By SHARON KENNEDY WYNNE
St. Petersburg TimesA friend of mine is struggling with her 3-year-old, trying to coax him to take his medicine for strep throat and some Tylenol to reduce the fever. I'll bet you can just guess how easy that is.
It brings back memories of me in tears with a 2-year-old on my lap with a raging fever and strep throat, and I could not get the medicine or the Motrin down him to make him better. I tried everything -- ice cream, applesauce, pudding -- but he could still taste it and spit it out. More tears from me, more expensive medicine wasted.
With two reluctant medicine takers, here are some of the tips I've gleaned over the years:
Mix it up. Try mixing the medicine with something yummy like ice cream, applesauce, Nutella, yogurt, soda -- whatever might make it more palatable. Or offer one Skittle or M&M for every sip of medicine. Sip ... Skittle ... Repeat.
Use outright bribery. I promised to head to Blockbuster to rent a video game or a movie. But I wouldn't start the car until he took his medicine. Whatever you normally try to limit and deny, use it. Candy, Popsicles, chocolate, treats, extra TV time -- and clap and cheer when he does take the meds.
Use empathy. Simply say, "I feel bad for you since I know you don't like it. How about I have a milk shake ready as soon as you take it to get the taste out of your mouth?" Acknowledging their feelings went a long way, as well as getting their suggestions for what the after-medicine treat should be.
Call the doctor. You might get to the point where you have tried everything and you have to ask the doctor if you can come in for a shot or a suppository.
Force it down. If you have to force him, using a syringe and putting the medicine into the pocket of his cheek (outside his teeth) makes it almost impossible for him to spit it out. It'll break your heart, but at least he'll get better.
Teach them how to take pills. We used mini M&Ms for practice (the pediatrician suggested it, but lecture sternly that pills are not candy). Both my kids could down pills by the time they were nearly 5. They take great pride in doing it and I make a big deal about how even teenagers have trouble taking pills.
