Knowing when to give your kid a multivitamin is an important skill to acquire.
Contrary to popular belief, multivitamins should not be used every day.
A multivitamin is a supplement to your kid’s diet, environment and lifestyle.
If your kid’s diet, environment and lifestyle are depleting or not providing enough nutrients, then supplementing with Kid’s Multivitamin Chewable is needed.
If your kid is eating very well, on vacation, relaxed and in a good mood with good energy, then, during these times, consider skipping their multivitamin.
To give you an idea, I typically give my sons a multivitamin a few times a week.
However, if I notice they are dirtying their genes by staying up way too late, changing time zones, eating poorly or being very active with sports, I will support them with their multivitamin.
If I notice them in a good mood in the morning and full of energy, I don’t give them their multivitamin. Why? They are showing signs of clean genes. Clean genes already have sufficient nutrients on board.
Here are moments that help you identify when to give your kid a serving of Kid’s Multivitamin Chewable:
- They are not eating as healthy as you would like.
- They are participating in sports.
- In the morning, they are dragging with low energy and low mood.
- In the early afternoon, they are brain dead and tired.
Key Tip:
I really like giving ½ the suggested serving size with breakfast. I do not like giving a full serving size as it can be too stimulating causing your kid to be irritable and impatient.
For kids 1 to 3 years old, this means you cut the chewable tablet in ½ and put the other ½ back in the bottle.
Only give the other ½ of the suggested serving size in the afternoon, no later than 1 pm, if, and only if, you notice they are dragging or need some support for after school activities.
If you notice at bedtime they are restless, having difficulty falling asleep, then do not give them their afternoon portion. If you didn’t give them their afternoon portion and they are still restless before bed, then consider giving them ½ the suggested serving with their breakfast. If you already gave them ½ the suggested serving, did you need to give them the multivitamin in the first place? Should you have not given it to them and you did because you didn’t pay attention to how they were acting? You have to pay attention.
Side Effects:
Have you noticed your kid experiencing any of these since starting this multivitamin:
more irritable or anxious
having headaches more frequently
difficulty falling asleep
If so, pause using the Kid’s Multivitamin Chewable for a few days.
See if those symptoms go away or improve significantly.
If you see your kid’s symptoms improve by stopping the multivitamin, here are some very useful tips to apply:
- Use the supplement less frequently. Pay better attention to how they are feeling before you give them their multivitamin. They may only need it a few days a week. If you’re already only using it a few days a week, go down to two days a week.
- Reduce the serving size that you gave by ½. For example, if you gave 1 chewable, give ½ a chewable with breakfast - and only breakfast.
- What other supplements are you using? I often see parents giving additional B vitamins. Unless advised by your health professional, do not give additional B vitamins along with our multivitamins. They are getting sufficient amounts already.
- Stop using the Kid’s Multivitamin Chewable. Switch to the Kid’s Multivitamin Chewable MF.
The MF version is less stimulating to the brain. This is why we have the two versions for both kids and adults.
MF stands for ‘methyl-free’.
One of my sons does very well with the Kid’s Multivitamin Chewable. The other two prefer the MF version.
As a parent, having both versions handy is useful. Every kid is different which is why we offer the two versions.
The key is really paying attention to your kid. How are they doing before you give them their multivitamin? It literally takes 30 seconds of observation, a 20 second mental recap of how they slept and ate the day before along with 10 seconds of mentally reviewing their upcoming day’s events.
With these tips, you will be nourishing your kid and your relationship with them.
