Background: 10 y.o. boy w ADHD & Opositional Definace Disorder. Has trouble taking meds, esp when it's situational & this escalates child's inabability to handle his emotions & think rationally.
Child has low grade temp & headache. 1 parent recomnends tylenol to reduce temp & headache.
Child starts having tantrum over taking med. Parent tries to coach child on how to swallow pill or take liquid version. Child gets so upset that he can't do take either.
Would you: tell child to skip taking tylenol OR yell at him & punish him for tantrum & not taking tylenol?
Completely frustrated!!!
Written by
DoodleyDukes
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When the boys were young I always but the grape chewable Tylenol tablets. I used to worry because they liked the taste of them too much.
If you make too big a deal about meds you're never going to get him to cooperate with them.
I once read there are only 2 things a young child actually has control of, what goes into their mouth that what comes out the other end. Make too big a deal about either and you'll have problems.
I know that you are asking about the current hard situation, but this could be anything you want that he does not want.
What are his carrots? What does he really love?
I know for our son, if I say you do X and we will give you Y.
When a child is sick there is no waiting... do anything you can to get the medication in him and move on. This will prevent any yelling and bad feelings.
I know our son loves video games, so icing on the cake is me sitting and playing with him. So if he takes the meds. I play video games.
Have you listened to the Podcast “ Parenting ADHD”? I wished I had this tool a long time ago.
I’ve learned just recently that giving medications can become a very frustrating situation for both child and parent. I found that a lot of positive praise has helped. In addition, I usually take medications in the morning myself so I have my daughter watch how I take them and tell her that with practice it’ll get easier. She is comforted by the fact that she is not the only one having to take something in the mornings. I have her put the pill at the tip of her tongue and then put her head back as she drinks water. I was also told by my pediatrician that if the pill is a capsule you can open it up and mix it in apple sauce or yogurt... but unfortunately I cannot crush the tablet she takes because it is an extended release 😔... Sending positive vibes and warm hugs your way because I know it isn’t easy ❤️ Hang in there!
I was seeking input on punishment....I did not think punishing my child for having a hard time taking tylenol (not his evertday meds) was the correct approach.
Since he was already in tantrum mode, I feel that a softer approach would have been more effective than giving a punishment (taking away items deemed as rewards).
There is a Podcast on punishment.. Penny William's say the punishment need to fit what they did. So if they don't do their chores it makes no sense to take away video games or a phone. There is no connection.
You should get into a daily routine. Same time of day, same everything. Meds have to be consistent and aren’t negotiable. If your on a Rx plan, you have to follow it. Practice taking the pills with TickTacks. Worked for us when teaching our son. Also, tantrums work as long as they are successful. Pinning one parent against the other helps the child win. Have to be united front. Good luck.
I would skip the Tylenol if it’s a low grade fever. If the fever spikes maybe try crushing the chewable Tylenol and put it on a spoonful of yogurt or applesauce.
My 11yo son just learned how to swallow a pill whole. We used to open a capsule and sprinkle it over a spoonful of apple sauce. Then one day we tried placing the whole pill on the spoonful of applesauce and he ate the applause as usual and the pill went down. For us it was a huge accomplishment and he was very proud of himself!
Give him time to cool down first. If he's already upset, arguing about taking medication is not helpful. Instead, how about filling the tub with cool water, fill with bubbles and toys. Play with him. The cool water will lower the body temp. After he is calm, offer him his favorite beverage with the liquid Tylenol in it.
I know how frustrating this can be. I'm wondering how you might be able to coax him into taking the Tylenol liquid version. Maybe you could try adding it to a small amount of juice and having him drink it when he's distracted with a favorite tv program so that he forgets all about the meds or being sick. Hope this helps. Be encouraged, sending warm hugs and God's love.
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