Tried & tested ways to help the medicine go down
... because a spoonful of sugar isn't the genius solution Mary Poppins thinks it is.
I used to think of colds as little more than an annoyance. No one wants to catch one, but a case of the sniffles is hardly the end of the world, right?
Then I had a baby and I learned (the hard way, I might add) that colds are catastrophic events that can prevent everyone in your household from getting any sleep.
Not only are babies not born with the ability to blow their nose, but they will also not want to lie down when they are bunged up, meaning they may need to spend all night propped up on a sleep-deprived parent.
For me, one of the worst parts about my son catching a cold (which, as a toddler who has been in lockdown for many months, he is now prone to do practically every time we leave the house) is trying to get him to take medicine.
He is not yet old enough to be able to understand that the revolting sticky substance we’re asking him to swallow will help him feel better, and the mere sight of a medicine dispensing syringe is enough to make him clamp his mouth tightly shut.
So how do other parents deal with this issue?
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on UnSplash
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Pippa Hanson, a mum who responded to my plea on Twitter, suggests trying different brands of medicine. “I had the same problem with my daughter, who would refuse Calpol, which was heartbreaking when she was poorly – but she was better at taking Asda's own brand,” she said. “I saw other mums recommending it, so gave it a go.”
A blessing in disguise
Pippa also suggests adding the medicine to yoghurt – a technique which I have had mixed results with: sometimes it works brilliantly with my son, but at other times having a cold puts him off food, so the yoghurt is met with as much disgust as the medicine.
[A word of caution: Some medications cannot be given during meals or with particular foods, so it’s important to ask your pharmacist or doctor if there are any restrictions with particular medications.]
Make the packaging more appealing
If your baby also dreads the sight of the medicine syringe or spoon, then you may want to try placing the syringe behind the teat of a bottle - like this mum demonstrated in a Facebook post that proved to be so popular with parents that it went viral. As the mum wrote in her post: “Not one bit got wasted... and no tears."
‘Bottles’ for big kids
It’s not just babies who can be ‘tricked’ into taking medicine by disguising it as a more appealing drink. A dad who responded to my tweet said he had come across a hack that can be used once your child is old enough to drink juice through a straw
“I’ve always used the syringe, but I saw a picture where someone had put a shot glass with the medicine inside an empty juice box,” said Matt Zitron. “Makes them think they're having juice.”
Make FOMO work in your favour
One technique that we’ve found sometimes works is if me or my partner pretends to take some of the medicine first. Our son then seems less reluctant to try it.
Relinquish control
Some parents I spoke to have found that giving their child the medicine spoon or syringe to hold and letting them have control over how much they swallow at a time, makes the process less stressful for all involved.
Bypass the tastebuds
If it is the taste of medicine that your child finds offensive, you can try to lessen the flavour by using the syringe to squirt it to the side of their mouth, to avoid their tastebuds as much as possible.
Older kids (5+) may find the flavour less strong if they hold their nose while taking it or if you give them something cold (like an ice lolly or an ice cube) to suck on beforehand to slightly numb their tastebuds, according to advice from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, in the US.
Surprise surprise
In an article on Parents, one mum recommended using the element of surprise. "I don't make a big deal out of giving medicine," said Jessica Isaacs, from New York. "I don't say, 'It's time to take your medicine.' I give it to him when he's not expecting it, like during a nappy change."
For my family, we have found that there is no one solution to this problem, but it helps to have an arsenal of options in your repertoire, as the most important thing is to stay calm in the face of resistance.
However you give your child their medicine, make sure you follow the guidelines on the packaging regarding giving the correct dose.
Can You Help With A Little Thing?
The Little Things is going to be coming out just once a month for a little while, as I have taken on some extra editing shifts.
The next issue will focus on how to survive when you’ve had no sleep. Have you found any solutions for getting through the day after a night when your child has kept you up? If so, you can let me know by replying to this email. Thank you so much for your help, your ideas are gratefully received.
Little Loves
Of all the toys my son has, a surprise hit has been a pack of foam stickers with individual backing on each one, like this pack of Assorted Adhesive EVA Shapes, £1 from The Works. Rather than fixing them in one position, he likes to rearrange them into different patterns and we’ve found that playing with them has actually helped him learn the words for shapes and colours.
Little Lowdown
'I tested positive during labour' – Nine mums have shared their experience of giving birth during a pandemic with Amy Packham at HuffPost UK.
If you need to get your baby or child a coronavirus test, the advice in this article from Alexandra Thompson at Yahoo could prove useful.
Consumers don’t see gender as binary, so why are toys still pink and blue? asks Emmy Liederman in this article for Adweek.
About Me
I’m Ellen Wallwork, a sleep-deprived mum-of-one, incessant worrier and freelance journalist. I’ve been writing about parenting for more years than I care to remember and previously launched the Parents section on HuffPost UK. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (but be warned, I’m not a prolific poster).
If you enjoyed this newsletter and perhaps learnt something new, please do forward it to your friends or give it a shout out on social media. You could also buy me a virtual coffee through ko-fi, here (caffeinated please, did I mention I'm tired?)
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Disclaimer: This newsletter does not provide medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The use of any information contained in this newsletter is solely at your own risk.