Any suggestions on how to give a 3 year old cough medicine?

Question

i am having a really hard time getting medicine down my son. i tried letting him drink it on his own, squirting it in his mouth (he spits it out). I even mixed it with a little kool-aid. he just will not take it. does anyone know how i can get him to take his medicine? he woke up this morning coughing bad.

i have tried to explain to him that it will make him stop coughing, but that doesn't help either.

Answer 1

I've gone through the same thing with my cousin. Tell him if he doesn't take it he will have to go to the doctor and get shots. If that doesnt work play doctor with him. You be the doctor and tell him he is a a very sick boy at the hospital.  If you have a plastic doctors kit use it and take out the "stethoscope" and put it up to his heart. Then say oh no you're very sick! give him a "shot'. Hold up the medicine and say take this quick and you'll be ok!

Answer 2

Maybe too late to try this one now , but I always knew it would be a chore to get him to take his medicine.

So , I acted like it was mine , I acted like I was enjoying it , until he asked to try it. I said no , I don't think so.

He said please , and I said OK , just a little.

Kids don't want what they have to have , they want what they can't have.

Answer 3

my daughter doesnt fight to take it she drinks it

before when she wouldnt take it i would pit it in her fav drink when she wasnt looking and making her drink it when she caughed

now shes in the habbit to taqke a drink everytime she coughs which isnt a bad thing at all.....

she is 3 n to be honest that was the only way to get her to take it at first, let him see when u take medician ( thts why she takes her vitiman and singular everyday) then she would take hers same with the cough medicine. she saw other people taking it and wanted to be a big girl too.

jope i helped

Answer 4

i had to tell my little girl that if she doesn't take her meds she will have to go to the dr and get a shot. not lying to her because she has asthma and get phnemoia easy so they do give her shot.....but she takes it.

Answer 5

Well...  My mom use to mix bendryl with water or orange juice... It worked for me!

Answer 6

get him to suck on ice until his tounge is cold, then he wont be able to taste it, follow with a small drink of cold soda or cold kool-aid. you also eat the ice, and make a game of it.

Answer 7

OMG - I had this same issue with my daughter - she was impossible! We used to have to hide the medicine in a smoothie, and she could still tell! We finally hit on bubble gum flavored cough syrup, and that helped.

There has been a lot of research on cough medicine lately that has shown that honey (after one year old) is just as effective as cough medicine. maybe that's why in the old days, people kept honey with a little spoon in it on the table. try that!

Answer 8

Tell him if he doesn't drink it he doesn't get outside to play or something similar.

Answer 9

I have 3 & 4 year old boys. My 4 year old takes and has always taken medicine cooperatively. My 3 year old...well ...is another story! I basicall have to hold him down (both legs and arms) and squeeze his cheeks open....squeeze medicine in and blow in his face so he swollows it. You are not alone because I asked my Dr. what to do and he said...nothing...you cant make a kid like medicine. Just give it time I guess is what I am telling you. Best Wishes!

Answer 10

Mix it in with a little icecreamm, works on my nephew.

Answer 11

I have noticed here that they have over the counter medication that is in the dissolving strip form.  So if you put it on his tongue it would be gone.  Even better they have  it in the form of a small sucker.  Just don't tell him it is medicine and make sure it is put out of reach.

Otherwise what about putting it in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

Answer 12

You need to lay him down on the floor and straddle him putting your weight on your legs, but keep them tight around him so he can't hurt himself or you. Take a dropper or needleless syringe and squirt it between his cheek and teeth way in the back of his mouth so it misses most of his taste buds. As soon as you squirt, hold his nose closed so he has no choice but to swallow the medication.

Answer 13

Tell your child about a story, how one time something seemed bad... but it was actually good.  Explain to them that sometimes there are things that are not pleasant to our senses... but are good for our body, and that you want him or her to take it because you care about them.

If that doesn't work, tell them then they'll have to learn the hard way, and their cough will only get worse, and they will get sicker.  I would let them learn from their mistakes.  If your child is old enough to understand your words, they are old enough to learn this I think.

Another option is to punish them if they refuse to take it.  Ground them to their room... take away something they enjoy... something.  You know it's for their own good.

Don't put it in ice cream, or candy coat the issue.  If you do, the child will only learn that reality and problems can be solved by adding sugar... and you can't always add sugar to make the problem go away.  Furthermore, at this point it would be like rewarding them for bad behavior.  Very foolish.

Answer 14

I agree with wazat.  I just tell my 5 year old it's mine and he can't have any.  Then he'll just start asking to try it and will drink it.

Answer 15

If your child must take this medicine then do whatever you must to ensure he takes it. It is not his choice to take it or not. I would have been spanked for spitting it out so I never did. He is doing it because you allow him to.

The syringe helps getting it in their mouth, then hold his cheeks together so he can't spit.