Quote:
Originally Posted by JustJo
Does anyone have any good tips for helping children learn to swallow pills?...
Any advice or tricks would be most appreciated!
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hi Jo
Just a bit more advice...because though crushing pills and liquid meds are great, knowing how to swallow actual pills will be helpful all his life.
-Try to help him relax before trying to take the pill (and try to remain calm & relaxed yourself). Anxiety will make his throat close. Make sure he knows that about half of us have the same problem, and it's no big deal.
-go slow. Have him hold the pill on his tongue for a just a second or 2 while he breathes deeply & slowly (this wont work if the pill is uncoated and tastes nasty...trust me!)
-make sure his mouth is moist before putting the pill in it, and encourage him to continue drinking after he has swallowed the pill
-Have him try using a straw to drink down the pill. Also, use something he likes to drink instead of water. Or, sans straw, use a carbonated drink with lots of fizz (distracts from the feel of the pill in his mouth)
-Or, try a water bottle with a tip that you have to squeeze the bottle to get the water to come out (that's the technical jargon for that type of top...hopefully you know what i'm talking about), and have him be forceful with the water
-After he has the pill in his mouth, have him tilt his chin down toward his chest just a bit, which will open his throat
i sure hope between all of us, something helps! Y'all could try practicing without an actual pill, so that he already knows the steps before he's in the middle of panicking.
rhonda