Stop Telling Kids That Medicine Is a Lollipop.
We will say anything to bribe a child to take the medicine, but telling them it’s a lollipop can backfire. Every year 70,000 children are admitted to emergency departments after drug overdose , mainly because they themselves have been taking drugs that are within reach. After all, who doesn’t want more candy?
Some children understand that medications make you feel better, but then they apply toddler logic. If a little is good, then more is better, right? Children also may not understand that there are different types of drugs, so grandma’s tablets are not interchangeable with their Tylenol. My kids even asked for medicine after they skinned their knees.
All of this is in favor of explaining to children what medicine really is – and until they are old enough to understand, keep medicines “close at hand,” as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called their campaign to prevent childhood poisoning. This means that if you have given the medicine to a sick toddler and plan to give it after another four hours, do not leave the bottle by his bed. And if you are visiting friends or family, make sure they do not have medications or vitamins in places that children can reach, such as on the kitchen counter. Visit the link below for more tips.
Up and Away | CDC