Taking tablets??

trixychic

So I have heard some ppl saying they teach their children how to take tablets at as young as 6yrs.

So what age is it normal to start teaching kids?? I didnt learn til my tweens. My boys are 6 and 3.

teggers5

I'll follow this with interest. My son is 13 and hasn't a clue!! I'm looking for tips to give him..
I don't remember learning myself.

mordeith

Learn to swallow?

trixychic

mordeith wrote: »

Learn to swallow?

Very helpful. Thanks.

trixychic

teggers5 wrote: »

I'll follow this with interest. My son is 13 and hasn't a clue!! I'm looking for tips to give him..
I don't remember learning myself.

I would have been his age. It happened accidentally then one time I was trying to practise. I had a glass of 7up and I hiccuped at the wrong time and swallowed the tablet.

I still find it easier to take tablets with fizzy drinks than water. But I learnt.

teggers5

trixychic wrote: »

I would have been his age. It happened accidentally then one time I was trying to practise. I had a glass of 7up and I hiccuped at the wrong time and swallowed the tablet.

I still find it easier to take tablets with fizzy drinks than water. But I learnt.

Definitely worth a try. I think his biggest problem is that he thinks too much about it.

ash23

I taught my daughter when she was seven or eight.
Told her to take and hold a half mouthful of water then slip the tablet in and swallow. Never had any problems and at 13 she still takes them that way

Coopaloop

I'm 30 and I still gag when I swallow pain killers
I find though,that the less water I take the easier it is for the tablet to go down,if I have a big mouthful of water I find it gets stuck in my throat.

acon2119

My children were also probably 7 or 8, I really don't remember what age for sure except that they would have been fairly young when they started to take medication in tablet form and there was never any issue with it.

They just swallowed the tablets with a bit of water. If my teenage son had to take a tablet without a drink he can swallow it no problem.

I think the swallowing of tablets with ease is an individual thing, some find it easy and some don't, and if they think too much about it its more difficult.

molly09

I have no children but this just caught my eye. I had such problems trying to swallow tablets and was taking oral antibiotics well into my teens. I have no idea what is a good age but I know it caused me a lot of problems as I had a few health issues and was unable to take the preferred meds as they didn't come in liquid. I would image the type of tablet would be important when starting off teaching this to a child.

trixychic

Thanks for all the thoughts guys. I might leave him another yr before we start. 7 is good enough for me. I still wouldn't take tablets as well as my siblings cause I was oldest learning.

Phew. Another yr of calmness before more major training sessions. We've already covered no stabilizers and tying show laces. Gotta love parent hood

Neyite

The other thing that makes it easier to swallow tablets is to put your chin down instead of up.

By looking up to the ceiling, you are narrowing the oesphagus, keeping the chin tucked into the chest helps it stay open enough to swallow a tablet.

BabysCoffee

Presume you only need to teach them when the need arises to take their first tablet.

I'm bad at taking tablets and find if I take a small sip of water beforehand it relaxes me and gets me ready to take the tablet with a further sip.

Lady is a tramp

Maybe I'm being thick but is it any different to swallowing a sweet? Like could you get them to try it with a skittle or similar first?

Sorry if that's really bad advice and would really in the child being choked or something! Just thinking it could be an idea if they were having trouble with the tablets.

trixychic

Neyite wrote: »

The other thing that makes it easier to swallow tablets is to put your chin down instead of up.

By looking up to the ceiling, you are narrowing the oesphagus, keeping the chin tucked into the chest helps it stay open enough to swallow a tablet.

Ha ha ha I actually just did this to check. Thanks for that

trixychic

Lady is a tramp wrote: »

Maybe I'm being thick but is it any different to swallowing a sweet? Like could you get them to try it with a skittle or similar first?

Sorry if that's really bad advice and would really in the child being choked or something! Just thinking it could be an idea if they were having trouble with the tablets.

See my problem is I can't put anything into my mouth without chewing (tablets not included). I chew Yoghurts soup and even hot chocolate. I don't know why. So for me I can't take sweets and just swallow. Ha

PLL

I wouldn't leave it too late. I remember still asking the doctor for liquid antibiotics at 14 because I was so scared of tablets. Anything taught to a child before they hit adolescent age will become a natural normal thing for them. My 5 year old takes tablet vitamins. She'll never know the horror of learning to swallow tablets like I did. Ridiculous when you think about it.

trixychic

PLL wrote: »

I wouldn't leave it too late. I remember still asking the doctor for liquid antibiotics at 14 because I was so scared of tablets. Anything taught to a child before they hit adolescent age will become a natural normal thing for them. My 5 year old takes tablet vitamins. She'll never know the horror of learning to swallow tablets like I did. Ridiculous when you think about it.

My boys take the vitamins but they are chewable!!!

afkasurfjunkie

I have to say it never occurred to me that you would have to teach children to take tablets. I guess I never had any issue wen I was younger and thought it made me feel very grown up. I do remember my parents sending my brother across to the neighbours because he wouldn't take tablets for them. I didn't think it was a bad thing though. Less likely to take recreational pills in later years

mirrorwall14

afkasurfjunkie wrote: »

I have to say it never occurred to me that you would have to teach children to take tablets. I guess I never had any issue wen I was younger and thought it made me feel very grown up. I do remember my parents sending my brother across to the neighbours because he wouldn't take tablets for them. I didn't think it was a bad thing though. Less likely to take recreational pills in later years

I never even thought about teaching this lol!