Children's Vitamins, Pediasure

WE have the juice plus gummies and the kids love them but they also make a my first flinstone vitamin that is made for 1 and 2 year olds I started my kids on that just to help boost the immune system to see if we can have a better cold and flu season than we did last year.

Being a mother of a seven yr old that has eaten the exact same thing over and over for the last 4 1/2 yrs I know where you are coming from with the picky eating. I know that they also make infant/toddler vitamin drops. You can easily add them to his juice or whatever else he drinks. I wouldn't recommend regular water because the drops do taste like vitamins. But if you add them to something flavored he won't even notice. I know that enfamil used to be one company that made them.

Hi C.,

I highly recommend Body Balance. My 3-year-old has been taking it since she was 1... it's a liquid so it's easy for them to take (and highly absorbable) and it tastes good so she loves it and asks for it every day. If for some reason your child doesn't like the taste, it's easy to hide in juice. In any case,it has 121 ionic nutrients in every ounce and tons of trace minerals. I get so much peace of mind knowing that my daughter is getting the nutrients she need regardless of what she's eating/not eating. She's been in daycare since she's been 6 months old, and has never been really sick (a slight cold once in a blue moon, that's it!). She's never had to go on antibiotics, and doesn't have any of the common symptoms caused by lack of nutrition these days (allergies, Add, ADHD, asthma, etc.). Anyway, it's worth a shot... they even have a money-back-guarantee. You can learn more here:

http://www.mylifeforce.net/abundanceresources/body-balanc...

Let me know if you have questions or need more information. You can call me @ ###-###-####.

Enjoy!

A.

I know you have gotten quite a few responses on different things to try but I just wanted to give you info on Juice Plus. It is veggies and fruits put into a gummy. The nutrients are more effective since it is in whole food form as opposed to the vitamins being extracted (and therefore not absorbed as well). This is a great way to ensure your child is getting what he needs from fruits and veggies and you also don't have to worry about your child consuming too many. I have had both of my children on Juice Plus for almost a year now. They have been sick way less often. My daughter has had tons of infections requiring antibiotics in the past but hasn't needed any since being on Juice Plus. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about it or you can see more about it at www.cujuiceplus.com

Check our the liquid minerals/vitamins, Junior Max, by Neways Healthy Homes. Junior Max is a concentrated liquid supplemnt for children. It is formulated in a tasty citrus-berry drink and is a powerful body fuel that supports children's body and overall health during cognitive and motor development. It provides essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients to support normal growth and development.

Check out Neways Healthy Homes products at www.1000moms1000dollars.com/S.
You can also contact me directly for more information about health and nutrition. I take the adult formula of this, Maximol, everyday. We just don't get the proper nutrition from our foods.
Thinking of you!

Our ds started vitamins at 10 mo. We did a half a Flintstones complete. Kind of a mess, but not bad if you give it before food since the idea is eating. If you're looking for iron and some of the others, Flintstones and some of the generics are the best. Gummies don't have iron. Something about the gummy doesn't work then. We use the Target brand. You can read the labels. Flintstones and Target generic are the best we found. I haven't checked out the one you buy from distributors. Check with your doctor, but it's probably fine.

Vitamins, even "children's vitamins" tend to have a lot of iron. Iron toxicity is very dangerous and its really easy to overdose with the levels of iron in many vitamins. I know that there are some with low or no iron, but there are other vitamins that are fat soluble and can build up to toxic levels if too much is taken. (Vitamins A and D especially). You could also ask your pediatrician for a mulivitamin specifically for kids under 2.

Most likely, though, he's getting enough. Over the course of a week or two, he probably eats enough variety and fruits/veggies to meet vitamin needs (it's ok for it to be spread out like that). Keep track of what he eats and always offer him healthy choices.

Hi C.. My daughter was off the charts for height and wieght for a long time when she was little. I was a proud mom of a non-picky eater but I still wanted to make sure she got all the required vitamins and minerals she needed for her body. She has always taken vitamins but I used to get the traditional store-bought brands. I found out that our body only absorbs less than 10% of the nutrients we need from regular store-brand vitamins because of the way they are delivered in our bodies. Our entire family now takes vitamins that have a patent-pending process for absorption in your body resulting in over 85% absorption! The kids vitamins are made with all natural colors, flavors and sweeteners. I would love to talk to you more about the benefits of these particular vitamins and the others they offer for adults as well. Call me anytime at ###-###-#### and I can help you get the products from the manufacturer at a discounted price.

Hi, C. B

I have studied and worked in nutrition for 20 years, always looking for the best for my children, who are in high school and college now.

A product called BAZI, that is exciting all the doctors and nutritionists, came out in Jan. 2007. It is, without a doubt, the best nutritional, liquid vitamin supplement I have seen. Children love it! Adults drink 1 to 4 shot glasses/day and children drink a 1/2 to 1 oz. (A teaspoon to a Tablespoon) or drink a tiny 1/2 oz. They get ALL of their daily requirements plus more antioxidants than is available in apples, 7 glasses of orange juice, etc. It has the planets most nutrient-dense, natural super fruits, like blueberry, pomegranite, acai berry, rasberry, mangostine, a total of 8 super fruits, plus 12 essential vitamins and 68 plant derived minerals. Unbelievably, it tastes so good! Most all kids always ask for more. We say, "Tomorrow."

We drink 3 ozs. a day and get incredible results from the natural super fruits. It has stopped the start of a scratchy throat from ever becoming a
cold, its helped my kids with focus and concentration. Its great for repairing the athletes bodies.

Read more or order direct at: www.drinkbazi.biz/ladydi

I love it so much, that I became a distributor to get a discount. Its been such a great product for Moms and young families, that we are doing home parties and starting little part-time,home-based businesses, so Mom's can even earn money, telling people they know about the product. Its the best!

D. M.
303/979-5263

You may want to check out Dr. Cristine Wood and her web site www.kidseatgreat.com she recommends High Quality vitamins and food for kids. Good Luck!

My 2 kids started drinking the Herbalife shakes when they were 2 1/2 and 1 years old. They also take the children's liquid vitamin which my 1 year old loved until he was 2 years old. Now they both take the chewable vitamins. The cool thing about Herbalife is there are no dyes or artificial ingredients in them and it's not loaded with sugar and has no high fructose corn syrup.
If you'd like to check the Herbalife kids targeted nutrition, you can contact me at my office number 888-236-4453 or email ____@____.com or website www.shopherbalife.com/O.

I started my daughter on the gummi vitamins at around 22 months. No issues since and she loves them. Speak to your son's doctor but our saw no problem starting her a few months early. Oh, as far as the dosage, some recommend 2 gummis a day. What I did was give her one a day until she got use to them and started giving her 2 a day once she got a little older. Also, instead of giving her both during the morning, I spilt the dosage and give her one in the morning and one at dinner time.
Good luck!

Always ask your pediatrician before giving any supplements.
Kids are funny and will change eating habits a million times. They may be picky but somehow typically get the vitamins they need. A child can go days without really heavy duty healthy eating and still get what they need. My son had a stomach virus last spring and went six days without solid food, I freaked. My Dr told me he will get back what he didn't have when he is ready to eat again just to make sure he was hydrated.

Don't allow him to play with his food, put it out, give him a few minutes then take it away if he isn't interested. Get him down and if he is hungry, get it back out and set it back out then the same thing, if he plays with it or throws it, the meal is done. Don't just offer favorites and continue to offer healthy choices but vary it up. Scrambled eggs with cheese, diced grilled cheese, pizza, give him frozen peas, diced ripe pears, bananas, applesauce, green beans, steamed carrots and all sorts of yummy healthy stuff. Even try feeding him bites even if he is old enough to feed himself. I wouldn't worry much unless he goes week or two without eating, make sure he is hydrated, has milk, only one cup of juice a day. Try the V8 juices that have servings of veggies in each serving even. Try smoothies too.
Yogurt and so forth are good.
Pediasure for if he is going a few days not eating well. My kids loved it and I gave it to them if they were sick to keep them full of nutrition. Call your Dr, he or she will advise you if vitamins are necessary. Good luck, probably a phase.

If he is in the 93rd percentile, than he is probably big enough for a full gummy. If you feel more comfortable, give him a half of the chewable kind. Be sure to talk to your doctor at his two year check up. Pedisure drinks and the like may not be the habit you want for your little one. They will fill him up and then he won't eat as much "real" food. However, getting your kiddo in the habit of taking a vitamin every morning is great!

T.

My daughter never has been much of an eater and she is very thin. However she is following her curve. Since she was about 12 months old my doctor had me give her pedisure on the days she did not eat well.
She is now five and does better, but I give her carnations instant breakfast in the morning because she does not eat breakfast much. neither does my two year old. You can give that to him as well and it is cheaper.
They also get the gummie vitamns since they were 18 months old.

My son is currently 23 months. Up until 1 month ago, was a great eater. Then he stopped eating, a couple bites here and there and that was it. So we started to give him Pediasure cuz he wasn't eating very much. Now he is hooked on Pediasure. He will wake up in the middle of the night (which he rare did before) and cry for the bear drink. And I think it's because he's hungry since he won't eat now. First thing in the morning, cry for bear drink. I was doing some research and stumbled across your posting. A lot of other moms are saying it's full of sugars, give it after meals, try other smoothies/shakes. Which I think are all good alternatives. Mix it up so your baby doesn't get hooked like mine. best of luck. :)

I haven't used pediasure, so I can't say anything on that. I just don't know! Can't imagine it would hurt, though.

As for vitamins, I use liquid vitamins that I can squirt into my boy's juice, or even straight into his mouth (he's really weird, but really good that way). I, personally, am afraid that he'd confuse the gummy vitamins for candy, so I stay away from them. Especially since he likes gummy bears (on occasion, of course).

Just as a comparison for you, we also eat a very balanced diet and my boy also is not a picky eater. He does very well. I started him on vitamins this summer just as a bit of a booster, right around the time he turned 2. He's now 30 months and I would have to say I believe the extra vitamins have helped his immune system, too. Meaning, when he does get sick, it's much milder and he gets over a lot faster.

Good luck!

Our doctor had prescribed a liquid multi-vitamin for our daughter from the time she was born. Once she got teeth, he told us we could try half of a Flintstone vitamin (the hard kind, not gummy ones). But the best thing would probably be to check with the nurses line at the hospital or with your doctor to see what he feels would be best. Good luck!

My sons doctor reccommended the gummy vitamins because they are fun for the kids, slide down easy if they dont get them chewed up all the way, and dissolve better in the stomach than the hard ones. My son started taking vitamins at about 18months and it is his 'treat' after brushing his teeth in the morning. When the dosage is 1 for 2-4 year olds, the dr said to give him the full one. What his body doesn't need he will sluff off.

My pediatrician recommended pediasure when my daughter was that age and also extremely picky. She would have one a day and loved them. I also gave her Toddler flinstone vitamins. But she was growing and developing normally, so we weren't concerned. I just offered her healthy food at meals and snacks and let her eat what she wanted and then be done. She's 2 1/2 now and still very picky. I don't give her pediasure anymore, but I still give her a children's multivitamin. That seems to work. Just keep offering him food and he will eventually start eating again. I know the feeling tho...how are you functioning on such little food?? Haha...he'll get over it. :)

Hi C. - I would talk to your doc before giving a vitamin just to be sure. We use the chewable gummy vitamins and the kids love them - we just have to keep them far out of reach because they look and taste just like candy. You might try some creative ways to hide veggies in meals, etc. and the pediasure is a great idea.

good luck!