Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
I still remember the taste of white and thick medication that my doctor used to prescribe whenever I had a fever as a child. The bottle of medication made me run and hide. Yet, even after hundreds of minutes of pleading, my parents used to end up feeding me the medicines.
As a kid, it very hard to intake those sour tablets and syrups. And at the same time, it is harder for parents to give medicines to their child. Not all children take the prescribed medicines in a proper way. Sometimes you (as a parent) require a lot of patience and have to be creative. Here are some amazing tricks and tips that will help you in giving medications to your child in an effective manner.
1. Give options and choices:
When kids fall ill, they lost their sense of taste and control. In this situation, you can provide them with choices. You can simply offer them the following options:
- How they want to take the medicines (directly or using a syringe)
- When to take it (while dressing or playing)
- Where they take it( while sitting on a couch watching television)
These simple options will make your child feel happy while taking the medicines.
2. Bypass the taste buds:
The sour taste of medicines is the main reason why kids don’t like medicines. They tend to spit out medicines that are bitter in taste. To avoid the situation many parents use droppers and syringes. This bypasses the taste buds. When my child once got a fever while I was in Chandigarh due to cold weather, I applied the same tactic for him and it works great for me.
How to apply the trick?
For droppers, rest the dropper halfway back to the tongue and make your child suck it. While using a syringe, slide it along the back of the mouth and squeeze it gently.
3. Avoid choking:
Take care of the quantity your child can intake at once to avoid choking. It is better to divide the dose into smaller parts. For small children and infants, squirt the medicines into the lower cheek to avoid choking. It is also advisable to provide medicines in a seated or upright position.
4. Conceal the taste:
It is an amazing trick. Adding flavors to the original taste of the medicines is very effective. Many PCD pharma in Chandigarh provides medicines by adding flavors of banana, watermelon, grapes etc. It can be a fun experience for children, now they can choose their own flavors and no more need to swallow bitter medicines as before.
5. Let them chill out:
When my child had a fever, I gave him a piece of ice to suck a bit before giving him medicines. The ice-piece helps numb his taste buds and the medicines go down effectively and smoothly. You can try ice-chips and ice pops since larger piece can cause choking hazards. You can also store some medicines like steroids in a fridge to minimize the bitterness.
6. Brief the importance of medicines:
If the child is old enough to understand, explain the importance of medicines and why he/she needs to take it. Explain them medicines helps them to feel better so that they go to school and enjoy and play with their friends.
7. Offer rewards:
We all like rewards, regardless of age. Isn’t it? You can motivate your kids to take medicines by incentives. You can offer them toys, stickers etc for taking the medicines. This rewards boost them to take up their medicines.
8. Consult your doctor for the medicine type:
If your child feels easy to take liquid medicines than chewable medicines, ask the doctor if the option available. Most of the medicines are available in both forms (tablet or syrups).
9. Be honest:
Yes, it is very important to be honest with your child while explaining him his medicines. Don’t lie by telling the medicines is going to taste yummy and all. And also never refer medicines as candy. It the medicines taste good, it increases the risk of overdosing. So, never do that.
The illness in kids leads to frustration and loss of control. Naturally, they are less likely to take their medicines. Maybe they feel miserable to cooperate or don’t like the taste of medicines or both. But in order to get well soon, they have to take medicines. So, next time when it’s time to give medications to your child, remember the less stressful and easier ways for both (you and your child).
Let me know if you have any doubt or want to add more points in the comment section below.
