Getting Kids to Take Medicine

Try these practical ways to get kids to cooperate:

Explain how medicine helps kids get well. Young children don’t always understand how medicine works. You could explain it by simply saying, “This medicine will help you feel better so you can go back to the playground.” You could also mention what the medicine is accomplishing: “You didn’t wake up at all last night. That’s because the medicine took your pain away.”

Make the medication taste better, if your doctor approves. Sometimes keeping liquid medications cold makes them more palatable. And if your doctor allows, you can also put medicine in juice or add flavorings to it. Pediatric nurse practitioner Joan Lokar of Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago says, “Ask your doctor and pharmacist if the medication will taste bad, and if it’s safe to add a flavoring. You can also inquire if it’s safe to mix a liquid medicine with juice or food. But check with your doctor or nurse practitioner to make sure, before you do.” Orange juice is often used to conceal bad-tasting medicine.