OT Fathers Only: I finally cracked the code with my kids!!!

My 2 year old has an ear infection and was prescribed Amoxicillin. Thing is: Like most list kids she HATES taking medicine.

I've tried everything to coax her to take her medicine but nothing works. She throws a fit and acts scared to death to drink a mere 5 ml of medicine. She probably associates the medicine with the doctor's office visit, which happened to coincide with a wonderful experience with a Flu shot. Thanks, Doc, for the perfect timing.

Anyhow, this morning a thought hit me. My two year old likes to do everything my 5 year old does. I mean everything. What if I put milk into the medicine cap and asked my 5 year old to drink it while sitting next to my 2 year old. After drinking it, perhaps I could get my 5 year old to smile and say something like, "Mmmmm, MMMMMMM, GOOD! Yummy!"

That's exactly what I did. I took my 5 year old into another room while my 2 year old was eating breakfast. I told her what I wanted her to do and why. She smiled and said, "Okay, Daddy! I'll do it!"

She sat down next to my 2 year old. I gave her the "medicine" and asked her to drink it so that she feels better. She downed the milk and looked at my 2 year old and said, "mmmmmm, MMMMMMM, GOOD! Yummy!"

I said, "Good job! You already look better! Do you feel good?"

She said, "Yes, Daddy. I feel great."

Then I gave my 2 year old the real medicine and asked her to drink it. She picked up the medicine cap and downed it like a champion and even said, "mmmmm, MMMMMM, Yummy! More?"

I laughed and said, "You get more tonight, hun. Good job! I can already see you getting better!"


I love fatherhood and manipulation as an means to an end.