Tantrums from 2.3yo when getting her to take antibiotics - how to handle?

[euroghoul]

Hello,

I am going to post this in behaviour & development too as am not sure if it's an illness issue or about how I deal with dd. Any thoughts much appreciated...

Dd is 2yrs 3 months and has bronchitis. She has been prescribed antibiotics that we started this morning. Problem is she absolutely refuses to take them. The first spoonful I just about got in her mouth after much struggle but she stuck her tongue out and spat/blew it all out. Accompanied by a full on tantrum. As it's pretty liquid, this lunchtime I put it in a plastic syringe/pipette thing - we have been treating her fever with baby nurofen which comes with one of these and she happily sucks it down. But again, massive tantrum until I had to lie on top of her to pin her down on the changing table, stick the pipette thing behind her teeth and squirt it into the back of her mouth. She was so upset that she was still sobbing 15 minutes later .

Both times I have got rapidly snappier than I ever like to be with the dcs, and at lunchtime ended up actually screaming at her while she lay there crying, on discovering that she'd hamstered away half her lunch and was refusing to swallow it. This was after trying to remain calm and persuade her to take the medicine, moving upstairs and explaining that nap would be the very next thing, nappy change etc, all in an attempt to change the subject and give us all a moment calm down. But I just lost it. This (shouting) happened yesterday too when she had a meltdown over a nappy change after lunch. I am usually quite a realist about how parents are humans too and children in loving families can cope with the (very) occasional snap, but the last couple of days I have felt like the worst version of myself, let alone the worst version of their mother . And even worse whlie she's really very poorly and I am supposed to be caring for her .

Should add that lunchtimes in general can be stressful for us (she eats well but very slowly and gets progressively more tired the more her slow eating delays her nap). I don't think that was related to today's medicine disaster though, it went well and we were all quite happy.

So, what do I do? Do I try to let her do the medicine herself? Can't see it working with a spoon as it's too liquid but I doubt she'll take the syringe thing either? Or is it about something else entirely? Obviously as she's sick I'm not expecting her to be all smiles and laughter, but there has to be a better way than virtually force feeding it to her. Would appreciate any help as I can't face that sort of struggle 3 times a day till the bottle is empty .

[Poohbearsmom]

So sorry ur little one is sick She may also hav a sore throat & not be able to eat right now, think of urself when ur sick sometimes ya jus dont feel like eatin... Some calpol may help, if she likes the taste usually u cud try puttin the antibiotic on the spoon then a lil calpol on the front & back of the spoon so she will c the colour & it cud help wit da awful taste of the antibiotic aswell as helping wit da pain... Iv done this recently wit my 3 yr old... But if that doesnt work cud u mix the antibiotic wit somethin u know she will def eat like a petti folou or sumit?? Or mix it wit a half bottle of squash?? I was told to this by my doc... But dont mix wit fresh juices as the acid n them can affect the antibiotics usefullness... Try not to force feed her them, i truely know how frustrating it is when u know she needs them & she needs jus wont take them but imagine it was u being held down by anyone!! Scary thought... Plus cryin will only Make her sicker right now... Sorry, i hope any of this will help

[Emprexia]

get an oral syringe from the chemist.

my 3yo wont take medicine and i have to use a syringe and then offer a biscuit.