After trying for weeks to teach him to swallow a pill last year, and then spending a half hour every morning attempting to teach him this week, I finally found the secret to teaching my son to swallow pills.
Here is what we tried:
- practicing with candy, ice, vitamins, chocolate chips and the medication
- swallowing it with your head back
- swallowing with your head forward
- drinking from a cup, a straw, a water bottle
- putting the pill in yogurt, jam, bread
- pointing out how you swallow pieces of food that are bigger than a pill
- pushing him until we are all frustrated
- letting him make just one attempt a day rather than pushing him
- bribing with candy, treats, etc.
And then this morning, when Kellen was being particularly resistant to trying to swallow a vitamin before he had his pill, I thought that maybe the offer to upgrade his Builder’s Club Membership on Roblox to a Turbo Builder’s Club Membership would encourage him to at least try. Little did I know that I was being played all along, because he picked up the vitamin (it was cut in three) and swallowed the first piece, then the second, then he moved right onto the pill…with hardly an ounce of water used for all three and absolutely no effort whatsoever. I was shocked that he did it so easily. I mean, we have endured gagging, tears, sobbing and a pill remaining in his mouth even after every chocolate chip and glass of water has disappeared around it.
So he could do it all along, but just didn’t want to. I swear that Kellen is often just disagreeable for no reason. I mean, I know all kids can do that. My other kids have all done it at some point, but Kellen makes a career out of it . I’m guessing it’s an ADHD trait, but I’m not sure. The problem with ADHD and medication is… they’re not on their meds when you’re trying to give them their meds!
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