Tips for getting your child to take medication

In my work, as a paediatric nurse, I need to give medication to children several times per day.  How they cope with this is mostly dependent on how parents manage the situation.  I have seen a broad spectrum of

reactions to taking medication- from complete compliance to major tantrums to the silent treatment (if I open my mouth you are going to put something yucky in it).  Some children require lots of medications several times per day for chronic and severe illness (like cystic fibrosis, cancers, degenerative medical conditions). Other children may just have an acute illness which is short lived, like tonsillitis.  The following is advice that I have picked up from other nurses, and tips I have learned from mums of children with sever/chronic illness.

 

~Start by explaining to your child what it is and why they have to take it.  Children that have an understanding may be more inclined to cooperate.  Something as simple as “this is a medicine, it’s called panadol, and it will help your throat stop hurting”.

 

~warn children that it might taste yucky, but it will make them feel better, and offer a nice flavoured drink afterwards, to wash away the taste.  Reward cooperation with a treat.

 

~use an appropriate administration device (some kids may prefer and medicine cup, others an oral syringe).

 

~older children could be given the opportunity to help give medication to themselves under supervision.  This may work for children as young as 2 years.  I found this particularly helps with kids that have to take puffers for asthma, my daughter included, (if you ask them to help you press the button and count the breaths with you, they cooperate better).  Get the child to push the plunger of an oral syringe and use lots of encouragement and positive reinforcement.

 

~medications may be mixed in a variety of foods and drinks.  Be sure to let your child know that it is in there, because it will taste different, they will know, and never trust food again.  They also may not want that food again, just in case you have sneaked something in there. Don’t mix it in a whole bowl full of food or cup full of drink, as it may all not get taken and part of the dose will be missed.  A teaspoon or medicine cup volume is enough.  Milky medications like antibiotics go well in milky foods like custards and milk.  Clear medications, like paracetamol (or acetaminophen for US readers) goes well with straight cordial. Always read the medication information sheet to make sure it is compatible with certain foods.

 

~give your child a limited time in which they have to cooperate, before privileges are taken away.  I looked after a child who was about 7 years old.  She had cancer and was on many different tablets.  Every day she would refuse to take her drugs and her mum spent 2 hours, 3 times per day trying to convince her (that’s 6 hours per day).  I spent a lot of time, along with my colleagues, trying to counsel this mum into ways that she could make her child cooperate. Try saying “try to take this before the second hand reaches the 12” or “try to swallow it all before The Wiggles finish their song”.  Tell your child that if they have not taken the medication in the specified time, that there will be no TV (or whatever works) until it’s taken.  She gradually improved, making her visits to hospital less stressful.

 

~Your child may challenge you, especially if they are the sort that know they can get what they want if their tantrum is big enough.  How you respond early will set the tone for their future cooperation. 

 

~Stand your ground.  This tells your child that taking their medication is important and you are not going to take no for an answer.  Eventually they will learn.  In extreme cases, that medication may be the difference between life and death.  In not so extreme cases- it might mean a tummy ache for the rest of the night.  Don’t let your child dictate the situation.

 

~Make sure that all medications are taken as directed.  Antibiotics need to be taken for the length of time specified by the doctor or pharmacist.  Stopping a course of antibiotics early can lead to multi resistant organisms (or superbugs) as they have long enough to kill off the weaker bacteria, but the stronger bacteria remain and multiply, making the infection worse.

 

I know that, as a mum, when your child is sick, the last thing you want to do is make them do something they don’t want to do.  It is especially hard for parents of children with chronic illness, as parents feel that their children have to go through enough just to cope with day to day life. But in the long run, it is easier to deal with a sick but cooperative child, than a sick child having frequent tantrums (especially when you have been up all night with them, and are sleep deprived with lower tolerance).