For truly recalcitrant types, it takes two adults to manage the following dirtiest of cons. Lay your child on his back. One adult pinches the nostrils shut (which forces him to open his mouth to breathe) while holding his head steady. If your child doesn’t open his mouth, a little pressure at the temporomandibular joint (the jawbone joints near the child’s ears) will force open the mouth. The second adult then administers liquid medicine, preferably via a squirt from a syringe, and then shuts the child’s mouth. Watch for the swallow, which will occur quickly because your child wants to breathe, and then allow the nostrils to open while keeping your child flat and still to prevent choking.