Children fight their parents on swallowing broccoli, so it's no wonder that they often fight against swallowing a pill. But when your child is sick, and medication in a pill form is the only way to help her feel better, reasoning with her may not work. Instead, work with your child on her pill-swallowing skills, so that after time, swallowing a pill is no longer a fight, but simply routine. Playing games with candies to practice swallowing without chewing is a good way to get a child to swallow a pill.
Step 1
Check with your pediatrician to see if your child is old enough to swallow a pill without choking. In cases of children younger than 3 years old, liquid may be given, or you may need to grind up the pill and place it in a food such as applesauce to administer it.
Step 2
Purchase a package of your child's favorite, small candy from the store. Look for candies that are roughly the same size and shape as the pills your child needs to learn to swallow. Mike & Ike candies work well for capsules, and Tic Tacs are the right size for tablets. Even smaller candies are found in the cake-decorating aisle at the supermarket.
Step 3
Fill a large glass of water to the brim, and leave it on the edge of the table. Seat your child directly in front of the glass, and instruct him to place his hands behind his back so that his hands cannot be used during the game.
Step 4
Ask your child to place the candy on his tongue. Demonstrate with a candy in your own mouth, and wait while she does the same.
Step 5
Challenge him to drink a large sip from the glass of water without using his hands. He'll have to lean forward and slurp up the water, which makes the game a little more fun. Tell him that after he's taken a sip of water, he needs to swallow the candy without chewing, using the water to wash it down.
Step 6
Watch as she completes the task. She may get it on the first try, in which case you should reward her with more candies. If she is not able to complete it, try again, but with a larger sip of water. Practice a few times until the child can swallow the candy every time.
Step 7
Repeat the exercise, but using the pill. If she is still having trouble, or seems to be choking on the pill, ask your doctor if you can cut the pill in half to make it more manageable. Some time-release pills should not be split.
Things You'll Need
- Small candies
- Large glass of water
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