Get toddler to take medicine

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My toddler suddenly needs to take multi medicines multiple times a day.

We have liquid and tablet form available. Toddler will not drink it in juice, eat the tablets, eat the tablets hidden in food or sweets.

I have to syringe it in, it's getting spat out and it's absolute torture. I'm not even sure I'm getting enough in!! Really messy too.

Will be using the medicine for at least 10 weeks.

How do I give the medicine? Help!

Can you mix the liquid form into yoghurt or custard or something of that sort? Sorry I know you said you’ve tried in food, but this worked for us when ours wouldn’t take medicine from a spoon or syringe. It wasn’t for ten weeks though, I feel for you, it’s so stressful when they won’t take it but they need to!

I've tried absolutely everything, and I'm worried about putting him off any food he will eat because since being unwell he has started to only eat a very limited amount of foods. One is a very bright pink so obvious in most food and one can sometimes go in yogurt but then he doesn't like the yogurt :-(

I have two older children and I've always always managed to get them to take all sorts of medicine but I feel clueless about this!

If it doesn't taste nice, give a little piece of chocolate before - chocolate coats the mouth, so they won't taste it as much. I'd then try the liquid, encourage them to swallow quickly. Then a little reward after, whether more chocolate or something else. Might be more chocolate than you'd choose, but needs must...

Sorry about that. I have exact same issue. Not multiple med but a 3 YO who will refuse calpol in any shape or form.

We often give him mixed with suckies yogurt. Because that's sweet anyway which he eats with rice. And I feed him food on the days he's sick with calpol with lots of distractions/ tv / iPad whatever works.

Nursery were much better at getting my kids to take medication than I was when they were little. They had a trick of one person blow in the toddler's face while the other squeezed the syringe in the back of their cheek.

Also agree with the person who said bribe with chocolate. Buttons are your friend here.

Thank you all for the ideas!

I will have a go at the chocolate before hand to coat the mouth, not thought of this one.

What does blowing in their face do?? Sorry I've never heard of this, it sounds sweet if the child isn't already hysterical but I can't see how it works

If I could bride I absolutely would, he refuses water, sweets, chocolate or anything at all afterwards and just sits on the floor spitting hysterically for a good minute or two. It's absolutely heart breaking not to have found a way to make it nicer for him yet.

He's generally a very easy toddler but absolutely hates this.

I managed to crush one and mix it with melted chocolate and marshmallows which was accepted! Chocolate was a really good idea, going to check with the dr if it's ok to do this with the other one too :-)

I managed to crush one and mix it with melted chocolate and marshmallows which was accepted! Chocolate was a really good idea, going to check with the dr if it's ok to do this with the other one too :-)