https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 02:46:57 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799524 Wed, 24 Jan 2018 16:49:12 +0000 flowercrown 2799524@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Chocolate syrup was a success! Thanks everyone! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799400 Wed, 24 Jan 2018 11:33:35 +0000 Rocker2014 2799400@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh, we just had the same issues (tears,puking,etc) with 3yo LO, and I'll echo the posters above and say that chocolate milk worked for us. We got it reflavored with cherry, and never told her we were adding it to her favorite special treat (the chocolate milk). We're on day 9 and she still doesn't know that she's getting the meds mixed with her milk! I think having it in a sippy vs. open cup helps, because the smell is stronger than the taste. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799386 Wed, 24 Jan 2018 11:03:12 +0000 Alba4 2799386@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Someone recommended administering while having the kid sitting on the side of the sink. He loves to stomp and splash in the water and is distracted from the meds. It works great! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799308 Wed, 24 Jan 2018 01:49:44 +0000 gingerbebe 2799308@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You lay their head on a cushion so their head is elevated to about 45 degrees. You pin their arms down somehow while holding their nose and squirt into the back of their mouth with a syringe. They have to swallow to breath. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799290 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 21:39:19 +0000 yerpie110 2799290@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Dd2 will swallow any medicine and then start to gag and throw up about 5 seconds later, even when mixed in ice cream, chocolate syrup, etc. Nothing has worked so she either gets a suppository if the medicine is available in that form, or a shot. Truth be told, for us, both method are much easier (and much more successful with no tears) than going the oral route. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799277 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 21:23:51 +0000 maddyz 2799277@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just figured out the "blow in their face" trick and it's like magic for my 16 month old. My almost 3 year old hasn't met a medicine he doesn't like yet.. but the little one can spit anything across the room. It's still a wrestling match and if I don't get the timing right it might come back out but it's way better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799200 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 16:05:51 +0000 gotkimchi 2799200@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@flowercrown: that’s a good choice too! It’s hard to get kids to take stuff repetitively like that </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799199 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 16:05:40 +0000 MamaG 2799199@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: yes :sad: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799194 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 15:44:11 +0000 snowjewelz 2799194@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaG: K had the flu? :sad: :sad: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799193 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 15:39:13 +0000 flowercrown 2799193@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gotkimchi: Her doctor called today after leaving a message about having a hard time getting the meds in. She said she can do an injection of Rocephin instead. I think we may go that route. DD is so tough to get meds into and she’s even turning away her chewable probiotics and vitamins which she usually has no issues taking. She’s just over all the medicine (we’ve been doing Motrin and Tylenol every 4 and 6 hours) thank you though for the tip I didn’t know you could ask for extra flavoring! Good to know! </p> <p>Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799174 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 14:42:40 +0000 BadgerMom 2799174@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know this may not be too helpful now, but we discovered that after about a year old DS hated taking liquid medicine, but loves taking chewables. Have you had any luck with chewable tylenol or ibupofen? If so, some antibiotics (I'm not sure about Azithromycin) come in chewable form if you ask and DS loves them because he thinks they're candy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799173 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 14:41:22 +0000 MamaG 2799173@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Fortunately since my kids take daily allergy meds, they do pretty well. But here are a few things we've done when we've struggled (like recently with Tamiflu, even flavored it's pretty awful).</p> <p>1) Do something out of the ordinary. We once got through a round of meds by setting my kiddo up on the kitchen counter with her feet in the sink and splashing in the running water. It was just distracting enough to get the meds in.</p> <p>2) For our recent Tamiflu with the 3 year old, she wanted a chase of cold water. Chocolate milk was a no go for her, just plain cold water. And she wanted to hold my hand.</p> <p>3) Sticker chart to show progress/countdown of remaining doses.</p> <p>4) Sing a song or do a countdown to see how fast they can do it and if they can be faster next time.</p> <p>Worst case scenario, if you have to hold the child down. Point the syringe to the side of the mouth and blow in their faces to force a swallow. Make a big deal out of a success. Let them know how proud you are and how brave they were. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799172 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 14:40:21 +0000 Anagram 2799172@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With my 2.5 year old, we still have to hold her down and shoot it back to one side, like towards her molars. And then blow. She has to swallow that way. There are usually tears. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799169 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 14:29:31 +0000 gotkimchi 2799169@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Becky: :sad: sick kids are the worst </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799168 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 14:27:56 +0000 Becky 2799168@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gotkimchi: we got flavoring for my older daughter and she threw up! We were so hopeful it would help. She did okay once we turned it into “cherry chocolate milk.” </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799166 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 14:19:12 +0000 gotkimchi 2799166@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’m a rph and I think the best things are chocolate syrup or having the pharmacy re-flavor it. We can add more flavor and make it something else and it actually helps a lot. I recently flavored augmentin for my son because it was nasty </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799164 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 14:08:05 +0000 looch 2799164@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>After having the medication spit back a number of times, we switched from the syringe. I asked my son how he wanted to take the medicine, from the little cup or a spoon and he decided he wanted to hold the cup.</p> <p>We practiced first with water, so he could see how much it was and how that volume felt in his mouth and he did surprisingly well with it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799163 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 14:06:29 +0000 Becky 2799163@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We recently had both kids on Augmentin 🤢 We mixed it with kefir yogurt drinks, regular yogurt, chocolate milk, or softened ice cream. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799160 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 13:51:07 +0000 Mommy Finger 2799160@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With DS1, I injected it into munchkins when he was on antibiotics. He got 2 of those 2x a day for 10 days. . . but it was the only way he would take it down. They really need to come up with a way to make all medicine have no taste so it's easier to hide!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799158 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 13:49:05 +0000 flowercrown 2799158@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: I’ve tried bribing her and pretty much letting her eat what she wants before and after as a reward. It’s a huge deal every time lol we do it at bedtime cause she cries so much she ends up falling asleep after. She makes herself throw up after taking it too. 😩 hopefully the chocolate syrup helps! </p> <p>@MamaBear87: @Bluebonnet: This is genius! Going to get chocolate syrup now. Thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799155 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 13:32:46 +0000 MamaBear87 2799155@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was this child. Chocolate syrup is the best at masking the taste. I was a chronic take them and puke them up kid and this helped most </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799151 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 13:08:53 +0000 Bluebonnet 2799151@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've mixed medicine with chocolate syrup, and then used a large syringe to administer the medicine. It worked well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799150 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 13:08:17 +0000 snowjewelz 2799150@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have one of those too. Recently she was so upset about taking meds that she threw up all over me and her. In the end, what worked was giving her the reward first. So she shoved a bunch of m&amp;m's in her mouth THEN took the meds. And she liked the small syringe better (we had a couple different ones but she was least offended by the small baby ones). It took longer but whatever she felt comfortable with! Also, we just expect her to be really upset so we're in for the long haul. We let her get upset, cry if she needs, etc and when she has calmed is when we tell her to eat whatever treat she wants and then take the meds. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ideas-on-how-to-get-toddler-to-take-meds#post-2799142 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 12:52:25 +0000 flowercrown 2799142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Any clever suggestions on how to get a 2.5 year old to take liquid Azithromycin? We tried mixing it in applesauce and it didn’t mask the taste at all. She took one bite and refused to eat it. DH and I tried it and it tasted awful! We ended up pinning her down and sticking the syringe in her mouth and she ended up spitting most of it out. She’s always been difficult to give medicine to. She’s been really sick and we really need to get these meds into her. </p>