Parent Tips: Medicine

Claire doesn't take any prescription medications these days, but gets plenty of colds and takes cold and cough medicine on occasion. These tips have been helpful in getting her to take her medicine.

• We use plastic syringes to give her the medicine. These are found in any drug store, and often come with a rubber dispenser to put in the top of the medicine bottle. Put the syringe into the dispenser, tip the bottle upside down, fill the syringe, and close the dispenser. We wait until Claire is ready, then we give her half of the medicine in the syringe, wait for her to swallow it, then give the rest. She doesn't take pills and often spills if given medicine from a cup or spoon.
• If Claire is being obstinate and does not want to take her medicine, we say sternly, "Claire, you are a big girl and I expect you to take your medicine." This was a tip from another parent, and it works!