Sick kids will often pass on taking a pill, even if they know it will make them feel better.
Pills can be hard for them to swallow, and liquid medicine can taste bad.
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In fact, a recent study found that 50 percent of children have problems swallowing standard-size pills.
Some helpful pointers from Cleveland Clinic pediatrician Deb Lonzer, MD may help parents to make the medicine go down.
1. Start young
It's easier to teach younger kids to swallow pills before they have the chance to develop a fear of them.
"Kids will start to think about having a pill in their mouth and not be able to swallow it," Dr. Lonzer says. "They get a horrible taste in their mouth, spit it out, and then never try again."
Teaching kids to swallow pills at age four or five is better than waiting until they're older.
"An 8 or 9 year-old may already be terrified of swallowing things," Dr. Lonzer says.
Kids who are afraid feel like they're going to choke on a pill the size of a breath mint, but parents need to remind them that their throat is capable of handling larger items, like big bits of food.
2. Lead by example
Kids tend to mimic their parents when it comes to the ways they act and speak. Taking pills is no different.
Showing kids how to swallow pills and emphasizing that it is not hard to do will ease fears.
Place the pill around the teeth, or towards the back of the tongue, and play with head and chin positioning.
"Make jokes about it!" Dr. Lonzer says. "Tell them your tongue is a waterslide!"
3. Mask the taste
When pills rest on the tongue for too long, they dissolve, which doesn't taste good. Unfortunately, liquid medicines don't taste great either.
Masking the taste of pills with flavored spray helps lubricate the throat and tastes good.
"The pill slides right down," Dr. Lonzer says. "You can achieve the same effect when giving a pill in ice cream."
Giving your kids a popsicle first puts a good flavor in the mouth and numbs the tongue, too. What's more, kids will have a better taste in their mouth when taking medicine if they know they're getting a treat out of it!