Children love to explore their surroundings and they have little understanding of what is safe and unsafe, making them prone to mishaps. Medication is one safety hazard toddlers are exposed to every day. This guide will teach you how to store medicines correctly to ensure toddler safety.

Store Medications In A Locked Cabinet

The safest place to store medicine is in a high cabinet or a closet that you could lock. This way, it is out of your toddler’s sight and reach. Securing medicines may be inconvenient but it will stop your giddy toddler from climbing and jumping, preventing accidents. Also, do not place your purse, medicine pouch, diaper bag and the likes near your toddler. Out of sight, out of mind.

Use Child-resistant Safety Caps

See to it all your medicine bottles have child-resistant safety caps for extra security. However, keep in mind that child-resistant does not mean childproof. A persistent toddler can break into these caps so keep them locked and away just to be sure.

Do Not Switch Containers

Never remove the products from their original containers so you do not confuse the medicines for something else. This also allows you to easily keep track of expiration dates and instructions. Make sure each medicine bottle is accurately labelled.

Do Not Use The Bathroom Medicine Cabinet

The most hazardous place to store medicines especially when you have a toddler is the bathroom cabinet. This location is easily accessible by toddlers. Plus, the moisture and heat of the bathroom can cause medicines to lose their effectiveness before their expiration date which can be very lethal. Find a cool, dry place to store medications. A kitchen cabinet with a lock is an ideal place to stash medicines. If medications should be stored in the refrigerator, place them on the top shelf where your toddler cannot reach them, make sure your refrigerator is protected with a child safety lock and the lids are tightly closed.

Unload Medicines First

Once you get home from the grocery, always unpack the medicines first before your toddler starts rummaging through the grocery bags. Children can mistake a bottle of coated tablets or pills for candies.

Return Medicine To Its Proper Place

Make it a rule in your household to return medicines to their storage place right after taking them. Leaving medicine on the counter if you are giving your toddler another dose in a few hours may be convenient, but leaving them for your toddler to reach and consume is very unsafe.

Keep Your Toddler Informed

Most importantly, teach your toddler the importance of proper use of medicine. Refer to medicine as medicine, not as candy. Explain to your child that medicine is good but dangerous. Tell him not to play with it and that you are the only one allowed to use them.

Medicines can be a danger if used improperly. Follow these preventive measures to keep your toddle safe and sound so you can get the most from your medications!

Toddler medicines taste icky and bitter, no wonder why toddlers detest it. But, no matter how many protests and pleas children make, they still have to take it. The following are some effective tips that will get toddlers to drink medicine.

Make It More Appetizing

If your pediatrician gives you the go signal, combine medicine with sweet tasting food and drink to make it more palatable. This is a very effective approach to camouflage the bitterness. Mix medicine into a small amount of apple juice, white grape juice, cherry-flavored syrup, ice cream or yogurt. But, do keep in mind that if you mix the medicine into something else, your toddler has to eat or drink the entire thing in order to get the full dosage.

Make It Fun

Even if you feel guilty about forcing your little one to drink something he hates, you have to smile, be cheerful and be matter of fact about it. Sway the medicine spoon up in the air and mimic the sound of an airplane as the spoon comes near your toddler’s mouth. Pretend to give the medicine to his favorite stuffed animal. Better yet, pass the medicine spoon around and pretend to take a sip. It will make him want what you are having.

Try A Different Form

Ask your toddler’s pediatrician for alternative forms. Most often, delivery can make all the difference. Try offering the medication in a medicine dropper or a small cap
(with the exact measurements). Use a plastic syringe (without the needle) so you can spray the medicine straight into the back of his mouth.

In addition, you can also try giving your toddler small doses of medicine for several minutes instead of giving it all at once. It may be easier to swallow if he does not have to drink it all in one gulp. Ask if the medicine is available in chewable or suppository form, paper strips (melts on the tongue) or in a less concentrated dosage.

Avoid The Taste Buds

The idea is to avoid the bitter taste buds (front and center of the tongue) and place the medicine on the back of the tongue. You can also try placing it between the back gum and the inside of his cheek where it will easily glide down his throat avoiding contact with the bitter taste buds.

Give A Reward

Sometimes, all it takes for your toddler to take the medicine is by offering a prize. Give your toddler a piece of paper and some stickers. Let him attach a sticker each time he swallows a dose and give him your word that once he gets five stickers, he will receive a small but special award (e.g. his favorite food, favorite game, a new toy, etc.) for taking his medicine.

Be Firm

Your reaction can greatly affect how your toddler responds to medicine. If you try to get your toddler to drink medicine with a scowl on your face, he will sense that something unpleasant is about to take place. Be straightforward because once he sees you have doubts, it will make him think that it is okay to resist.

Medicines will never be yummy. But with a little ingenuity, you can get your toddler to take his medicine.

Medicines give relief to anyone in pain. However, some of these medications are not intended for toddlers. Here are eight toddler medicines you should never give to your precious one.

Aspirin

Aspirin in one of the most common over-the-counter medicines, but it should never be given to your toddler nor any medication that contains aspirin. Aspirin can make a toddler vulnerable to Reye’s syndrome – a rare but lethal condition. In addition, it is also very important that you read labels carefully since some children’s medicines are not aspirin-free (aspirin is also known as acetylsalicylic acid or salicylate). Consult your pediatrician or pharmacist if you are unsure if a product is aspirin-free. Give the right dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen instead to relieve your tot’s fever and other discomfort.

Anti-nausea Medications

Never give your toddler an anti-nausea medicine unless his pediatrician specifically prescribes it. Most cases of nausea are transitory so toddlers can handle them just fine sans any medication. Furthermore, the use of anti-nausea medicines can cause health complications such as abdominal pain, blurred vision, constipation, cramps, dehydration, dry mouth, fatigue, headache and restlessness.

Chewables

Most parents think that chewable medicines are good for children of any age, but you should be very careful about giving one of these drugs to your little one. Chewable tablets are a choking hazard so even if your toddler is an expert at eating solid foods, the tablet can still get stuck in his throat causing him to choke. If you wish to give chewables to your toddler, crush it first and then mix the medicine to your toddler’s food.

Cough and Cold Medicines

Over-the-counter medications for coughs and colds do not effectively work on children below the age of six. As a matter of fact, they can be harmful to a toddler’s body. Cough and cold medications cause a lot of side effects like drowsiness, increased heart rate, rashes, seizures, upset stomachs and even death. A better solution for your toddler’s cough and cold is to use a humidifier (the moist air helps loosen mucus in the nasal passages) and other home remedies like chicken soup and other warm liquids, honey and plenty of fluids.

Expired Medicines

Not giving expired medications to anyone is common knowledge of course. All medications have a shelf life and once they have reached the expiration date, they become ineffective and harmful. Check your medicine cabinet from time to time. Throw away expired medicines or anything that does not look the way it did when you first bought it (dry, crumbly, discolored, etc.).

Infant and Adult Medications

Giving your toddler a higher dose of infant medicine is as hazardous as giving a smaller dose of adult medicine. Infant drops are more concentrated than children’s medicine. To ensure you get the right children’s medicine for your toddler, make sure you check the label if it specifies a correct dosage for the weight and age of your toddler.

Ipecac Syrup

Ipecac syrup is used to induce vomiting and to prevent poisoning. However, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) no longer recommends ipecac syrup since there is no proof that vomiting helps in the treatment of poisoning. In fact, it can cause side effects such as diarrhea, drowsiness, stomach cramps and difficulty in breathing.

Muscle Rubs

While muscle rubs can open congested airways and nasal passages, the decongestant benefits are superficial and only lasts for short periods of time. Muscle rubs contain camphor, which is very dangerous since it can cause skin irritation, impaired breathing, vomiting and muscle spasm.

Remember that toddlers are more prone to adverse reactions than adults, so giving your toddler prescription, over-the-counter and herbal medicines should be done with precaution. Always ask your doctor’s advice first before giving anything to your toddler.