Kids do not like medicine— what else is new? Whether it is a treatment for a chronic condition, a generic medication for cold or allergies, children frequently need to take medicine but refuse to do so.
As a parent, you do not want to just force them to take it, because then they will not appreciate how important it is. Instead, you need to get them to take it willingly. The following five tactics will help get them on board and hopefully make your life a little easier.
1. Find the Right Flavoring
Many medicines are available in flavored versions, which your local pharmacist should have no trouble providing. If your child likes the taste, they will not have any reason not to take it. You should thus ask your pharmacist what flavors they have available, and then buy the medicine in the one your child likes best. For medicines that your child must take over a long period of time, you may want to get several flavors and switch them up.
2. Mix into Meals
Besides getting flavored versions, you can put normal medicine into food or drinks for your child. This is a great option for medicines that your child has to take on a regular schedule, since families tend to eat meals around the same time each day. But before you do this, talk to your doctor and make sure there is no risk in crushing the medicine, cooking it, or mixing it with other substances. However you work it into the meal, you should not be making it dangerous or ineffective.
3. Give Them a Choice
Kids do not like being told what to do, and who can blame them? While you should not allow them to choose whether to take medicine, you can let them decide how they go about taking it. Liquid medicines, for example, can be taken either from a dropper or from a cup. If you let your child decide which one, they will feel empowered, making them feel better about medicine.
4. Offer a Reward
They say a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down. And while you might not want to have your kids eat more sugar, you can promise them other rewards if they take medicine. Consider giving them a sticker or some other small prize. You could also offer long-term rewards. For example, tell your kid that if they take their medicine every day that week, you will take them out to a movie on the weekend.
5. Try Some Ice
Offer your kid an ice pop or a cold beverage right before giving them medicine. Cold temperatures numb the tongue’s taste buds, so your kids will not notice the unpleasant flavor that some medicines can have.
To learn more about getting your kids to take medicines and otherwise protecting their health, contact Smith-Caldwell Drug Store by calling us at (501) 404-2740. Our pharmacists can help you pick out the right medicine for your child.