Sick Day Survival Guide - Dr. Cocoa – Cold and Cough Medicine Your Children Will Take #DrCocoaReliefWithASmile ad

It’s definitely cold and cough season. I’ve been surrounded by people coughing and sneezing for weeks, but so far I’ve been spared. But it reminds me that sometimes the worst part of a cold or cough is determining if it can be treated at home with over-the-counter drugs, or if it’s something that needs to be addressed by a physician. No parent wants to make an unnecessary trip to the doctor, but it’s hard to know the right thing to do, especially when your little one looks up to you to make her feel better.

That’s when getting expert opinion online really helps. I’ve been introduced to Dr. Cocoa, a new line of chocolate flavored cold and cough medicines for children ages 4 through 13 with a companion website that offers a fabulous downloadable and printable Sick Day Survival Guide. It’s packed with information on when to consult a doctor, how to know if an OTC cough medicine is the right choice for your child, quick and easy recipes to boost your child’s immune system and get her feeling better fast, plus story book suggestions to keep her entertained, a printable Babysitter’s Resource Guide including helpful online links and medication safety facts, 8 Easy Ways to Help the Medicine Go Down (a few I’ve never heard of that are fabulous!), plus a maze and story prompt for older kids to talk about their sick days.

Dr. Cocoa – Cold and Cough Medicine Your Children Will Take

Once you’ve determined that an OTC drug is the right choice for your child, take a look at Dr. Cocoa. What makes them special? They’ve created three patented cold and cough formulas that really taste good! They use real cocoa to flavor the medicine so you won’t have to fight to get your kids to take it.

Dr Cocoa - Why does the taste matter in kids medicine

All of their remedies are dye-free, alcohol-free, and gluten free and they have a formula for Nighttime Cough + Cold, Daytime Cough + Cold, and Non-Drowsy Cough so you can give your child just the relief she needs, without extra ingredients she doesn’t. Dosing information is provided on the package as well as their website along with the list of ingredients.

Dr. Cocoa uses 10% real cocoa and non-sugar sweeteners (sorbitol and maltitol) to make them palatable. The texture is like slightly thinner than traditional chocolate syrup which makes it easy to measure and administer with the included dosing spoon. While they’re meant for children ages 4 to 13, older teens and adults can take them as well. This is especially helpful for people like my brother who can’t swallow pills.

New Dr. Cocoa™ — Children’s Cough and Cold Relief with a Smile

Dr. Cocoa – Taste Test & Safety Reminder

In my taste test, I was surprised by how little the three formulas tasted like medicine. They’ve done a fantastic job of masking the medicinal taste with sweet cocoa. So much so, that you’ll need to remind your children that this is medicine and not a treat.

Dr Cocoa Cold Flu Medicine for Kids

Manage it like all medicines and don’t assume the child-resistant caps will keep your child from opening them. All medicine should be out-of-sight, out-of-reach, and put away every time you use it. As a child who ate fruit-flavored medicines in place of candy as a youngster, I know all too well how tempting they can be for children. My “candy” of choice was fruit flavored antacids, which I ate by the handful, and cherry flavored throat lozenges. I’m lucky that they were relatively harmless medicines, but with the volume I “borrowed” from the unlocked medicine cabinet at my grandparents’ house, as well as our own, my desire for a sweet “treat” could have been deadly.

Dr Cocoa for Children

Don’t have small children at home? You’re still not off the hook. When your children are tweens and teens you still have to be vigilant. That’s a time when some start experimenting OTC drug abuse. Make sure you know what drugs are most susceptible to abuse (including OTC cough medications with dextromethorphan) and maintain a watchful eye over what’s in your home. You can find out more about teen medicine abuse at Stop Medicine Abuse. You can also find out more about this new line of children’s cough and cold formulas at the Dr. Cocoa website where you’ll also find a coupon!

Dr Cocoa Owl Mascot

Here’s hoping you and your little ones stay healthy and the cough and cold season passes you by. But on the chance it doesn’t, some Dr. Cocoa on hand so you’re ready.

Visit www.drcocoa.com for a $4 coupon and follow the brand on Facebook and Pinterest for more product info, sick day activities, and fun giveaways!

This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation that contains affiliate links. However, all opinions, text and experiences are my own