Teaching Kids to Swallow Pills

Teaching Kids to Swallow Pills

This is an issue that comes up frequently in my visits: we have all these great herbs and nutrients that we’d like kids to take, but they only come in a pill form. Or, there are liquid or chewable forms of the things that they need, but they taste terrible.  Or they have to take a capsule medication for a sickness, and because they've never learned how to swallow a pill, it turns into a meltdown and half of their medication ends up on the floor. ​​

Sound familiar? Many kids feel frightened that they’ll choke or that a pill will get stuck in their throat. Others may not be afraid of swallowing pills - they've just never learned how. Either way, swallowing pills is a skill, and it can be taught and built on over time. ​

Here are a few tried and true methods to help your little ones learn how to be comfortable with taking pills.

​​Note: Children and teens with certain physiological issues such as swallowing disorders may not be able to swallow pills or capsules. Always talk with your naturopathic doctor or pediatrician before giving your child any supplements or medications.

For all of these methods, two of the most important things to remember are keep it light - you want your child to be less anxious about taking pills, not more - and give a reward. Learning a new skill is hard work! A reward such as a treat or extra time with a favorite activity can make learning pill swallowing a much more enjoyable experience for everyone. 

Taking Pills with Food instead of Liquid

Kids can often have an easier time swallowing pills if they’re with solid food, rather than liquid. Supplements and medications can be dropped into yogurt or applesauce and given right off the spoon, or stuck in a mouthful of chewed food right before swallowing. ​
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Practice “Pills”

In this method you start with something much smaller than a regular capsule - a grain of rice, for example, or if your child is allowed sweets, a small bit of candy such as a Tic-Tac.

The size of the practice pill should be slowly increased over time - if they can swallow a grain of rice, then they go to a lentil, then a (cooked) black bean or kidney bean. When using sweets as incentive, some parents start with a sprinkle, then move to a Tic Tac, then move to an M&M (or all natural alternative such as UnReal Gems). In this case it's helpful to offer a reward: if they swallow one UnReal, they get to eat one UnReal (this may be a bit of a cheat because of the sugar, but it works much better as a reward than kidney beans!). ​

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Pill Cups

These are cups that have a little chamber in the front. A pill goes in the chamber, water goes in the cup. When the child tilts the cup back, the pill rushes into their mouth with the water and they swallow as if the pill wasn’t even there. These can especially he helpful for kids with chronic conditions who have to swallow multiple pills, or for kids with emotional or developmental issues that make it hard to teach them pill swallowing in other ways.

Here are some examples of pill cups:
- Pill Swallowing Cup by GMS
- Oralflo Pill Swallowing Cup
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Helping Kids with Disabilities

For kids with neurological and developmental challenges such as ASD and Down Syndrome, teaching pill swallowing can be a much more complex project. For a great article on the subject by a doctor who is also the mother of a child with autism, check out this excellent article: ​

- How to Teach a Child with Autism to Take Medicine by Dr Mary Barbera

You can do it!

No matter what method you use, stay positive and be persistent. Pill swallowing is a skill that any child can learn!

Would you like Dr Silver’s help with your child's holistic healthcare needs? Call (248) 629-0224 or click here to make an appointment today.