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This Parenting Hack Is a Clever Way to Get Kids to Take Their Medicine

Photo credit: Disney
Photo credit: Disney

From Woman's Day

Mary Poppins had it right when she sang that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. And one parent on Reddit found a new twist on the old trick.

User bsurfn2day shared a photo of a child sipping from what he presumably thought was Pepsi, but was actually medicine. The parent held the medicine behind the can, out of view of the child, and put the straw into the bottle of the rather than the soda.

Photo credit: Reddit
Photo credit: Reddit

Image via Reddit/bsurfn2day

It's a great idea, especially if you've got a child who throws a fit about taking medicine (as many children do). But one important thing to note is that if you do try this, you need to measure the correct dosage before trying this. Don't just pop the straw into a full bottle of medicine and hand it over, because your child could accidentally ingest more than the recommended amount. Measure out the correct dosage first and put that in the bottle (or other small container) with a straw.

If that doesn't work (or if you don't want your kid to think Pepsi is a magic cure-all), there are a few other things you can try.

You can use a dropper to place the medicine in the cheek pouch, where your child can't taste it as much. Or you can try using some kind of reward system. Parents.com mentions one tactic involving stickers, where a child is only allowed to attach a special sticker to a picture after they've taken their medicine.

Another trick is to let your child be "in charge." The Seattle Children's Hospital suggests letting the child hold the dropper or syringe in their own mouth, so that they feel they have some control over the situation.

And if you still can't get your child to take a medication that they need, then it's worth talking to your pediatrician to see if there's another option. Some medications could be available in different forms or flavors that are easier for your child to take.

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