Forget the spoonful of sugar. Stickers make the medicine go down!
Here's how KS gets the medicine to go down:
My four-year-old has just been prescribed 10 days of antibiotics. With twenty doses that need to go down the hatch, I anticipated much begging, bargaining, and other tricks to get her to take her medicine as the novelty and pleasant bubble gum taste wore off.
So, I played off of her love of stickers and sense of accomplishment. I created a chart with days running down one side. Two columns, one with a sun and one with a moon. I attached a sheet of her favorite stickers. Now when she swallows each dose, she gets to choose her sticker and mark her accomplishment.
We also keep this on the fridge, which poses a helpful reminder to both mom and dad that it needs to be done at breakfast and bed time.
This is her second time to use the chart. We are half way through, and so far, so good!
(or any Amazon link at Parent Hacks), you throw some change into our tip jar without any extra steps or cost to you. Thank you!
Target Pharmacy does this for FREE. Each time your child has an RX filled, they give you a chart and a sleeve of stickers. Bring the completed chart in and your child can pick a small toy from a special box/bag they keep on hand at the Pharmacy. Works for us!
Posted by: MayMommy | 28 June 2006 at 11:10 AM
I'll give this a try with our 5 year old. He just won't swallow the medicine. We have tried all sorts of offers of rewards - so I doubt if stickers will work?
Posted by: Joe | 03 March 2008 at 02:15 AM