Hey Parents...I need help/advice.

With your daughter being 5, she is old enough to know to open her mouth.

Give 2 options:

either she opens her mouth

or

you hold her down and open it for her

My son is special needs and even he knows to open up and take it or the alternative is no better...It is bad sometimes, but parents need to take control. We know the medicine is what is going to make them better, so the option of not taking it, should not be an option at all.

our 3 year old would get 2 smarties (m&m's) if he took his medicine.

rewards for good are better than punishments for bad.

generally we found if we held him down and forced it in, he would get so worked up that he would just bring it straight back up after.

I always used a suringe for the liquid meds. I actually never had a problem with my kids but some of the meds were nasty tasting so i thought it would help to be able to squirt it in the back of the throat. Good Luck and i home your kiddy feels better soon.

I work as a nurse at a childrens hospital and theres a few tricks that work really well if it's a liquid medication: and if it's not, you can ask your dr and most medicines can be prescribed that way!

1.) Mix it in with something like chocolate milk. Something thin enough that it will mix in well, but has enough taste they won't taste the medicine. but in the medicine, a tablespoon of water, then the drink, Just don't let the child know!
2.) If you can use a medicinal syringe, if you hold the childs nose while putting it in their mouth, they have to swallow. But we try to avoid that as it can be traumatizing and make future medicines worse to get in them.

Talk with your child and see what he/she suggests. Let them know they have to take it no matter what , and they get to choose how. Sometimes something that seems silly to us is a solution to them.

Good luck!

I use liquid and use the syringe. WE squirt it in. They can either take it little bits at a time (followed with chaser of THEIR choice) or we do it all in one big SQUIRT. Their choice.

Just had this problem with my 2 year old, two antibiotics and some prednisone. I give him the option, if he refuses, then i hold him down, put it in the back of his mouth, and hold his mouth shut until he swallows. And next time guess what? His mouth opened right up!

^^ This. We had a particularly difficult time not too long ago getting rid of some antibiotic resistant pink eye. The medication stung going in and there were instances of having to hold him down. It took a month for the pink eye to finally get kicked so it was a long month.
We also use stickers as a reward for good behavior at home so we told him he could have a sticker at the end of the day if we didn't have to hold him down at all that day. Unfortunately, there were times where I had to hold him down and it sucks but it has to happen.

Most pharmacies now can give the med in different flavours next time let your little one pick out the flavor they like.price chopper does this and hannaford I think walgreens as well.

my son is 3 and we have always had trouble getting him to take it what works for us is ...
1-i use the syringe to give me some juice, then him some juice, then him medicine, make it like a fun thing.
2-cheer ALOT when he does take it
3-bribe with m&ms or a movie to watch or a sticker/hand stamp
4-put stickers on it of like spongebob and ask if he wants spongebob medicine ( along the idea of character shaped vitamins, way more fun if its something they like)
5-allow him to push the syringe( he loooves to do this one), we put it in he puts his finger over mine and we push together he usually asks for more!!! so I split the dose in half with this one or allow him to do juice after.

I had read that chocolate takes away the bad taste immediately so I let my son have 2-3 m&ms or chocolate chips immediately after swallowing the meds. He has them in his hand ready to go the minute he swallows and he says it takes the bad taste away.

I would call the pharmacy and ask if they make that med in a chewable form. A good trick I use it, I freeze yogurt tubes, let her eat half, take the meds then immediately suck the rest of the tube. it works well becuase their taste buds are frozen, therefore its not as nasty. Also, I always let her use the syringe to give it to herself, she always thought that was cool, no fight... she just does it on her own. if it was something super nasty, I would mix it in applesauce, now they make the raspberry apple sauce or peach, so its a good fake out It is so stressful. But at 5 years old she is certainly old enough to sit and have a rational talk about medicine, why she needs it, and if she takes it good for the next few days, then it will be done. I also used to get special treats she wouldn't normally get for after she took her meds if she took them straight up. and I always had a cup of water right there so she could chug as soon as the med was in her mouth. I personally am a medicine hater, gagger, puker so I totally get where these kids come from LOL

When my kids were younger and had meds to take, we made a sticker picture.

Start with a blank piece of paper, colored paper makes it even a bit more fun.

Each time they are scheduled for meds, they have the opportunity to earn two stickers to add to their picture. 1 sticker for simply taking the meds, the 2nd sticker is if they take the meds without a fight.

For some kids, just the chance to earn stickers and make a picture is enough incentive. Others a reward such as earn 10 stickers and you get 20 minutes of reading time with mom; or if the weather is cooperative and the situation permits, 20 minutes of play at the park; perhaps 5 minutes later bedtime or 15 minutes of water play in the bathtub. Something creative that they can earn.

Personally, I don't agree with earning candy or food items or money.

We also used stickers that they couldn't get any other way but for taking meds. Sometimes this meant we had to buy special stickers just for the occassion, but the couple of dollars we spent on this was well worth it to encourage them to take their meds without a fight or arguement.

There were times that they would fight and argue, however they would only earn 1 sticker for that med dose and they soon learned that they could reach their goal a lot faster if they earned two stickers each dose.

Good luck.

One time I had an issue similar, I had another adult explain the importance. Someone with a firm voice, but yet gentle when discussing the benefits. She talked her into it. Sometimes it takes someone other than Mom or Dad for them to see the importance.

Hope you were able to get her to take it and she's doing better now!

I know you said you tried hiding it in stuffs, but had you ever try yogurt or chocolate pudding? My 3.5 years old can detect some meds in juice because the med is a tad thicker and changes the texture of the juice. Yogurt worked for us, but the only thing that worked for my friend was chocolate pudding for any meds. Hope your daughter feels better soon. Poor thing.