Thursday, April 21, 2016

100 Fun Ways to Get Your Kids to Take Their Medicine


Always discuss with your pediatrician or pharmacist to make sure that the medication is able to be mixed with any of the recommendations below. Some medications may need to be taken on an empty stomach. Some medications in pills or capsules, like extended-release or timed-release, may not be safe to crush or open.




Superhero Parents, Assemble! You can do this! Here are a HUNDRED different ways to get your kids to take their medicine! 

     1.       Mix with a spoonful of sugar
     2.       Add cherry flavor from the pharmacist
     3.       Give with a spoonful of ice-cream as a chaser
     4.       Mix with pedialyte
     5.       Color the medicine with food coloring
     6.       Blend inside of a smoothie
     7.       Inject into a donut hole to make your own filling
     8.       Put a princess or super hero sticker on the syringe or medicine cup
     9.       Make the syringe pretend to be a submarine coming into the dock
     10.   Make the syringe or dosing cup pretend to be an airplane coming into the hanger
     11.   Mix with juice (not grapefruit juice)
     12.   Dip a pancake into the dose until each bite soaks up the medicine
     13.   Add medicine to the holes of a waffle a little each time until eaten
     14.   Add to an ice-pop
     15.   Add root beer flavor from the pharmacist
     16.   Mix with applesauce
     17.   Get 2nd syringe with colored water to match the medicine, allow your child to give you a “dose” first – then they get the real thing
     18.   Have your child pretend to give medicine to their favorite doll/toy
     19.   Mix with powdered sugar
     20.   Offer one m&m or other candy for each sip of medicine
     21.   Mix with small amount of Gatorade
     22.   Mix with chocolate syrup
     23.   Mix with cherry syrup
     24.   Give with a syringe instead of in a cup
     25.   Empty syringe into a cup
     26.   Let child be the doctor and give themselves the medicine
     27.   Use the television as a distraction
     28.   Let them play a game on the ipad/iphone while taking the medicine
     29.   Give the medicine in a non-conventional place (like outside or in the bathtub)
     30.   Put on their favorite movie
     31.   Sing a song about taking medicine (spoonful of sugar is my favorite!)
     32.   Make a craft project about decorating a favorite medicine cup
     33.   Add watermelon flavor from the pharmacist
     34.   Freeze* medicine into slushy or popsicle tray
     35.   Have another adult help you to hold your child
     36.   Put whipped cream on top of medicine cup
     37.   Add sprinkles
     38.   Play “this little piggy” with medicine going “all the way home”
     39.   Parent pretends to take medicine first
     40.   Add grape flavor from the pharmacist
     41.   Write a story together about taking medicine
     42.   Drink through a straw
     43.   Drink through a Twizzler
     44.   Give medicine directly to back of cheek to bypass taste buds
     45.   Mix with frozen yogurt
     46.   Mix with jelly
     47.   Mix with peanut butter
     48.   Mix into jell-o
     49.   Have a different adult (like a grandparent or other caretaker) administer the medicine
     50.   “Shoot” the medicine into their mouth from close distance (practice first with water in syringe)
     51.   Make a sticker chart for each dose needed – give a prize when the chart is full and med complete
     52.   Give smaller amount over several minutes instead of all at once
     53.   Dip cornbread into medicine
     54.   Add to grilled cheese
     55.   Show older children how to swallow pill (ask pediatrician to change to pill form)
     56.   Ask if medicine comes as a chewable or dissolving tablet
     57.   Mix into a bread ball
     58.   Put on top of pizza
     59.   Add to spoonful of macaroni and cheese
     60.   Dunk lollipop into medicine until all is licked off
     61.   Mix with flavored drink
     62.   Put medicine into pacifier (little at a time) and cut small slit on pacifier end
     63.   Have a medicine tea party
     64.   Give child a frozen dessert first to numb their mouth
     65.   Hollow out candy (fun size) and add medicine inside
     66.   Add bubble gum flavor from pharmacist
     67.   Allow child to pick a treat to have after the dose
     68.   Add to pumped breastmilk
     69.   Put nose plugs in to hide smell and some of the taste
     70.   Add sour flavor
     71.   Warm up a cookie so the smell is throughout the room
     72.   Add inside of a marshmallow
     73.   Add cocoa powder to medicine
     74.   Add vanilla powder to medicine
     75.   Add honey to medicine dose (*only for children over age 1 year*)
     76.   Add to cereal
     77.   Dip goldfish into medicine until all is eaten
     78.   Make a medicine dance (Pat your head, tap your toes, take your medicine, and down it goes)
     79.   Take medicine while chewing on a Skittle
     80.   Have a medicine puppet show
     81.   Use your child’s favorite stuffed animal to help hold the syringe/cup
     82.   Science lab -- let your child help add the medicine to the cup or syringe
     83.   Create a fun name for the medicine (ex: princess potion or superhero juice)
     84.   Add to maple syrup
     85.   Crush pill form medicine to make into sprinkles
     86.   Open capsule and add to food of choice
     87.   Use a funny hat or prop to disguise yourself as the medicine fairy
     88.   Add to water
     89.   Use a flavored straw to drink medicine
     90.   Use a fun bendy straw
     91.   Give a candy necklace, one bite for each sip of medicine
     92.   Let child drink medicine while wearing a Halloween mask
     93.   Add orange flavor from the pharmacist
     94.   Add to ketchup to dip chicken fingers
     95.   Mix with mashed up watermelon
     96.   Use their favorite toy as distraction while giving the medicine
     97.   Create list of fun places/ways to take medicine and add to a hat – let child pick each time
     98.   Show videos of animals taking medicine
     99.   Facetime a grandparent or other friend or family member to watch them take their medicine
     100.  Use positive reinforcement, lots of encouragement, and applause when done!

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