Helping Your Child Learn to Swallow a Pill

It is not always possible for medicine to be given in liquid or chewable form. Some pills must be swallowed whole for them to work properly. Kids as young as 4 years old may learn to swallow pills. But every child is different. Check with your care team before working with your child.

The following pill-swallowing tips can help your child learn this skill. 

Getting started

• Plan 5–10 minutes a day to practice when your child is motivated. Find a time when you are not in a hurry and your child is not cranky or tired.
• Explain what to expect in a way that they can understand. For example, tell your child that their tongue and throat are like a water slide. The pill is like the rider. The water washes the rider down the slide.
• Be positive and make practice fun. Praise and reward your child for effort.

How to practice pill swallowing

You will need different sizes of candy such as:

• Cake sprinkles
• NERDS^® 
• TicTac^®
• M&M’S^® Minis
• M&Ms^®

Start small and move up to bigger sizes as your child is ready. You want your child to learn to swallow a candy that is the same size of the pill. 

Try these steps:

1. Start with small sips of water. Make sure your child does not take large gulps of water. Filling the mouth too much will cause pills to move from side to side instead of down the throat.
2. Have your child sit or stand up straight. Place the smallest candy on the middle or back of the tongue. 
3. Have your child take a sip of water, slightly tilt their head back, and swallow to wash the candy down their throat.
4. If your child is successful, have them repeat with the same candy a few times. Then, move on to the next size of candy. If your child has trouble, that’s OK. Use a smaller size of candy until they feel ready for a bigger candy.
5. Repeat the steps until your child can swallow a candy that is the same size as the pill. Then, have your child try the pill.

Tips for making pill swallowing easier

There are some ways to make pills easier to take. This will depend on your child’s specific medicine. Always check with your pharmacist if you have questions. 

• Put the pill in a spoonful of Jello^® or pudding.
• Use a pill swallowing cup such as Oralflow^® or Medi-Straw^®. These devices assist natural swallowing. 
• Use a flavored swallowing spray to help pills slide down the throat easier and mask any bad taste.
• Ask your pharmacist about practice pills or capsules that do not have the real medicine but will look and feel similar. 
• Try different types of drink containers. Your child might find it easier to drink from a cup, straw, or plastic bottle.
• Try different head positions. Tilting your head to the side can help the throat relax. Because capsules tend to float, your child might find it easier to swallow a capsule by leaning slightly forward rather than tilting their head back.

Ways to support your child

Pill swallowing can be hard for anyone, no matter their age. Here are ways to support and encourage your child in this new skill.

• Be patient. Pill swallowing can take time to learn. It might take several practice sessions over days and weeks to move through the sizes of candy.
• Validate your child’s feelings. Anxiety about swallowing pills is common. Pills can look huge to children. Or your child might have had a scary experience. Ask your child how they are feeling and share their concerns.
• Reassure your child. Explain that they swallow bites of food bigger than their pills. Explain that their esophagus (food tube) is wider than their pills, and it is stretchy.
• Some pills should not be taken with certain foods or beverages. Do not cut or crush pills or open capsules unless you have checked with your pharmacist.
• Make sure your child practices in a way that prepares them for the real medicine.
• Promote trust. Do not hide pills in foods or tell your child that a pill is smaller than it is.
• Mouth or throat sores or other medical problems can make swallowing painful or difficult. Talk to your care team if there are specific challenges you are not sure how to manage.

If you have questions or concerns, talk to your child’s psychologist, child life specialist, pharmacist, or nurse. They have special training to teach people how to swallow pills. If your child continues to have trouble, talk with your pharmacist to see if your child’s medicine can be taken in another way.

Related content