How to Hide Medications in Your Kids' Food

There are times when your children need to take medication, but they either don't like the taste, or they can't or won't swallow pills. You, as the parent, know that they need the medication, and you understand exactly why. Your child, unfortunately, may not understand the need for the medication, and therefore simply fights taking it. Older children can be reasoned with, and can sometimes be convinced to take or swallow needed medication. Younger children, or extremely irrational children, may require a more sneaky approach. Knowing how to hide medication in your kids' food is a handy tool. It's not easy. Some kids are little food detectives, finding the medication no matter how clever you are. These techniques, however, can outwit the most careful child, and help you to hide the medications your kids so desperately need.

Things You'll Need

• Melted chocolate
• Peanut butter
• Ice cream or soy or rice "ice cream"
• Chocolate pudding
• Chocolate almond milk

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Instructions

How to Hide Medications in Your Kids' Food

• 1

  Look at the size of the pill (if the medication is a pill). Is the pill small enough to hide in a spoon full of chocolate pudding or peanut butter? Is your child naive enough to just take the spoonful and swallow without noticing the pill? If you think so, it's worth trying this very simple first step.

• 2

  Take larger pills and crush the pill or empty the capsule. Check medication instructions VERY carefully before doing this, though; if the medication is time-released, or could cause stomach upset without the coating, skip this step.

• 3

  Mix the medication powder into a small bit of warm, melted chocolate. Do not overheat the chocolate; heat can neutralize some medications. Put the medication-chocolate mix in the refrigerator. Take the hardened chocolate out in fifteen minutes and offer the chocolate to your child. Be sure the child eats ALL of the chocolate with medication in it, though, to get the full medication dose.

• 4

  Make a "peanut butter, jelly, and medication" sandwich. Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread, jelly on the other, and sprinkle the medication powder all over one slice. Put the sandwich together. Serve. Once again, make sure the child eats all of the sandwich to get the proper dose. Consider making a half, or even a quarter, of a sandwich with the full dose of medication in it if your child has a light appetite.

• 5

  Mix the medication in with ice cream, soy ice cream, or rice ice cream. If the medication is an antibiotic, however, skip this step. Antibiotics and dairy don't mix well.

• 6

  Blend chocolate pudding and medication powder. Most kids will eat this tasty treat and not notice the medication.

• 7

  Make "medication-sicles" with chocolate almond milk and medication mixed together, then poured carefully into popsicle molds and frozen. Make sure the medication isn't harmed by being frozen, and again--be sure your child eats an entire dose-worth of medication.

• 8

  Use the above methods for liquid medications as well.