February 16, 2011
-
Swallow the Medicine
Bunches of our friends have been sick with the flu. Really bad sad.
We have avoided it.
So far.
All the little sickies in my prayers reminded me of a time when my second child was very small. She hated taking her medicine. I tried all the tricks. Blowing in her face, mixing with applesauce, you name it - I tried it. That baby was determined. If I did get it in her mouth she was really good at spitting it out - all of it. The chief and I wrestled this kid to the point of absolute frustration. I tearfully put in a call to our pediatrician for advice.
Our pediatrician was (we moved away) a wonderful wonderful lady who had raised four children of her own. She never hesitated to give me both doctor and "mom" advice. I still remember her words to me, "Honey, you give her that medicine and if she spits it out, you give it to her again. If she spits it out again, you give it to her again. You give her that medicine until she decides to swallow it. If you run out, I'll call you in some more. You make her take that medicine."
Here's the thing. My baby was sick. She needed that medicine. I loved her. I wanted her to be healthy and well. She's a baby. She didn't understand what was best for her but I'm her mom and I knew what she needed. I knew that she needed her medicine. So I did what the Dr. said.
I gave her a dose of medicine. She spit it out. Another dose. Out it came. A third dose. Once again she spit it out. Just before the fourth dose, I looked in to her eyes and said, "Momma is gonna keep giving you this medicine until you swallow it." I gave her the fourth dose.
She swallowed it.
And every time after that, she swallowed her medicine the first time.
I learned a lesson in motherhood that day. Being a mom means that sometimes you just have to make them swallow their medicine. That's going to mean different things at different ages and stages in life. It's hard a job. We do it because we love them.
(Little Miss Strong-willed in all her baby cuteness.)
Comments (7)
So True!
She is so cute! =)
Determination and perseverance are SO important in raising children! I STILL need to remind myself of that, even though my baby will soon be 17, and my Stong-Willed girl will soon be 19! God bless you as you go through each moment of each day!
By the way, your little girl is a DOLL!
@Elizabethmarie_1 - @Richgem - Thank you! She'll be 10 this summer. I can't believe it!
I've been learning this lesson as the little girl I babysit who is 4 is having a diet change. Up until now, all her parents gave her was mac/cheese or chicken nuggets literally that's all she eats. Well they decided now was the time to change that since she's constipated and doesn't feels good. She's been putting up a pretty big fight with barely eating anything every day. I know she's bound to give up eventually though. side note...her parents realized they hadn't taught her well with eating so with the younger brother, he eats anything and everything and some days he even eats his sister's share : )
@redladybug18 - Those picky eaters are tough! She will get hungry and all sorts of things will start tasting good. lol
@TrentTribe - this week she's eating much better and has jumped out of her junk food shell
Comments are closed.