When my daughter was little, it was a huge battle to get her to take medicine when she fell ill. No amount of logic could convince her that it would actually help her feel better. She would put up a tantrum and spit it out if I tried to force it on her.
But we mummies are a resourceful lot, aren’t we? After many failed attempts, I finally stumbled upon some mum-tested tactics that worked like magic in coaxing my little one.
Every child is different and what works for one, may not work for another. Here’s hoping that you find a trick that works for you and your child so that they receive their medicine at the right time.
Have a positive attitude - Explain why medicine helps
Your kids are watching you, so keep your emotions and body language in check. Approach the situation with a positive attitude. It’s important that your little one does not view the medication as some sort of punishment.
If your child is old enough to understand, explain why she needs to take the medicine, how it would help her recover faster, so she can play with her friends sooner. Older kids usually respond well to logic and encouragement.
- Offer choices - Give kids some control
Give your child choices - this gives her a sense of empowerment and better control over the situation.
Give her some options like:
- How she would like to take her medicine - from a cup, spoon or syringe
- When she’d be ready to take it
- Where she would like to have it - on the couch while watching TV (Use her favourite TV show as a distraction), or in her room with her favourite stuffed toy? She could even pretend to be Doc McStuffine and give medicine to her favourite doll before she takes hers.
- If she prefers to take the medicine all by herself. Always make sure your child is supervised by an adult.
- Break it up or add it to food
If your little one has a really hard time gulping down the medicine, try breaking it up into small amounts over several minutes, instead of pouring it down all at once.
Many parents prefer to sneak the medicine into their child’s favourite food and drinks, like ice cream, yoghurt or fruit juice. Check with your doctor on this approach beforehand and ensure that your child eats all the food to get the full dosage.
- Give a reward
Older kids can get motivated by incentives or a reward system. It can be as simple as every time they take their medicine, they get a sticker. Other popular alternatives are candy and extra TV/device time.
- Bypass the taste buds
Have you tried bypassing the tongue so your kids don’t have to taste the bitter medicine? A lot of mummies say it works for them.
The trick is to squirt the medicine along the inside of your child’s cheeks, towards the back of the mouth, and keep it off the tongue.
What do you do if your child spits out her medicine?
Now, finally for that very important concern. What happens if you do succeed in pouring the medicine into your child’s mouth, but she immediately spits it out or vomits after a few minutes?
Do you try again right away?
Well, If this happens, the safest thing to do is to call your child’s doctor before giving any more medicine or repeating a dose. While some medications can be repeated without any issue, others can be harmful if your child gets an overdose.
Allergy medicine that’s easy for kids to take
For parents of children with allergies, life can be fraught with worry. And if your child is fussy when it comes to taking medicine, things can get even more stressful.
It comes as a relief then that the world’s #1 allergy brand¹, Clarityn,has now introduced an allergy syrup in grape flavour!
We all know too well that children’s taste buds are more sensitive to bitter-tasting medicines than adults. If our little ones don’t approve of the taste or consistency, they will simply refuse to take the medicine. The risks of refusing medication are many - For instance, if allergic rhinitis is not managed in a timely manner, it can lead to something more serious like worsening of asthma symptoms, sinusitis and ear infections.
Thankfully, when it comes to taste, Clarityn Grape Syrup has got the kiddie stamp of approval (based on a taste acceptance study² conducted on children aged 6-12 years old). This definitely means less stress for parents when it comes to giving medicine to their children.
Apart from its kid-approved taste, Clarityn Grape Syrup provides 24-hour allergy relief with just one dose a day. One convenient dose gives your kids 24-hour allergy relief of sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes and itchy nose or throat. This allows our children to lead normal lives and go about their daily activities, without any disruption in routine. + it’s non-drowsy!
Formulated for kids aged 2 years and above, it is also sugar-free and free from alcohol, dye and parabens.
To complement Clarityn Grape Syrup, Clarityn has also introduced ClariCare Nasal Hygiene Spray – a safe and effective solution for those looking to manage your child’s allergy solutions naturally. Sourced from the Bay of Saint-Malo, France, this natural seawater formula is preservative-free and safe for daily use.
Safe for babies 15 days and above, ClariCare Nasal Hygiene Spray is available in 2 formats:
- ClariCare Daily Nasal Hygiene Spray 100ml
- ClariCare Baby Nasal Hygiene Spray 20ml (Ultra-gentle with a metered pump specially adapted for sensitive baby noses)
Clarityn Grape Syrup and ClariCare Nasal Hygiene Spray are available at all major retail pharmacies (Guardian, Watsons, Unity) and online, at Shopee and Lazada
If you would like more information on Clarityn Grape Syrup and ClariCare Nasal Hygiene Spray, do head over to Facebook or Instagram. To learn more about managing kids’ allergies, click here.
¹ Nicholas Hall Global OTC DB6, 2020 Database
² Children’s taste evaluation study (6-12 years), n=100, USA 2011