Toddlers vs a spoon full of medicine.

Jan 21

Written By Tanya H

When it comes to giving your children medicine, do you have the patience and charm of Mary Poppins? unfortunately, I don't. Whilst Mary Poppins sang along, charming the children to take a spoonful of sugar so the medicine goes down, this would not work for me, Jacob and Summer won't freely accept their medicine. (even my singing didn't work, though it probably scared them more than calmed them).

When Liam, Lewis, Jacob or Summer are poorly I will do whatever I can to make them feel better — like giving them loads of extra hugs and kisses, cuddling up with them on the sofa with a quilt and pillow and watching their favourite cartoons together. But with Jacob or Summer (the two youngest) there is always a subtle battle going on trying to get them to take their medicine, which is probably not one of the best
feel-better moments. Their will turn their head, put their hand over their mouth, or spit it out, clamp their mouth shut.

I don't want to upset them whilst I am trying to give them their medicine, to help them get better, and there is nothing worse than not being able to get the medicine down them so they can start to recover or feel better. A few years back the idea came from my doctor who said "why don't you mix the Penicillin into a small bottle of juice" - which worked wonders for us.

So I have put some tips on what I do when Jacob and/or Summer refuse to take the medicine they need:

mix the advised amount of medicine up in some yoghurt, do not tell them of course or do not let them see you adding it - I made this mistake once, and Jacob point blank refused to eat it, and he never refuses yoghurt.

mixing the advised amount of medicine in a small bottle or cup of juice. - discretely of course.

Giving them praise, and try and make fun out of taking medicine, i.e. playing planes with the dose syringe or spoon. - though when I try this one, they just spit it out.