Getting medicine into a very defiant 3 year old?

[OceanPrincess]

We had to explain to our 3.5yo that she needed the medicine to get better. She knew she was sick so we explained that without it she wouldn't get better and would have to go back to the Dr.

Have you tried telling him what's going on?

She understood eventually. It's hard!

[Olive]

Is it the flavour?

[teresa]

this may sound cruel but i work in an emergency department and when we have kids in like this we usually pin them down, squirt the medicine into the side of their mouth bit by bit and sometimes have to try and close their mouth to get it to stay in.
good luck!

[Dansta]

if its liqward...we have to do 2X syringe on DJ (have done so for the past 2 years) and we lay him on his back, hold his hands infront of his chest and aim the syringe at the roof of his mouth (another trigger for swallowing) and it works 90% of the time. (we do 1X4ml then 2X3ml from another syringe and the latter one is BIRGHT red, twice aday)

[Caz_88]

Ummm.... if it's flavoured liquid and you can give food with it.... mix it with flavoured custard? Not very healthy but I remember doing this for a parent of a child who Had a mental disability when I was working in childcare . It was their last resort... especially because they couldn't get time off work to home and give it, and childcare workers can't really pin and force a child...

[Ginger]

still no luck here.
have pinned him down, explained it it him, bribed him, mixed it in chocolate milk. i am about to give up.

[Olive]

Can you give it to him in smaller amounts more often? Say halve it?