Make treatments a normal routine

It's important that your child's asthma treatments become a natural part of his or her daily routine. Often this can be a challenge. Sometimes it may seem as though it would be easier just to skip a treatment, especially if your child isn't having any asthma symptoms. But making sure your child gets asthma medicine on a regular basis is a key step in helping to manage his or her condition.

Helpful tips for using a nebulizer

Here are some ideas that, based on the child’s age, have worked in helping to create a successful asthma treatment routine:

• Do each treatment at the same time each day so it becomes a regular part of the daily routine
• Offer a reward afterward, such as a healthy food treat or an activity like reading a favorite book or watching TV
• Distract your child during the treatment with videos, music tapes, books, or toys—very young children can play games such as patty cake or peek-a-boo as they sit on your lap
• Pretend your child is a firefighter or an astronaut when wearing the mask; play with the mask during nontreatment times, and you can even buy a special mask in the shape of a fun, familiar object
• Allow older toddlers to be in charge of their asthma treatment by allowing them to put the mask on and take it off themselves
• Try the mask on a favorite stuffed toy or doll first to show how much fun the toy is having or how brave it is being
• Invite a relative or friend to help by distracting your child while you slip the mask on and start the treatment—you can turn treatment into an experience that the family can share

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