Your 6-Year-Old: Helping medicine go down

Helping medicine go down

We can send an astronaut to the moon, but we can't make medicine more palatable for kids? Many a parent has pleaded, cajoled, and bribed a child to get her to take her medicine, in the end resorting to a virtual hog-tie and force-feeding. There's got to be a better way! And there is.

Your 6-year-old now

Taking medicine is non-negotiable. But there's often a better way to deliver it. If you've got a resister on your hands, try some of these ideas:

Some medicines come in different forms: chewable pills, liquids, injections, even suppositories. Ask your child's doctor if there's a choice, and go for the one your child usually resists least.
Many pharmacies can flavor liquid medicines. Ask if yours will.
Give your child a Popsicle before she takes the medicine. It will chill her taste buds and make them less sensitive.
Try mixing the medicine with food or drinks, such as peanut butter, pudding, or juice. (Always ask the pharmacist if this is okay first.) Your child needs to eat or drink the whole thing to get the full dose, so offer very small amounts.
Tell her to hold her nose or drink through a straw to minimize the taste.
Try using a syringe. Kids like to push the plunger themselves, giving them control over just how quickly and how much medicine goes in at a time.
Offer a wee bribe: "As soon as you take the medicine we'll have milkshakes." Or "We can watch the princess movie right after you take this." Be sensitive to the unpleasant task ahead of your child, but firm.
Your life now

As school events and other activities begin to fill your family calendar, consider buying an actual wall calendar instead of recording everything only in your electronic datebook. Post it in a central location, such as the kitchen, so that your child can see it, too. You'll be helping her learn about time and dates while giving her the big picture about important family events.