I am trying to remain soooo calm, but it's not easy! Last Thursday, when I got to the day care to pick up my DD, one of the smaller kids was quarantined in the kitchen! She had woken up from her nap with goopy red eyes! My daycare provider thought she would be delivering the bad news to her father when he picked her up! Well, when she told him, his response was "Yeah... my wife thought so this morning!" Very nonchalant, la dee da!!! I have never seen my daycare provider (a VERY mild mannered woman) lose it! She really gave him a piece of her mind, about not respecting her or the other children and families!!!! Needless to say, the child was kept home on Friday!

But, lo and behold, my DD woke up this morning red and goopy!!! ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Now... the real question! How do you get a 3 1/2 year old to cooperate enough to put the ointment in her eyes THREE TIMES A DAY FOR A WEEK?????? I had a hard enough time wiping off her face this morning with a warm cloth! I can't imagine what the next week is going to be like!

HELP!!!!!! Any helpful hints would be GREATLY appreciated!!! (As well as tips on how NOT to kill the other mother when I see her! -- only half joking!!)

By Cheerio on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 10:46 am:

I am assuming you are using eye drops. I've never had an ointment. With the drops, my doctor always told me at that age that you should have them lay down with their eyes closed and place one drop in the corner of their eye while the eye is still closed and then get them to blink a few times. The medicine will roll right into their eyes and it's not as frightening as having you come at them with a dropper they can see. Then I have them lay still and count with me up to 60 so it doesn't automatically roll out when they sit up.

By Feona on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 10:49 am:

I have been know to do one treatment in the car. When he was strapped in. Sometimes you just hold them down and do it. Sometimes takes two people to hold child down.

Depends on the kid. Bribes anything.

By Ilovetom on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 10:53 am:

I have always used drops. If you put them in the corner they just run in by theirselves.

I know how she feels- pink eye is misery.

By Angellew on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 11:02 am:

My DH told me that it was an ointment he was given and the doctor told him to "tell your wife to apply like bottom eyeliner"!

By Melanie on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 11:42 am:

With ds #2 I found the ointment to be easier than the drops when he was little. I'm with Feona on this one. Bribes. LOL. Good luck!

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 12:02 pm:

When I had to give drops, by myself, to an uncooperative 2 or 3 yo, I rolled her up in a beach towel with her arms at her sides, straddled her body and then I could anchor her head to get the drops in. I couldn't fight the arms and anchor the head, all by myself. It worked. I think she didn't like being wrapped up in the beach towel, but it helped to get the medicine in! It was really only for a moment. I was pretty fast with the drops, if I didn't have to fight the arms.

Tsk tsk at the parents who knowingly dropped off the goopy-eyed kid at daycare!

By Enchens on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 12:53 pm:

I find that eye drops are easier to administer. The ointment is more difficult, more messy, and they tend to sting the eye if only for a sec. The drops don't sting. If I have my DH around, I ask him to do it, or we do a joint effort. If not, I wrap them up in a thin sheet or towel, etc. (like mentioned above.)

By Debbie on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 05:49 pm:

My oldest ds was the King of pink eye when he was in preschool. I would lay him down with his eyes closed and put the eye drop in the corner of his eye, then I would have him blink. Like everyone else said, this was the easiest way.

I agree, shame on the parents that sent their child to day care when they thought he had pink eye. This stuff is so contagious.

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 - 11:19 pm:

Enchens, I totally agree with you and once we were given ointment and I HATED it! I could give a drop far quicker and with less fuss, than that stupid ointment. It took way longer to get the ointment to drop out of the tube! Ugh!