How to get kids to take medicine is really a difficult question for many parents. Children may be rebellious when it comes to taking medicine that is unpleasant in sight, smell and taste. It is always better for parents to approach children cautiously when it is time to give them a daily dose of something bitter. A number of helpful tips to assist parents in conquering their reluctant youngsters have are discussed in detail below.

How to Get Kids to Take Medicine

1. Explain the Benefits

One strategy is to repeat the benefits of medicine in detail, which will inspire a sick child to put up with the bitter taste in order to feel better again. Talk to children about how just a little bit of regular medicine will help them to become healthy enough to discontinue the medicine use.

2. Make Medicine Tastier

Some medicines can be shifted and consumed in different quantities according to their need and the instructions given by doctors. Parents can consult doctors for providing approvals for use of different strategies to make medicine more appealing for children. For example, refrigerating a liquid dose or administering medicine with juice or other beverages to disguise the unpleasant taste.

3. Give Choices to Your Children

Offering kids choices can give them a form of control over their condition. If a child suspects that he or she is being forced into doing something he or she does not want to do, the task can become quite difficult. Coercion can work wonders if used with the right strategy. A choice between choosing the beverage with which to take medicine can help give them an idea of familiarity and excitement, which makes it easier for them to accept medicine. You can also tell them they can choose between a new book and extra television time if they take their medicine. This technique is one of the most effective when answering how to get kids to take medicine.

4. Involve Your Children

Giving children an idea of what will happen can help them get involved and familiar with how the medicine administration works. Administering medicine in a playful scene can also encourage children into accepting the situation.

When it comes to disease in children which require daily medications to be administered on a timely basis, it is often best for parents to make the kids know about the possible implications of not taking his or her proper medication. Sometimes, the truth works better than any strategy.

5. Make the Medicine Colorful

Children are attracted to colors: colorful patterns, vibrant clothes, exotic jewelry, glittery cosmetics; you name it and they love it. When it comes to medication, the same idea is applicable. Children prefer drinking or taking medicine that is attractive in its outward appearance. Pale pink compared to a fruity red is going to be dull, boring and unpleasant. A change to vibrant red can help children focus more on the outward appearance rather than the fact that they are doing something they do not want to.

6. Try Swallowing Techniques

Children as old as four-year-old can be taught to swallow whole pills. An alternative is to break them up into fragments. Pieces of pills can be added into Jell-O portions, which will hide the bitterness of the medicine. Other ways to teach kids to swallow whole tablets is by having the tablets coated with liquids that will make them slippery enough to be swallowed easily.

7. Mix Medicine with Food

A few medications are available in powder formulae but they can also be crushed according to the convenience of the children. It is always better to consult physicians and healthcare experts regarding the medications that can be administered in a powdered form. The powder can be added into a cup of juice or added to pudding. Make sure that the child finishes the complete helping.

8. Avoid Physical Struggle

It is always better to give medicine to your child with his or her confirmation. Forcing a child to take medicine is not healthy and it is difficult to maintain the same activity for longer periods of time. Forceful administration can also instill hostile feelings in the child, which can manifest as a negative trait. Approaching physicians and therapists for professional advice after failing to avoid physical struggles during the administration of medicine is advisable. It is better to seek professional help than to attempt physical force when it comes to young children.

9. Let the Kids Know the Consequences

Providing a child with different options for choosing to take medicine compliantly or forcefully is also a helpful strategy. Sentences like “I see you’re wasting your play hour by avoiding your medicine.” Using small allowances like sticker charts or mini certificates in the event of successfully making children take their daily doses is an effective technique.

10. Get Assistance

It is always better to alternate the task of administering medicine between parents. If a single parent is expected to undertake the task, the child can harbor negative feelings for that particular parent and visualize the other parent as a weak end. Alternating can give children the impression that there is no avoiding the medicine dose from either parent.

11. Find Suppository Form

For children who are chronically ill or aggressively resistant, some medication is available in suppository form. Parents should consult physicians and healthcare experts as this form of medication depends on the child’s weight.

The following video shares the experience of a parent on how to get kids to take medicine: