A spoonful of sugar is all very well in the movies, but getting the medicine into your young child is a different matter altogether. Here’s the wisdom of experts and moms distilled down to help you:

• Does it right: Always supervise the taking of medication in children. Have your child standing or sitting up at a 45 degree angle when taking ay medicine to reduce the risk of choking or gagging. Give liquid medicine along the side of the mouth. Place tablets on the back of the tongue.

• Special delivery: Keep your usual spoons in the kitchen. For kids’ meds, you need a dosage spoon, medicine dropper or oral syringe, the last works best with babies. Your measuring spoons will do in a pinch. Work with your child’s preferences. If he’s old enough, he may prefer to swallow tablets or capsules rather than syrup.

• Do the disguise: If your child can swallow a tablet but refuses to, ask your pediatrician if you can crush it and mix it in yoghurt or custard, or a pudding with jam. Or place it in soft sweets, ice creams and chocolates syrup. Basically make sure he takes his medicine.

• Persistence pays: If your baby tries to spit out his medicine, pull his cheek open gently with a finger and the put the medicine into his cheek pocket. Keep your finger in place till he swallows. Another tried and true mom’s secret, blow unexpectedly but gently into his face, babies always swallow. It is the worst scenario, but if you must, you will have to restrain the child and give the medicine. Children hate this of course, but you can use that discomfort to negotiate for cooperation the next time. If you have another adult to help, have her hold the child in a breathing facing forward, holding the arm down and head at 45 degrees angle. If you are alone, you may need to role a young child in a blanket, then sit her up and administer the dose.

• Harden your heart: Your child needs the medicine and it’s in his best interest that he gets it. If you show that you feel sorry for him, he’s going to emotionally blackmail you into taking it. Don’t bargain or bribe, but also don’t punish. Just insist, persist and offer a big hug when the whole ordeal’s over. Of course, if children are too ill to keep medicine down, consult your doctor at once about further course of action.