All parents want their children to be healthy, but sickness sometimes occurs. While pediatric prescriptions from a pharmacy can help your child recover, many toddlers resist taking their medicine. Here are some ways to encourage your little one to take their medication.

How to Get Toddlers to Take Their Medicine

1. Give Smaller Doses

Pediatric prescriptions often come in liquid form so that young children can swallow the medicine with ease. Unfortunately, a single dose of unpleasant-tasting liquid may be too much for your little one to handle at once. Instead of coaxing them into taking everything in one gulp, consider giving them smaller increments of the recommended dose over several minutes. Some children are more agreeable to this method since the small sips are easier to swallow.

2. Trick the Taste Buds

Many children dislike taking medicine because of the taste. You can minimize their discomfort by avoiding the taste buds along the front and center of their tongue, where the flavor receptors are the most concentrated. 

Aim the dropper or medicine spoon at the back of their tongue so that the liquid doesn’t contact as many taste buds. You can also target their rear gum or interior cheek to allow the medication to flow down their throat with ease without making too much contact with the top of their tongue. 

3. Offer a Measure of Control

As a parent, it's up to you to ensure that your child takes their medication on schedule. However, you don’t have to control everything. You can give your young child a sense of control or motivation by explaining the purpose of the medicine in advance and how it will help them feel better and get healthy. If the medication comes in different flavors, it may help to allow your child to select their preference. 

If you’re looking for a pharmacy to fill your toddler’s pediatric prescriptions, turn to Hickman’s Pharmacy in Princeton, WV. Since 1947, this establishment has provided medication and other health products to families across southern West Virginia. They can quickly refill prescriptions and recommend the best over-the-counter remedies to soothe common ailments. Call (304) 425-2188 to ask about filling a pediatric prescription, or visit them online to learn more about their services.