Vitamins

[zane2673]

I'm hoping some of you will have suggestions about vitamins and my three year old. She hates to eat any of the chewables. I've tried them all. She'll put them in her mouth and spit them out. I recently purchased the vita gum balls and I have to admit those things are just to gross to eat. She won't eat vegetables and fruit and last year after my son started school she got bombarded with a cold a month. Any suggestions on which type of vitamin she should take? Thanks!!

[mommyof3]

My kids hate them, too, but the older ones are old enough now to understand. My three year old hates them, but we have a deal that if he eats them (we get the poly-vi-flor prescription kind because we have well water) he gets to fly like Buzz Lightyear in my arms in the air. Short of coming up with an alternative vitamin, is there something that she really likes but rarely gets to do that you could reward her with if she takes them? Or could you get a liquid kind and mix it in applesauce or something?


Wish I could be of more help!

[siren]

I'm not trying to tell you how to parent your children or any thing butis there any reason why your child won't eat fruit and veg, if not make them! It is for their own good, if they don't eat them now it will be more difficult to have a healthy diet when they get older. i know from experience because i wasn't a fruit and veg fan when i was a kid but now i'm older i've decided i want to be as healthy as i can and get the most out of my body but it's difficlut to change my eating habits now. I do still have vitamins myself because i'm vegetarian and don't get all the vitamins and minerals i need but you shouldn't have to rely on them. i'm not having a go at you or any thing so please don't think that but i just think that some time in the future some anoying scientist will tell us that taking vitamins is acctually bad for us or some thing. but anywho enough or my random thoughts........


you must be able to get some vitaman suspension kind of thing where you dissolve it in water and drink it. this won't work for all vitamins though because i know some vitamins aren't soluble in water. i also know some of the chewable vitamins just taste and look like sweets. if your child doesn't know they're vitamins they may be more likely to eat them.

[shiva]

You can get vitamins in a concentrated liquid form to add to drinks. She wont even know it's there. Don't tell her. I used to get it at The Vitamin Shoppe. Check online if you don't have one of those close to you. I know Vitamin Shoppe is online. Also, ask the doctor.. They will be able to help you. I think when my daughter was about that ageour doctor recommendedgiving her salads made out of spinich leaves. She loved it, and trust me... she was a picky eater. Also, I called broccoli "trees" and so she decided she liked them, too.


You are virtually in control of what a 3 year old eats. I know they fuss and will refuse at first, but keep on it and I am sure that she will eat what you give her. Just stop giving her all of the other stuff. (not to say you are) But, anyone would rather have ice cream than green beans, you know? Limit the choices and set a good example.. Let her see you eating it and tell her it's good. She'll come around. I would definitely enforce healthy eating NOW.


When we moved close to family my daughter was about 2. She had never had many sweets and the family loved to sugar her up. This completely changed her eating habits. If she's ever under supervision of someone else... Put strict orders on what she is to be fed. I have had a heck of a time because my family refuses to enforce healthy eating with my child. If she's allowed to eat junk at Grandma's then she wants it at home to. A treat here and there is fine, but much of our diet should definitely consist of fruits and veggies and it sounds like hers isn't.We are just now turning things around in my home, trying to fix the Grandma dammage And, it's been really hard. All I am saying is that the eating habits your child has nowWILL affect her later. Instead of a quick vitamin fix, help her enjoy healthy food now.


Please don't take offense. I am really just sharing this information to try to help you to look at things differently and maybe find a good solution for your little one.


Also.. I always told my daughter that vitamins are like medicine and not supposed to taste good. If she spit it out, she had to take another.. simple as that. If it were antibiotics would you allow her to spit it out?

[zane2673]

Thanks for the all the advice. I'm going to try to find something to put in her apple juice. I put her fluoride drops in it because she won't take them from the dropper. My son was like her not eating any vegetables and he's now five and eats a variety of things that he just decided to try on his own. I don't like to push because I as a child I was forced to drink milk and grew to absolutely hate the taste of it till this day. My husband was forced as a child to eat everything on his plate and as a result the only three vegetables he'll eat is corn, cucumbers, and peas. So I've adopted the attitude of serving something healthy with every meal and hope she'll eventually try it. She was really good as a baby with eating anything I gave her but with age came stubborness, plus she'll refuse to eat or she'll gag on her food if I try to make her. And we all know what the gagging leads too!!!! Thanks again for everyone's advice!

[shiva]

Ha ha! Yes, we know what gagging leads to You make some good points, she probably will try more things on her own as time goes on. Especially if she has an older brother to take example from. I know it's hard. And, my daughter is 8 (almost 9) and still a picky eater. I just always make her try foods first, you know? (and yes, there has been some gagging.. I think she's learned to manipulate the situation now and play emet against me... argh! ) I suppose there has to be a balance, and I think you've found it. I was raised the opposite. My family didn't care if I ate junk all the time and I grew up not ever eating much veggies or fruit as a child. I regret it now because I have slowly had to introduce them to myself and get used to them as an adult. I guess having them available is key. Sounds like you really care about your childrens health, though. These days I worry so much about some kids out there and the care they are (or aren't receiving). Anyway.. Good luck with the vitamins! If you have health food stores in your area that might be another good place to check for concentrated liquid vitamin stuff. (or, wherever you get the flouride stuff)