5 Tips When Children Refuse Medicine
Cough and cold season is around the corner! School age kids get between 8 and 12 colds per year, on average.
Reports show, from a national survey, that 40% of parents feel it is not easy to give children medicine. One third of parents believe taste has a lot to do with it. I must say I agree with that!
Some kids spit medicine out. Some completely refuse to take medicine. Some kids have meltdowns and throw a fit.
I have been there! Have you?
5 Tips When Children Refuse Medicine
- Use a syringe medicine dispenser. I have found this makes things easier to manage when you have a child who is refusing to take medicine.
- Be aware of your own tone. If you present this as something that sounds dreadful, your child will dread it too. Obviously, you are the parent. Be assertive and authoritative, but nurturing and loving.
- Break it up into smaller doses with 5 minute breaks in between.
- Try letting your child give himself the medicine. Especially when using the syringe dispenser there are no worries for a mess. Sometimes they just want to be in control.
- Find out why your child hates medicine. Is it the taste? The stigma? What is the big deal?
We always cheer the success too. Matthew, 5, HATES taking medicine. I use a syringe dispenser and he is old enough now that I sit next to him and let him give it to himself. Then everyone cheers and shows how proud they are of him for being such a big boy.
I’ve also put the medicine in his drink or offered his juice as a chaser.
But the next time he gets a cold or cough we do not have to do that anymore if over the counter medicine is needed.
I have found the first over the counter cold and cough medicine for children that includes real cocoa for a great chocolate taste making it easier for kids to take!
Why didn’t I think of this?!
Have you heard of Dr. Cocoa? Medicine made with real cocoa. Where was this stuff when I was a kid?
- They make a long acting cough medicine for up to 8 hours of relief without causing drowsiness.
- There is also a daytime cough and cold relief that will help with stuffy nose and cough.
- And there is a night time formula that helps relieve cough, stuff noses, runny nose and sneezing at night.
I have all three of these in my cabinet ready for cough and cold season, which runs from September to April! (I had no idea it was this long!! Did you?)
Did you know that kids’ colds can last anywhere from six days to two weeks? That is a long time to struggle with medicine when it tastes gross!
The soothing taste allows us to fight the cold and not the child. We can get a smile not a struggle.
Save $2 on Your Purchase
Want to give Dr. Cocoa for Children a try?
Hop over to www.drcococoa.com and get s coupon for $2 off your purchase!
Don’t forget to follow Dr. Cocoa on Facebook! They are giving away adorable Dr. Cocoa Owl Puppets!
Tell me, what are your best tips for parents who struggle with giving kiddos medicine? Let’s all share and learn!
(And while you’re here don’t forget to download my printable medicine chart for kids. Perfect for keeping up with the time you last gave medicine, the dosage, tracking symptoms like fever, etc!)
Visit www.drcocoa.com for a $2-off coupon offer.
This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation that contains affiliate links. However, all opinions, text and experiences are my own.