 |
hen my eldest child was very young, it was a major production to get medicine into her when she had an ear infection or the flu. For me,
and for many other parents, the thought that my daughter would have to take medicine on a regular basis would have been overwhelming.
It was certainly an adjustment for Kim and Michael. By the time their son was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and prescribed
a daily course of medication, the then-seven-year-old had only taken medicine once before. "Going from nothing to taking something every
day was a pretty big leap," recalls Kim. It wasn't just the fact that there was a new routine; there were 'technical difficulties' as well.
"When we first started, he really had difficulty swallowing pills." The pharmacist gave Kim some sugar pills so her son could get used to
the process. "By the time he got to the third one, he was able to knock it back with water and was actually quite proud of himself." And,
as a pleasant surprise, it wasn't long before Kim's son was taking some responsibility for the medication, reminding his parents in the
morning to give him a pill.
A learning experience for the whole family
There are challenges for everyone involved when a child needs to take medication on a regular basis. In some cases, the child has to
actually learn how to take it—swallowing a pill, properly
using an asthma inhaler, receiving injections for diabetes
—and, as the years go
by, assume some responsibility for it. Parents need to learn how to manage the medication and make it part of everyday life because
they're the ones who are likely to be dealing with it well into their child's teenage years.
There are some basic things every parent should know about any kind of medication for themselves or for their children:
- What the medicine is for and what it is supposed to do
- What to look for in terms of side effects and what, if anything, to be concerned about
- How often to take the medicine, for how long, with or without food
- How to store the medicine
- What to do if you miss a dose or accidentally take an extra dose
- What the best method for measuring the dose is (there are special spoons and syringes available at the pharmacy)
- How to give pills to children who have trouble swallowing them. Is the medicine available in liquid form? Can the pills be crushed and
mixed with food? It's important to check first
- How to prepare for an extended trip away from home
Taking over responsibility
Obviously, parents have to assume ultimate responsibility for children and their medication for a long time. But right from the start,
even young kids should be made to feel part of the team because all too soon they'll be out in the world—away at camp, sleepovers with
friends—without you.
Try to tie medication time with something that happens every day—breakfast, tooth brushing, whatever works best in your particular
circumstances. A child who has to take several different medications every day or needs to take something at different times may be
helped by using a pill container with doses in different compartments. A written list or daily reminder kept someplace central and checked
off by the child after he or she has taken medication may also be useful.
As for Kim and Michael, they expect to be mostly responsible for their son's medication until he's 15 or 16. Around the
teen years, when
kids are away from home much more often, parents have to hope that all the good lessons they have taught their children about managing
regular medication will have sunk in. Then the role they play has to change—from medication manager to gentle reminder.
|
This article was prepared by Nora Underwood for 
