Can't get DD to use inhaler

[hipbippbop]

So yesterday we got an inhaler for my daughter, she's 3 at the end of the month. She's had a bad chest on/off since September. Coughs all night and comes into our room because she can't sleep from coughing.

She has a little spacer, and a grey and blue inhaler. The first time (yesterday) we managed to get her to have some of the grey one... got her involved because she likes to help. It was fairly successful.
She absolutely refused tonight to have it, screaming because she didn't want it.

Any tips on how to get her to have it without a massive tantrum? I've shown her videos of other toddlers on YouTube having one which sparked some curiosity but I think it's the taste she doesn't like

Thanks!!

Does it have a mask too?

Maybe a bigger spacer would help. The only real differences is not tasting the particles but you do have to breathe longer with it as there's more air inside. Definitely speak with your gp or pharmacist as there are probably further options you can try (maybe even a different brand of inhaler too).

Failing that treats, sticker charts....do it for a whole week and choose a toy.

Take a fake puff yourself? I found if everyone did it there wasn’t a problem. Also not too late everything is difficult if you are a tired child

My DS was like this and it took a while to get him to use it, he was the same age. We did lots of playing doctors and giving daddy a (pretend) puff, giving a puff to all his toys, and we also spent a lot of time talking about what the inhaler was for. I realised that I'd never actually taken the time to properly explain why he needed it, or at least not when he was calm and in a state to take it in. So we talked quite a lot about how it's not nice to have a cough, and how the inhaler really helps to make the cough better so he can sleep. He did come round to it after a few days, and he does ask for it now when he has a cough. Good luck!

Oh and just another thought, my DS will take medicine happily if a doctor or nurse tells him to. We struggle to get calpol in him at home, but he slurps up his medicine perfectly happily when he's had to go to the hospital for steroids. Perhaps if you're seeing the GP or nurse with him at any point it might be worth getting them to explain to him why he needs it?

Turn it into a game so maybe recite the nursery rhyme 1 2 3 4 5 once I caught a fish alive but do the counting slowly and let her hold it on her mouth herself if you know what I mean, then it's mummy's turn and so on. Or if she has a doll / teddy to practise on these. Hope it helps. My dd had an inhaler at this age and playing games was the only way she would have it.

Have a very small snack available
And she can have after every time she has it
Depending how often she has it,
Can be afew chocolate buttons or something similar

If you can find one, use a polystyrene cup or a big paper one, make a hole for the inhaler in the bottom & place the open end over her nose & mouth. The blue one do 2 presses & let her breath in & out maybe 3 times, the grey one a single press & get her to breathe in a deep breath then breathe out & repeat.

You need a spacer with a mask. Let her hold it on her face so she’s in control.

Thank you for all the messages, some great tactics there!
Yeah her spacer has a mask on it. We've played doctors and nurses this morning, all had a puff including the teddies (there will be none left at this rate). She held it to her face for about 5 seconds and said it smelt like flowers so that's better than nothing.
I'll try ringing the pharmacy to see if they have any spares :)

She knows it's to help her stop coughing and says she wants it but when it's actually in front of her she gets scared of it

Thanks again!