Many of us remember the first time we swallowed a pill as a child because it was a difficult experience for both ourselves and our parents. Today, the process hasn't gotten easier, but pharmaceutical companies have developed medicine that caters to children and their fear of swallowing pills. Chewables and liquids have become popular, but there are small steps you can take as a parent to help your children become more comfortable with medicine as well. Remember, they're going to learn at their own pace.
Instructions
Using Cake Decoration Candy
1. Explain to your child why medicine is important and necessary to help them feel better and stay healthy. It's crucial to eliminate as much fear as possible before beginning the exercise.
2. Take a piece of the cake decorating candy and demonstrate the proportion of the candy on your finger. Emphasize its small size, and swallow a piece of it yourself to show how easy and harmlessly it can be done.
3. Present the glass of flavored beverage to the child, and show them place the decorative candy on their tongue. Ease them into using the drink to wash the candy down. It's important to be patient during this time (as they gag, spit up), and use positive reinforcement to keep them from quitting.
4. Allow them to try with as many decorative cake candies as they like until they become comfortable with the swallowing process. Once they are swallowing the candy without hesitation, you can move on to the next trial.
Using Tic-Tacs, Bigger Candy
5. Show the container of Tic-Tacs to the child before you propose the swallowing exercise. Allow them to try eating one on their own if they display any fear toward working with the candy.
6. Swallow a Tic-Tac with a glass of flavored beverage to demonstrate how simple it is to the child, and how it's just a step up from swallowing the decorative candy used before.
7. Allow your child to drink a beverage before beginning the process to avoid a dry throat. Pill-like, Tic-Tacs are more difficult to swallow than smaller decorative candies.
8. Help the child place the Tic-Tac on the tongue, and ease them into washing it down with a flavored beverage. Once again, be patient and encouraging with positive reinforcement.
