Just a Spoonful of Yogurt helps the medicine go down


My little girl, who is not so little anymore, has always hated to take medicine.  When she was a baby I would try to stick the dropper in the side of her mouth as she slept, dispense the teeniest drop, and she would wake up immediately and turn her head and spit.

When she had the flu at two years old and her fever was 105 for days straight, I tried everything I could think of to get her to take some tylenol or motrin. Nothing worked.  I was so worried at midnight on day 3, with the 105 fever, that we went to a
nighttime pediatrics place.  The nurse took her temperature and said, oh
my god, we need to give this girl some Motrin immediately.  Thanks for
not worrying me nurse! So she left the room, came back, and said to me, I
have been a nurse 25 years and I have never been unsuccessful at
getting a child to take medicine.  I got excited and hoped that the
nurse would come home with us.  Alas, she poured the medicine into the
side of her mouth and the poor lethargic kid turned and puked it all
right over the nurses clothes and feet.  The nurse ran out of the room
and I guess we were written down as the first person to not take their
medicine.

I have read many articles about fevers, and many of the articles tell the nervous Moms, not to worry, and even not to give medicine unless the fever is over 103.  So this Mama tries not to worry.
Over the past few years, whenever her big brothers are sick, we make a big production over how nicely they take their medicine.  They love to take medicine.  This medicine show does nothing. She is not convinced and honestly she does not care.

My little girl has been mostly healthy now for years.  It must be my nightly prayers, or the 20 times a day hand washing we practice.  I have been dreading the day when she would be sick and need to take some medicine.

Fast forward to this past Friday night.  My sweetie pie could not fall asleep and finally said to me, my ear hurts.  It hurts very bad, way deep inside my ear. I think I need to go to the doctor.  The next morning the dr could not see her eardrum. There was too much wax in the way.  The nurse had to flush her poor sore eardrum with water 8 times and then finally she was able to see the ear infection.  We got the medicine (thank goodness it is Zithromax and only 5 doses total!) and came right home.  I have a trick for those of you who struggle to get your kids to take their medicine.  Let your child choose the worst yogurt that you would never buy on a regular basis.  For us it was the colorful Trix yogurts (GROSS). My little girl always wants to buy them because they look so pretty.  Well this time I said, why yes, of course we will buy those!

Just in case a miracle happened in the past few years, I put the teaspoon of Zithromax in the syringe and put the teeniest bit in her mouth.  Oh mommmy, that tastes terrible, I really do not want anymore.  Time to break open the yummy Trix yogurt you always wanted to buy.  I take half of the yogurt out and mix in the teaspoon of medicine. I stirred and stirred until it was all mixed up.  Her face was so excited to be getting the yogurt she had always dreamed of(her words).  That was, until she had the first taste.  Ew Mommy, you were right, this tastes terrible.  Oh really? Yes, it does, but I will finish it because I always wanted a trix yogurt.  I distracted her with a new rock painting kit and quickly spooned the few bites of medicine laced yogurt into her mouth.  First dose complete, four more to go!  The second and third doses went fine.  She did ask me this morning how many yogurts are left because she is sure she never wants to buy that kind again!

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