This can even work on over-the-counter medicines which are already flavored, and your child prefers to be flavored differently.

Don’t use a spoon for this method. Also avoid squirting into the back of the throat or the child may choke. Try squirting the medicine to the side of the mouth instead.

An example of this could be instead of giving a child 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of a medicine every 12 hours you give her two half tablespoons (7. 5 ml each) in quick succession at the dosing time. The child may think this is prolonging the unpleasant experience of taking medicine—so it could be making things worse.

If you mix your child’s medicine in with food or drink, make sure that your child consumes all of it. If the medicine cannot be taken with food or drink, then ask the doctor and pharmacist for the time limit between giving the medicine to your child and when he can eat and drink again. Be aware that this method may ultimately backfire, as your child may come to associate the treat with an unpleasant experience.

Don’t let the discussion turn into one where she refuses to take the medicine. If that happens you might counter by saying something such as, “You want to get better so you can play with your friends again, don’t you?”

There are times that force needs to be used for the wellbeing of the child, but again, this should always be used as absolute last resort. Using physical force can cause mistrust to form between you and your child. You can let the child know he can help next time if he doesn’t want you to use force. Also consider giving him positive reinforcement such as a hug and treat (yogurt, a video, stickers, etc…).

Keep the child’s head level or bent forward slightly. Using a straw for the drink also helps.

Crushing the pill can be done more easily if you wet the pill with a drop or two of water and let it sit for five minutes. Do not attempt this with slow-release capsules or pills with special coatings. If you destroy the slow release capability of the pill and it delivers a single, large dose, this can be extremely dangerous for your child. Ask your doctor and pharmacist if you are uncertain.

This can be messy. You don’t want to risk losing the ingredients. Make sure you have a clear and dry workspace to empty the contents onto.

Work up to candies the size of M&Ms. You can try a thin coating of butter if stickiness is still an issue.