Eye drops
Letting something drip straight into an open eye goes against every protective instinct, and the expectation of stinging makes the eye snap shut before the drop arrives. Make the moment predictable with the steps below.
Eye drops
A bottle of eye drops dripping liquid down toward an eye.
About this visual support
The eye is built to protect itself, and holding it open while something approaches is exactly what the reflex wants to stop. Add a memory of stinging from a previous time, and the lid snaps shut before the bottle is even up. This is not disobedience, it is a body doing its job.
Visual support works against that reflex by removing the element of surprise. When the child sees in advance exactly what will happen, where to look, and that the discomfort is short and passing, the tension in the body drops. What is predictable is easier to bear, and a calmer child does not clamp shut so hard.
One concrete move: give the eye a fixed point to look at, such as the ceiling or a raised finger, so the gaze has a job instead of chasing the bottle. Count down together to a picture that shows it is done. You can gather this whole routine in the Routined app and try it free for fourteen days.