She's crafty, or something

Rosie's taking amoxicillin for her strep, and she hates it.  Did I mention she HATES it?  We try everything under the sun to get her to take it: threats, bribes, pleading, leaving her in time out, putting it in milk, dousing it in whipped cream, sitting on her and injecting it into her mouth.  All she will do is refuse, and if a drop so much as touches her lips she'll bubble it out. 

Does this sound familiar to anyone?  Yeah.  Me too.

So this morning after J got up with Rosie around 5:30, I could hear him downstairs -- speaking firmly to her for several minutes to try and convince her to take the meds.  Each time she'd emphatically refuse.  After about 10 minutes I decided to give him a break and continue the torture work on Rosie myself with my impeccable persuasion skills. 

After a few minutes of staring Rosie down, I felt the call of nature and left the living room for a brief period.  Upon returning I noticed something odd: the coffee table where I'd left the amoxicillin dose was strangely empty.  I looked around, thinking at first that maybe J had returned and moved it while I was in the restroom.  But no, I could still hear the shower running.

Baffled, I turned to Rosie.  "Rosie, what happened to the pink?  The pink medicine?"

Rosie walked into the kitchen and proudly opened the lid of our stainless steel trash can.  "I put in trash, momma!"

Anyone have any hints for getting a stubborn-beyond-belief toddler to take her medicine?  I'm seriously considering offering a reward at this point for any tip that works and does not involve blunt force trauma.  I need all of my limbs and both my eyeballs, thanks.

Comments

[AB]

Wrap it in a ball of butter or cheese, force her mouth open and massage her throat until it goes down. Oh...wait...that's how we get the CATS to take their meds. Sorry. Never mind.

[Kvetch]

OMG I am so sorry. My daughter, at 12, still HATES medicine and whines and complains and procrastinates. And she can swallow pills.

Ok, I'll admit, long before there were some tough situations in our family I would say she had a choice. The medicine or the doctor's office (or hospital if it was 3 a.m. after hours of trying to get her to take it).

Sometimes that worked.

Sometimes you just wait them out.

:(

[M&Co.]

The BoyChild won't take that shit either. When the BoyChild got sick last time, I told them they could have something compounded (most of those meds have milk bases) or they could give him a shot. After much discussion, they decided to give him a shot. I just wasn't up for fighting him about it for ten days and then having to deal with the reactions too!

[Stimey]

You know, I have absolutely no advice for you, but I just wanted to chime in with some support and commiseration: That absolutely sucks. Good luck to you!

[green3]

We used to lie the on the ground, "sit" on them, and shove it down. Sounds mean, I know, but they love hearing those stories now that they are older. They always say, "Tell me again about when I wouldn't take my medicine!"

[Karen]

Liz and Ted were like this, too. I remember when Liz was 18 mos. old and I was visiting my parents when she needed antibiotics. My dad said, what do you mean she won't take them? Give me that child! I'll show you how this is done.

5 minutes later he was coated in zithromax.

Anyway, around the age of three, I began to bargain with them. In other words, I took their security blankets and told them they couldn't have it back until they swallowed the meds. Letting them sip it themselves at the table at their own pace helped after that.

[Claudia]

Sugar Cubes & Strawberry milk. Those were the two weapons I used when my little ones were little. :)

That and I drank heavily before I administered.

[Mignon]

Quinn is on The Amox with strep right now too (he had it in his ear, though - I giant infected boil on his eardrum). They prescribed chewables, which are MUCH easier - could you call around and find some of those? He still hates them but he'll take them if he gets to chew a candy cane at the same time.

[Karly]

My daughter is the same way and the ONLY way to get her meds down her is for me to sit on the floor with my legs straight out in front of me, lay her down between my legs and put my legs on top her arms. Then I kinda squeeze her head with my thighs to hold it in place and I have two free hands to administer the meds. Its GREAT fun! The sobbing, the terror, the hate. Oh, how I love it all. ;)

[Julie]

I have no good ideas, but as I read, I could hear CJ in my head: "Throw garbage, Mommy!"

Two peas in a pod, I'll tell you.

[ozma]

She's a smart one!

I have no suggestions. I would have the same problem. If bribes and threats don't work then I'm S.O.L. Force feeding is the last resort but you've seen how great that works.

[Veronica Mitchell]

Sometimes if I can get medicine into my second daughter, she will vomit on purpose. It's really charming.

I wish I had a useful suggestion for you.

[jen from boston]

I would hae lost my shit at this point.

And then I would watch vintage WWF for moves....dropping the elbow? I think there's one that involes a fold-up chair and getting a running start? No? Just me?

Yeah, maybe chewables, or strawberry milk? Though the "You can take it here or at the doctor's office, your call" sounds the most tempting to me.

Does money talk to this girl? A quarter for every time she takes it? Getting to stay up for 15 mins. longer past bedtime?