Everyone has to go through the (sometimes fear-inducing) task of learning how to swallow a tablet. Yes, many of our common colds can be treated with liquid medicine, but as we grow older it starts to get a lot harder to find liquid-everything. And liquid just isn’t as fast-acting as a tablet.
But how do you effectively convince a 7-year-old to swallow something dry that tastes a bit like dirt?
Not easily.
Some parents got together on Reddit to share their favourite tips for teaching their child that tablets are your friends. You know, when you need them.
1. “Pro tip: start with mini m&ms. Once those are mastered move to the regular size. The reward of course is the rest of the bag.”
2. "It's a myth that tilting your head back makes swallowing easier! I had so much trouble until someone told me to tilt my head forward - it totally changed my life. Pill on tongue, big swig of water, tuck in chin, swallow. So much easier that way!"
3. "Have him fill his mouth completely with water and then pop the pills in and swallow everything at once. Works like a charm."
4. "I slip my son's Benadryl into a piece of macaroni (cooked, obviously). He's 15. He's got a mental block about it now and just can't make himself swallow a pill. On the bright side I suppose I don't have to worry about him abusing prescription drugs..."
5. "The thing that worked for me as a child was to chew a small mouth full of (soft) food such as banana or plain bread. Chew thoroughly until it's a paste ready to swallow without issue. Place pill in the middle of the mush, then push it in to envelop it in the food. Swallow the food - you won't even feel the pill inside it! Banana is great because it's nice and slippery. I confess that this is how I swallow pills to this day...."
6. "No personal experience, but I've heard good things about this product here."
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7. "I taught myself as an adult by chopping the pills into smaller pieces and swallowing the pieces with a spoonful of soft ice cream."
Or, follow the advice of trusty YouTube.
What's helped your child swallow a tablet?
