Health

Giving Medicines to Your Child

Sometimes children fall sick. It’s essential we take care of our kids when they are sick. It can be difficult to give children a safe medicine.  When a young child needs medication, many parents get nervous knowing that giving too much or too little can cause serious side effects.

Give Options

When children feel sick, they lose their sense of control, so it’s worth giving those options.  If taking medications is not a choice, you can give them a simpler choice. How to take it like with a spoon or a cup, When they take it like before or after dressing or Where they take them like watch TV on the kitchen table or in bed. Your child may want to take the medication alone, or may ask you for help. Whatever you choose, make sure your child is in control.

Avoid Suffocation

Think about how your child can swallow once to prevent choking. Sometimes the dose needs to be divided into smaller portions. For small children, apply the medicine to the cheeks, not the throat, to prevent suffocation.  Allow your child to swallow before throwing too much.  Always give medication directly or in a sitting position to prevent suffocation.

Explain Why Medication Helps

If your child is old enough to understand, explain why he or she should take medication.  When the child can understand what’s happening around it sometimes, when they see the medicines they start crying. It’s better to explain them that they need to take the medicines appropriately to make them feel better.

To Be Positive

Treat the situation with a positive attitude.  Do not forget to commend children when they take medication without difficulty.  Your child will understand that taking medication is not a punishment.  Never threaten the children if they do not receive their medication.

Reward Your Child

School-age children can be motivated by rewards. Have your child get a star chart so they can be labeled every time they take medication. You can choose how many stickers they need to earn to get their favorite prize. You can make a treasure with fun little toys and stickers so they can pick one thing after taking the medicine every day.

Add the Flavors

Before you get your baby’s prescription from a pharmacy, check with your pharmacist to see if you can add flavors such as cherries, grapes or melons.  If possible, let your child choose the flavor.  This helps with the issue. You can check compounding chemist for this option.

First, make sure you get the right prescription. Most prescription bottles have the same medication, so make sure your child’s name is on the label, this is the medication your doctor has prescribed or recommended. Be especially careful when you arrive at the medicine cabinet in the middle of the night, it is easy to get the wrong bottle if you are drowsy.

Cadi Hopper
the authorCadi Hopper

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