine, but I also use bribery and most of the time it works. I use candy as bribery and I know some parents don't like their children to have it, but I figure if he gets the medicine he needs a little sugar won't hurt him. However, should bribery be one tactic you have tried and it has failed maybe you could be a little sneakier. I have made homemade jiuce popcicles that have the right amost of dosage in them and they gobbled them up. I have put it in their juice as long as you coincide cherry juice with cherry flavored medicine my children have never acted as if they have noticed. Just remember that at 3 they will resist anything they can resist. Don't make it a battle. Offer it to them and when she refuses say okay and then sneak it in their juice. Eventually she won't have anything to resist against and grow right out of that stage. Good luck.

Hi. Peanut butter is great for pills. You crush them up and mix it in with peanut butter. I have tried peanut butter and jelly on crackers with this little trick as a snack. Of course don't let them see you do it. Liquid meds mixed in OJ or Grape juice. They have a strong flavor and can usually hide the flavor of the med. Another trick and you can do it with either pills or liquid is a smoothy. And again the biggest trick of this is not letting them see you do it. And make sure you pulverise the pill into a powder. At least they will get the med into them. Good luck

My 3 yr old takes lots of meds, and is really good about it, unless its a new med. What works for us is if you use a syringe, and it seems harsh, but hold them down, squeeze their cheeks together and squirt it into their inside cheek, 1cc at a time. You can tilt their head back and it should make them automatically swallow, if not, close their mouth and gently tap on the underside of their chin. Good luck!

My daughter was the same way and I mixed the medicine with her favorite drink.

Lots of great responses. I wonder if you are giving your daughter the liquid type. Have you tried to give her the chewable tablets? Maybe she'd feel like a big girl to do it herself. I would also suggest a different flavor. I have also seen medicine now in strips, like the listerine breath strips. But again, not all medicine will come that way.
Unfortunately my son thinks medicine tastes like candy. We went through a growing pains thing with his legs off and on for a while.
My daughter did not like the cherry flavor, but since switching to grape or gum, she is more cooperative.
If you do mix it with food/drink, I guess you would mix it with a small amount, to make sure it's all eaten, vs. mixing into a whole container/serving.