How do you get eyedrops in a 3-year-old?

[Jamma]

So 3-year-old goes to nursery. 3-year-old develops runny nose. 3-year-old wipes nose with back of hand. 3-year-old proves very adept at wiping snot into her eye and eye infection ensues. Doctor prescribes eye drops. Then the problems really start.

How do you get the drops in her eye? Currently only way is for dad to literally hold her down while she struggle and screams and mum administers drops. It's awful. Tried bribing her but she's too young to make the connection between 'being brave' and getting the toy as a result. It's now such a big deal in her head I can't see how to go about it calmly.

All and any ideas and experience very gratefully received.

Thanks

[The Nappy Lady]

Hmmm, would imagine best method would be similar to when brushing teeth of resistant toddler - sit on floor with legs spread, get her to sit between your legs and lie back so her head is against your tummy and she is looking up at you, then put drops in her eyes.

However, may still need someone to hold her down or stand with sweets at the ready - quite literally hovering over her mouth??

Good luck.....

[sanity girl]

The only time I had to give my 3 year old eye drops I did it when she was asleep! She flinched a little but didn't wake up :) Guess that would work if your little one still naps as you could do morning before she wakes, nap time and then after she has gone to sleep in the evening?

[sillywoman]

Or, try doing face stroking on her.

Get her at a calm & peaceful time. Lay her down on the sofa or with her head in your lap and get her to close her eyes and you stroke her face whilst telling her a story. After you've done it a couple of times so she's used to it & not scared. You can introduce someone putting eyedrops in. Just put one in the corners of her eye nearest her nose - she can keep her eye's closed but must keep her head still & keep listening to the story. Gradually the drops will work into her eyes.

If it all sounds like too much faff, maybe try just wiping her eyes with cotton wool and cooled boiled water with a little salt in it? Or even cotton wool with eyedrop solution on it?

It's a devil whatever though - especially as she's decided that eyedrops are evil and must be avoided at all costs - good luck Jamma.

[Fuschia]

You might find ointment easier, we did

[karter]

All great ideas i would try when she is sleeping gently gently now.

[Jamma]

I tried when she was sleeping last night, trouble is she was on her side so I only got one eye done! Got the other one done this morning after a bit of a struggle but no need to be pinned down at least.

Will try doing it with her eyes closed, sounds like the easiest option. I figure if just a tiny bit goes in each time then it's better than nothing and will help clear it up eventually.

[Polly D]

Strange - I read your post last night and thought 'poor you' as we had to administer drops in my son's eyes before Xmas and it was pretty dramatic! And then he woke up this morning with conjunctivitis...so back to the drops.

What worked for us last time, sort of, is going through a whole rigmarole of saying 'drops for mummy, drops for monkey, drops for iggle piggle...drops for R (my son)!' and then he was quite brave about it but I did have to straddle him and pull his eyelids down and felt awful about it.

Someone at work gave me a top tip, make a cammomile tea and when cool, dip a cotton pad in it and wipe over eyes. I haven't tried it yet and don't want to endorse something I haven't tried and could be hocus pocus, but could be worth a try?

[karter]

Hocus pocus does work sometimes or let the chamomilla tea bag cool down and apply around the eye same thing though, they do this in the meditteranean that i have seen.

[chantelle]

i'd see if you can get her nose swabbed - sounds like maybe she's carrying staph or strep if this is recurring. i had lots of fun getting eye ointment into my 2-year old's eyes in the summer - eventually i just very quickly smeared my finger across his eye and figured something would work its way in, rather than trying to do it in a more formal fashion of trying to get him to cooperate/pinning him down.

[ryedalema]

At 3 is there at all the possibility that they could try and do it themselves with lots of bribery (my new parenting method of choice)? It might be the lack of control that they are baulking at? And difficult to tell I know, but do the drops sting? If they are non--stingy then the DIY-bribery method could work, but I guess there could be lots of wastage from butterfingered attempts.

Worth a try??

[buggie]

Eye drops don't exactly sting, but do make you want to rub your eyes. I'm rubbish at doing them to myself (despite giving them to lots!).

Unfortunately I don't have any top tips on administrating drops as always have had the benefit of parents/carers to help hold the child when giving them in A&E!

[Jamma]

The reaction when I put the drops in after she'd gone to sleep last night suggests they do sting! Despite me telling her over and over again it's not going to hurt etc. Whoops.

[nunheadmum]

If she's got a cold, could it be just that it's coming out through her eyes (it's all so close together in little ones) - that's been the explanation I've got from the doctor. In that case, when the cold goes, the 'infection' goes and drops don't make any difference.

Unfortunately if drops are needed, I don't have any good suggestions.

[Polly D]

Someone else has suggested a homeopathic remedy called euphrasia which is meant to be more gentle.

Jamma - I caught my son's eye infection last time he had it and used same drops as him. It didn't stink exactly but was pretty gross as the liquid goes through the sinuses and leaves you with that horrid taste as if you'd swallowed half the English Channel. I do feel for your little one. Hope she's better soon.

[Saffron]

Colloidal sliver eye drops are safe and don't sting. My bestfriend is prone to eye infections, but she is also allergic (severely!) to most antibiotics. You might need to order CS eye drops online. When I asked a local pharmacist, he had no idea what I was talking about. When I explained to him that it's simply ionised silver in solution, he said something like, You must be a chemist. Erm no, mate, I thought YOU were the 'chemist'!? Anyway, I digress... Colloidal silver drops in the eye, safe and painless. Bring them to body temp by putting them in your pocket for a while, as cold drops are unpleasant in the eye. If infections reoccur often, then deffo worth a nasal swab too. Good luck. xx

[sillywoman]

Ooooh, body temperature, hadn't thought of that Saffron - simple, but so effective! This is why I love this forum.