Medicine Hacks Every Parent Needs to Know
Giving medication to kids can sometimes feel like an impossible task. Whether it’s the taste, texture, or just the idea of swallowing medicine, many children resist taking it. If you’ve ever battled with your child over a dose of Augmentin, struggled with a bitter prednisolone liquid, or tried to disguise the chalky taste of children’s motrin, you’re not alone. I know this can be especially hard for children with sensory sensitivities or who have food aversions as well.
Here’s a step-by-step guide with practical tips to help make medicine time easier—including alternatives to chewable tablets or capsules, taste modifiers, and clever tricks for common children’s medications.
try changing the flavor
Many liquid medications have a strong or unpleasant taste. These tricks can help:
Flavoring at the Pharmacy – Many pharmacies offer flavoring services (like FLAVORx) to mask bitterness. Ask if your child’s medication can be flavored.
Mix with Sweet Foods – You can often mix liquid medication with a small amount of:
Chocolate or strawberry syrup
Applesauce
Yogurt
Pudding
Fruit juice (if allowed)
Chill It – Cold numbs taste buds, so refrigerate the medicine (if permitted) or let your child suck on a popsicle or ice cube before taking it.
Medication-Specific Tips
Prednisolone (Steroid Liquid) – Often bitter; try mixing with chocolate syrup or strong juice like apple or grape. See below for an alternative as well.
Children’s Tylenol or Motrin – These are often flavored but can still be strong. Mixing with a tiny bit of flavored yogurt can help.
Amoxicillin or Keflex – These antibiotics tend to be sweet but can have a chalky aftertaste. Mixing with applesauce or flavored pudding can help.
Augmentin (Amoxicillin/Clavulanate) – Can have a bitter taste. Try giving it with a chaser of chocolate milk or yogurt. You can also ask your team to change the concentration — there are different concentrations, so that you might be able to give a smaller volume for each. This can help a lot in how much your child has to take with each dose.
ask for chewable tablet or capsule alternatives
If your child refuses a liquid medicine, there are often alternatives like chewable tablets or even capsules that you can try.
chewable tablets:
Crush & Mix – Some chewable tablets (like children’s Tylenol or Motrin) can be crushed and mixed into food. Check with your pharmacist first!
Dissolve in a Small Amount of Liquid – Some medications can be dissolved in juice or milk (if stable).
Medication-Specific Tips:
Prednisolone (Steroid Liquid) – Often bitter and tastes very strong. Be sure to ask your care team for an alternative called dexamethasone — this is actually first-line now in many pediatric settings for croup and asthma. Dexamethasone is a crushable tablet that you can mix into anything (juice, pedialyte, gatorade, applesauce, yogurt, etc.),and it’s only 1-2 doses which can save you from a week’s worth of treatment.
capsules:
Open and Mix – Some capsules can be opened, and the contents sprinkled into soft foods like applesauce or yogurt. (Always check with your pharmacist.)
Medication-Specific Tips:
Keflex — Often sweet but with a chalky taste. Be sure to ask your care team (if your child’s weight is appropriate, and dosing makes sense) if you can switch to capsules. Then you can just open and mix the contents into soft foods.
use the right tools
The way you give medicine can make a huge difference:
Use a Syringe Instead of a Spoon – A dosing syringe allows you to squirt the medicine toward the back of your child’s cheek, bypassing the tongue where taste buds are strongest.
Give in Small Doses – If your child struggles with the full dose at once, try giving half, followed by a sip of juice or a bite of food, then the rest.
Mix Into a Tiny Amount – If you must mix with food or drink, use only a small amount so your child finishes all of it.and just remember…
Try a straw — this can help to bypass the taste buds as well and can be fun with a fun-shaped straw.
turn it into a game
Making medicine time fun (or at least less stressful) can work wonders:
Pretend Play – Let your child give medicine to a stuffed animal first.
Silly Rewards – “Let’s see how fast you can take this, then you get a silly dance from Mom/Dad!”
Sticker Charts – A sticker for each successful dose can be a great motivator.
offer a ‘chaser’
Having a favorite drink or snack right after the medicine can help wash away the taste:
Chocolate milk (great for masking bitterness)
Fruit juice (apple or grape work well)
A spoonful of flavored yogurt or pudding
try different positions + methods
Lying Down for Liquids – If your child gags easily, try having them lie back slightly while you squirt the medicine toward their cheek.
Straw Trick – If mixing in liquid, give it through a straw to bypass taste buds.
Nose Pinch – Some kids do better if they pinch their nose while swallowing to block the smell.
and remember…
Giving medicine to kids can be a challenge, but with a few tricks—like taste modifiers, fun distractions, and the right dosing tools—you can make the experience much smoother. If you’re ever unsure about crushing, mixing, or altering a medication, check with your care team first.
Do you have a go-to trick for getting your child to take medicine? Share it in the comments!
Sending you a big hug,
Anjuli
Disclaimer: For educational purposes only and should not be regarded as medical advice or replace the advice of your physician and medical care team.