When I was growing up, Tylenol was the go-to pain reliever for kids. Got a fever? Tylenol. Teething? Tylenol. Fussy from vaccines? Tylenol. And calling the doctor or relying on the Tylenol dosage charts on the side of the bottles were the only options for parents.
Nowadays, the medical advice for children and pain relief is definitely more nuanced. Still, Tylenol remains an important option to have in your parenting bag of tricks. It’s one of the few pain relievers available to young children and having the correct Tylenol dosage chart for your child is incredibly important.
(Of course, this isn’t medical advice—it’s common sense. For specific information about your child’s health, talk to their doctor! Also, this post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on a link, Filter Free Parents may receive a commission. See our full disclosure policy HERE.)
As with any medication, administering incorrect dosages can be extremely dangerous. You may want to check out this post which helpfully breaks down many of the most important medication dosages for children.
Tylenol Dosage Charts
Correct dosage information for Children’s Tylenol is typically located right on the box. Unfortunately, I usually throw that box away and find myself staring at the tiny version printed directly on the bottle. That version (and any others published directly by Tylenol) tend to be pretty unhelpful since they don’t give you any dosing information for children under 2.
The best place to find Tylenol dosage charts for children under two
If you’re like me and have frequently found yourself wondering what the appropriate Tylenol dosage is for kids on the younger side, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Fortunately, many pediatricians publish Tylenol dosage charts directly on their websites. I’m guessing pediatricians find this easier than dealing with late-night, panicked phone calls from exhausted parents.
Those same pediatricians likely tell you in person how much Tylenol to give your child, but doctor’s visits with little kids are insanely chaotic. No one can reasonably be expected to remember those dosages. (Plus, even if I thought I remembered correctly, I’d be afraid of making a mistake. I’d just end up looking it up online anyway).
If your pediatrician’s office doesn’t publish Tylenol dosage charts for kids, you can find a great one on St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s website. What’s nice about this chart is they provide the correct dosages for kids for all the different versions of Tylenol (liquid, chewables, and tablets). Also, the font is pretty large.
When you’re staring at it, bleary-eyed and exhausted at 2:00 AM, you’ll still be able to read it!
Make sure you know your child’s weight to accurately determine the correct dosage.
Like most medications, the correct Tylenol dosage for your child largely depends on their weight. If you’re not sure how much your child weighs (which is fair, since kids are constantly growing like little weeds), an at-home scale can be super helpful.
I’ve had an older model of this one for fifteen years and counting. It’s great for kids who can stand independently and for dosages that only need to be accurate within a pound or so.
I also had a baby scale like this one when my kids were infants and it was remarkably reliable. It perfectly matched my pediatrician’s scale, down to the ounce!
Finally, make sure the Tylenol dose you give your child is measured accurately
As a child, my parents frequently gave me medication out of whatever spoon was in the silverware drawer. Don’t do that.
Use the dosing cups or syringes that come with the medication. If you frequently lose them (ahem, once again, like me), it’s good to purchase a supply of backups. (You can find some great, reasonable ones here.)
Even if everyone in your household is healthy at the moment, it’s a good idea to stock up on Tylenol and dosing supplies. After all, when illness does strike (and it always strikes…)
1- It’s usually in the middle of the night and
2- The last thing you want to do is haul sick kids to the store.
I think Scar said it best in The Lion King—“Be prepared.”
(This post deals exclusively with Tylenol. You can find helpful information and dosing charts for Ibuprofen or Children’s Motrin here.)