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How can I get my 3 year old to take her medicine?
I tried mixing it with juice, giving it to her slowly, mixing with food, and nothing helps. She is on an antibiotic for a skin infection and she has to take it. If she doesn't, the Doctor is going to her scrap off the dead skin at her next appointment. She is on liquid antibiotic. I asked her doctor for a low dosage pill so i can mix it in with applesauce after I grind it up or something, but she refused. The problem is she can smell the medicine.
We tried the syringe, and she she spits it right back out if the stuff out right after.
Mommyof 2, when we use the syringe it takes 3 of us to hold her down, and we go put it in the back of her mouth off to the one side. I am in a Medical Assistant and have been trained in giving children meds, but I don't like restaining my child. I have to do this three times a day, and I try to pick times when she is happy and awake. We punish her when she spits out by doing the time out method (only method that will work with her), but I hate punishing her for being sick, and not liking the taste of it. I think i will try to spagetti method. She loves it, and it's worth a shot.
3 Answers
- ?Lv 59 years agoFavorite Answer
I know you said you used a syringe, but where in her mouth did you squirt it. If you are holding her down and you probably would have to, then you should put the syringe in the very back of her mouth. Make sure you put it in the side of the mouth and not the middle. Anyway if it is in the very back then she would have no choice but to swallow it.
To be honest though I don't think you should have to go this far with a 3 year old to take meds. When do you give it? In AM or PM? If it does not matter to you or the Dr. when she takes it during the day then you need to think about when is she the least grumpy. If you attempt a time when she is not grumpy in a matter of fact way, she may actually just take it for you out of a medicine cup or she may think it is fun to take it out of a syringe herself. I know that if I spoke to my kids about their medicine as "Oh, no now it is time to take your med and I know you hate it, but you really really need it" then there is no way they will take it. If I go to my kid with the med and say "Here is your med, it is time to take it now," then they take it without fuss. Also think about what type of punishment would work for her if she refuses at that point. Um, taking away the TV for the whole next day or a favorite toy, etc. Another punishment would be if she refuses to take the med by say right after supper, then she should go straight on to bed right then. Get her ready for bed and put her right to bed early with no book or bears in bed or anything. You could tell her that you spoke to the Dr. and the Dr. said that if she would not take her medicine then she must just be way to tired to take it and she needs more sleep. So she will be going to bed right after supper every day that she does not take her medicine. She's 3 so she should understand this concept. Plus it is not like you are lying to her about the Dr. either. I know a Dr. who tells people to do this for various behavior problems and it works like a charm. His name is John Rosemonde.
I don't like to restrain children either, but I have had to restrain many while working as an RN in a pediatric unit. Also if the time out method works for her, then she should take the medicine no problem for fear of time out. If she is not taking it anyway even when you say "you need to take your med or you will have to go to time out" then apparently time out is not as big a deal to her as you may think. Good luck with the spaghetti method, I hope it works for you. Also you would not be punishing her for being sick, that would be silly, you are punishing her for not doing as she is told.
Source(s): Mom of a 4 year old and a 3 year old Rosemond.com - woollysheepLv 69 years ago
One of my children was like this and he had a number of infections that he needed antibiotics for. Eventually, in desperation, I got a syringe (without a needle) from the chemist, and held him down and squirted the medicine straight down his throat. It was all over in a couple of seconds and then he was fine.
- 9 years ago
My little one took scented medicine when I mixed it with Spaghetti. The smell dissappeared and the taste dissolved within the sauce. Good luck!
