How to Get Your Kid to Take Medicine

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How to Con Your Kid: 15 Simple Scams for Mealtime, Bedtime, Bathtime -- Anytime!

Wouldn't it be great if kids just did what they were told? Since they often don't, here's how you can trick them into doing what you need them to do (16 Photos)

David Borgenicht and James Grace on Apr 5, 2012 at 6:17PM

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a David Borgenicht and James Grace on Apr 5, 2012 at 3:29PM

Just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down, as Mary Poppins, the original Super Nanny, once said. Depending on your child and depending on the medicine, it may take more than a spoonful of sugar.

Basic Cons
--Cold temperatures mask unpleasant flavors, so keep the medicine chilled (unless the packaging states that it should remain at room temperature).
--Play Mary Poppins: Administer the medicine with one spoon and follow promptly with a spoonful of chocolate syrup (load both spoons in advance). Among its many other beneficial properties, chocolate really eliminates the aftertaste of just about any medicine.
--Let your child decide where to take the medicine -- yielding one small element of control to your kid often does the trick.

Short Cons
"Do you want to take your medicine in the bathroom or in your bedroom?"
"Do you want to use a little cup or a syringe?"
"Do you want to take your medicine quickly or slowly?"