How to Get a Toddler to Eat Chewable Vitamins...

With my 2 kids I let them eat their breakfast and then gave them the vitamins telling them its treats for eating. So everyday after they eat they ask for their vitamins. Might also want to try gummi vitamins! They work just as well. With my niece I always had to eat one with her for her to take her vitamins!

We make it sound like it is a treat. Because she take Flinstones, she gets to choose which color she wants. She get excited about them.

I disagree with calling them treats. I think it's important for them to know what they are and why they're taking them. We've been fortunate that our kids love them and beg for them in the morning. They each get 1/2 Flintstone vitamin/day per the pediatrician (ages 2 and 4).

Giving too much will pose possible health concerns as the body can only process so much at a time, and it can be unhealthy to have too much of some vitamins/day.

If it's really an issue, I'd ask the pharmacist for suggestions. Sometimes, mashing things and putting them in food compromises the effectiveness of the product (vitamins/medications). They may know of a different brand that is more palatable, may have tricks to help get it down easier, etc.

Good luck!

You can crush them between two spoons then add to yogurt, applesauce, or pudding. My daughter hated them too and threw a fit about it. One day last year at seven, she was whining about it and I told her she had to take them until she could swallow my horse pill ones. She asked me how you you do it? I said "Place it on the back of your tongue and forget it's there then take a drink of water."
She said, "These ones?" Holding up mine.
"yep."
She sniffed it, popped it in her mouth, and swallowed it! I couldn't believe it!

HI A.,
My son took vitamins at that age too. I gave him liquid vitamins (w/dropper) until he was "willing" to chew the vitamins (which wasn't until he was 3 or 3 1/2). My Dr. was ok with that because he was getting the vitamins and I wasn't getting a fight LOL. We used Poly-vi-sol. I believe it's enfamil brand in the aisle of the grocery store with vitamins. In my opinion, as long as he's getting what he needs, make it easy for yourself. Good luck :o)

Get the ones without iron-the iron gives it a really funky taste. My kids love the sour gummy ones the best.

May I suggest---Dr. Sears Little Champions Mixed Berry Chewables with no artificial stuff and its made with PURE FRUIT concentrated pulp! My 3 1/2 yr old wouldnt eat any of the other vitamins! NOT even the "UNchoice" the doc calls them of flinstones with sugar etc I did soe research and decided to try them. Amazon has them at a reduced price and brother she now REMINDS ME that i forgot her vitie chew! LOL they have just the right amount of sweet tart mix that kids love. Here is the link I use--
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3...
I f the link doesn't work it usually does, but if not just COPY and PASTE or go to Amazon to health and personal care and type in Dr. Sears Little Champions and LOOK AROUND at ALL the deals bcuz I just got 3 BOXES (new packaging) of 30 count vitamins for 27. 44 a week ago! They go for 20 a box for 30 days so GREAT deal! God Bless! believe me I know what you are going thru! Try them- plus you have the pleasure of knowing they are getting the best. AFter I told the doc what i got her to eat he said, " You know I forgot about him! Yeah he has some great products and i just found out that quite a few other parents here are using them as well! They also come in OTHER FLAVORS now (this is new) like mango etc. I read the label and im impressed, so feel free to feed his products." I was thrilled to say the least! Once again here is the link (sorry got to talking)

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3...

PS- I also give her his fish oil for her brain food and noticed a difference in 3 weeks! Better behaved (not that she had a problem), but i find fewer tantrums, better ability to concentrate on her abc's and numbers and just seems to make her a happier kid. Docotr confirmed it wasnt my imagination. The pediatrician also reccommended it. they come in citrus chews and also a liquid. I feed the liq, in her yogurt and she never knows it. You only need a 1/2 tsp. a day and the liq is more economical. Dr said evidence is overwhelming to feed the DHA etc in that source to our kids for their brains unless you eat WILD salmon 3 x a week. We dont. She wouldnt eat it anyway! lol.
Take care!

I agree with Ray, don't call it a vitamin, call it a treat. My daughter begs for more.

My kids have been taking Juice Plus+ for 7 years now. It's 17 different fruits and veggies in a soft chew and they love it! Check it out and watch the 10 minute video at www.StudiesOnJuicePlus.com
:)

try gummie vitamins. i bought them because my doctor recommended i take 2 children's chewables as me and prenatal vitamins don't mix. so my daughter picked out princess gummies. now, she is 4, but she'd try to take more than one. they taste like candy. i would try that.

HI A.---I wouldn't worry about it if your son is getting a well balanced plant based diet. Unless he has been diagnosed as deficient in something, taking isolated vitamins, outside of whole foods, you can be causing more harm than doing good. I have a number of articles that talks about the dangers of isolated vitamins.

I do, however, advocate supplementation because I believe we just can't eat well enough to prevent degenerative disease. Plants are not vine-ripened---the bulk of the nutrients enter the plant the last few days of ripening, nutrients degrade the minute a plant is harvested, nutrient levels in soil are depleted, growers accelerate the growing season in order to plant more crops and most food is shipped thousands of mile across the country.

We are also exposed to more chemicals, etc than ever before. So what do we do? We must eat as many fruits and veggies as possible. Also whole grains, legumes (beans), nuts and seeds. Minimize negative foods. This includes highly processed, chemical laden foods, as well as all animal protein. This last part may seem strange, but please visit www.pcrm.org and read The China Study by T Colin Campbell. Too much animal protein leads to disease. An adult eating 2000 calories a day only needs an amount about the size of a deck of playing cards.

As I said, I do feel supplementation is warranted. I work with a company that puts the dehydrated juice powders of 15 different fruits and veggies and the bran of 2 grains into capsules or gummies. It is backed by more than 20 INDEPENDENT research studies that show the nutrients actually get into the body and then have a positive impact on the immune system, repairs and protects DNA, and helps cardiovascular system as well. You've heard of free radicals, right? And the damage the cause is called oxidative stress. One study shows that o.s. is reduced by 75% in as little as 30 days, and is completely unmeasurable in some of the study subjects.

No isolated or multi-vitamin product in the world can show these results. This product can because it IS REAL FOOD.

Now, there still is the problem of getting your little one to eat them. Be lovingly persistent. It can take over 10 attempts to get a child to try and accept something new. Go to www.askDrSears.com and explore there. I have the honor of working w/Dr. Sears and he recommends the same supplement that I do. One strategy that we use is to put out 17 bowls of all of the fruits and veggies contained in our gummies. You simply give them the choice of eating all of the food, or eating the gummies. Eventually, with love and education, you'll have a great little eater on your hand.

I hope you understand that I am not pushing a big sales pitch. I am hoping to educate on optimal health, and I have lots of great information that I can share with you, if you would like. Whether or not these gummies work with the plan for your family, only time will tell. Ultimately, I am happy to help you with ANY question, whether or not you want to know more about whole food supplementation.

Let me know and I will be happy to get you the articles about the ineffectiveness, and potential dangers of eating vitamins. BTW, testing showed that some childrens chewables actually contained lead. There is no regulation on supplements at all. So buyer beware. Under no circumstances, feed your baby anything that has artifical colors or sweeteners in them. Again, I am happy to help in any way that you would like. Have a great day...and stay cool! In health, D. ###-###-####

Hello A.,

How about liquid vitamins? =)
Good luck!
~C.~

Children love to mimic adults. My DD wanted a vitamin of her own when she noticed that I take mine every night. I went with the all natural Gummi Vitamins and like Anneka and others have said, I don't refer to them as treats or candy - she knows they are vitamins and she only gets to have one a day. I also let her pick out the color =)

Oh and I don't give my daughter candy yet - in fact when we go to the store and she sees bags of candy and asks me what they are I say they are junk food.

What is the reason your doctor recommended he take them? Is he not getting enough of variety in foods? If he eats well then he really doesn't need them. I give my kids a vitamin C one once school starts up but other then that I don't bother. It just makes them have expensive pee. Most of what is in the vitamins aren't absorbed by the body.

Easy. Crush the vitamin with the back of a spoon onto a piece of paper, put the vitamin powder into small glass of his favorite juice or milk (something tasty) and see that he drinks it. Vitamin taken:-). P.S. Don't let him see you do it!

Two words: Gummi Vitamins

Also, I disagree with the idea of calling it a "treat" or tricking the child into thinking it's candy or something. What do children do when they can get into the candy themselves? They eat it all...

Hi
My daughter loves her vitamins they are gummy bears. So she thinks it is candy. Don't call them vitamins just say I have your gummy bears 2 a day.
Good luck!

hi A.....
i had and still have the same issue with my 3 1/2 yr old daughter. we ended up getting gummy bear vitamins and gummy omega 3's for her from costco!! it lasts forever, it's a huge tub and she loves them and her pediatrician said it was ok to substitute with them. i bet your son would love them! good luck!