ARGHHH..How Do You Get Eye Ointment into Toddler Who Squeezes His Eyes Shut?

Yep, we have pinkeye! :headbang: DD opens her eyes wide and stares at the tv while we give her prescription eye ointment. But DS squeezes his eyes shut, screams hysterically, and fights us off. It is so hard to get the ointment into his lower eyelid. They are 13 months, so bribery and stuff like that won't work. I'm afraid it will take brute force. Any suggestions?

 

Call your pediatrician and ask for the drops!

Seriously, we've had the ointment a few times with our 3 boys - and I just always feel like I get a better amount in their eyes when I use the drops. They are still screaming and yelling and I still have to fight them to get it in, but even if they close their eye mid-drop, the liquid sits on their lashes and the second they open their eye, at least some of the drop makes it in their eye.

Good luck!

 

Yep, get the drops. It will still take brute force, basically pin their arms down and drop it in the inside corner of their eyes, one at a time. When they open their eyes the drops roll into their eyes, whether they like it or not.

 

Warm up the eyedrops first - let them sit in a cup of warm water for 5 min. The shock of it going in is significantly less. You can do this with the ointment also. And if the doc won't give ointment, then wash your hands REALLY well and put it on your finger then swipe your finger across the eyelids with the cream.

 

We had to hold our son's arms down and pry his eyelids open. Word of warning: it was so aversive that we stopped after 3 days. Can you guess the end of this story? Yep, pink eye was back 2 days later and we had to start all over!!

 

So we went to the doc and she wouldn't give us the drops. I'm gonna try warming the ointment up. The nurse showed me a good way to pry his eye open. I DO have to put him in a straightjacket (his arms tucked inside his shirt) and sit on him while holding his head as still as possible. ARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!

 

I have to use brute force to get my girls' nose drops in. It reminds me of when my mom used to hold me down to feed me medicine. I think all kids have to get held down for their own good at least once in their life

 

how's it going with the ointment? Hope you've gotten a few doses in! If the shirt doesn't work as a straightjacket, what about a towel - and swaddle him?