My DD has a dry cough and a few weeks ago was in hospital for a night with suspected asthma. She is two and a half.

We have a spacer that are supposed to use and she HATES it! We have put stickers on it, talk her through it, but it ends up in a big screaming match with her getting worse because of the drama. DH and I hate it and holding her down is awful. Does have some ideas on how to get her to use it?

I showed my little girl a video from you-tube of another kid using it ... that helped. oh and giving her the control helped too. She holds the spacer herself and "helps" to press the inhaler with mummy or daddy.

Thanks Dolphin that's great advice about You Tube. I have DH on the case as I write.

Hi Scrabble
Our little man was an absolute nightmare to get his meds into until we took off the mask and just use the mouth piece. He was only 15 months at the time too. He watched his big brother using it and we (DH and I) huffed and puffed into it first then would give it to him and he thought it was a hoot.
I have to say though, it is near impossible to get it into him during the night when half asleep without pinning him down I really dont like that part at all.

You tube is a great idea.. might try that tomorrow on our little dude (now 21 months)

A nurse referred to it as a space man mask and that made it magic for DS. He thinks he is a special spaceman and loves "wearing" his mask. He even asks for it sometimes.

Just thought I would share incase it might work for someone else.

First time I had to give it to him had to hold him down, then the next nurse made that comment - sweet.

Thanks for all your great tips! You Tube has actually been a huge success and she was bringing the mask and spacer over to DH yesterday so they could practice, while they watched. I also like the spaceman idea Bethlenniehem!

Another idea was from DH's Aunty who used to work with the Asthma society and said that you can ring them and they will send someone round with video's and dolls to help out so I will ring them in the New Year.

What a great idea....DD was fine with hers for the first couple of times and then starting fighting it which just made everything worse. Must remember this for next time....thanks heaps!

We got a spare spacer and gave her one for her baby to have some meds and it did the trick for us. She quite happily carries the spacer and gives her baby it a ffew times a week.

Was just coming on here to ask the same thing. DD is 19 months and it's a fight! Today I have started telling her that she can have a sticker after she has it, but we are still getting screaming and fighting - I am hoping that after a couple of days of getting stickers she might be more compliant, although tonight she went beserk because she wanted more stickers and I put them away.

I had to give my 16 month old some ventolin tonight for the first time. He has been watching his big brother using his spacer for his preventors his whole life. He didnt blink and eye and got it spot on. So my suggestion is maybe if you know someone who has asthma, let them see how it is done.

With DS1 I let him play with it too and he tried to use it with his teddy bear. Worked a treat.

Scrabble, it sounds like you have had some good advice already. How is your DD going now with the spacer?

My two kiddies are a bit older and have been using spacers for years. The two things that worked for me when they were younger was letting them play with a spacer, practising, using it on their teddies/dolls etc. And letting them decorate their spacer with stickers.

To this day I still let them put stickers on their spacers when we replace them...mostly so they look different and I don't get them mixed up though!

Yes, the Asthma Society nurses are awesome, and free! They are the experts on asthma.

Gillie - I hope some of the advice on here helped you too. How is your DD going now with her spacer?

Looby Loo, it's still a battle - her dolly and other toys seem happy to have their turn (which she sits and does with them) but the fight starts when I tell her it's her turn. We have the asthma society nurse coming to see us next week so I am just trying to get through til then and hoping we can improve things after seeing her.

Gillie, sorry to hear you are still having problems . Hopefully the asthma nurse can give you some help and advice.

We saw the asthma nurse today. Not sure that we have made any progress with DD - she happily helped give the teddy bear his inhaler tonight, but then went ferral again when I said it was time for her to have hers. Our neighbour was here and she tried too, but DD fought her as well. Guess it's just going to be one of those things that's tricky for now. She's not really old enough to understand a sticker chart or anything bribe like yet so that's out for now

Hi Lobby Loo and Gillie,

We are still very hit and miss here. It is so painful, but she is slowly slowly getting her head around the fact that if she uses the spacer she will feel better. We have had a few attempts without the mask and that seems to work a bit better, maybe this isn't the right thing to do but sometimes its just whatever works and I feel like it is better than a hospital visit!

Sorry to hear it's still hard work, Scrabble. Is your DD old enough to understand a sticker chart? (not sure if it's your older or younger DD you are having trouble with)

We seem to be making progress - Baxter Bear comes out for inhaler time and has his, then DD cuddles him whilst she has her turn. She did pin him down on the floor when we got him out tonight......unfortunately I had been pinning her down on the bed to give it, until a couple of days ago so I know where she learnt it! I just told her that I could hold Baxter whilst she gave him his puffer (and she gave him about 5 puffs ) DS gets a bit stroppy that he is missing out, so he now helps with giving DD her inhaler which makes it challenging!