Disclaimer :: This sponsored post is brought to you from alternaVites Kids. They supplied one FWMB contributor with a sampling of vitamins for her family to test out. We know how much moms are looking to keep their kids healthy and full of the right things; but, kids can also be picky so we are happy to share a vitamin that has zero grams of sugar and no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners.
Getting my kiddos to take vitamins and supplements can be tricky and time-consuming. I never know when it will bring on a total melt-down. So I was excited to sample alternaVites Kids, a quick melting crystal powder that pours directly into your mouth. Below I’ve listed some of my tips for getting little ones to consistently take vitamins, as well as our experience with alternaVites Kids.
Start them young. It’s pretty easy to get a nine month old to drink a little fish oil. Just mix it in her bottle, and she usually doesn’t even notice. But try mixing fish oil into a three year old’s sippy cup, and it’s World War III, which is why I advise starting vitamins and supplements as early as possible (after okaying it with your child’s pediatrician), so that your little one becomes accustomed to the taste and texture at an age when he or she is much more open to trying new things. However, if you haven’t been doing any vitamins up until this point, then supplementing a four-year-old child’s diet with alternaVites Kids is a good starting point.
It’s basically a pixie stick of 17 essential vitamins and minerals. Plus, I was thrilled to find it has zero grams of sugar and no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. Have you ever checked out the back of a bottle of those appealing gummi vitamins with your child’s favorite cartoon character? Sugar, artificial flavors, all sorts of food dyes . . . and let’s be honest, it is like a piece of candy so you have to wonder about that sugary goodness stuck in their teeth. Also, with alternatives Kids, each serving comes in an individual packet that you can snip off the top and hand to your child. (It actually states on the box it is endorsed by pediatric dentists.)
Of my four kiddos, two liked the taste of alternaVites Kids Strawberry Bubble Gum, and two weren’t too crazy about it. I found it was super easy to mix the alternaVite Kids powder into a sippy cup of water and — voila! — vitamin water that one of my two pickier children enjoyed. I never did win over that fourth child, but one easy way to do that would be adding the powder to a smoothie or yogurt.
Choose your battles carefully. Initially, I had a long list of supplements and vitamins I really wanted my children to take. When I only had one child and he was young enough to put just about anything in his mouth, this worked; but once there were several children around the kitchen table, I had to throw that long list out the window. After talking through it with our pediatrician and doing some research on my own, I decided to chose just two or three supplements that I really, really wanted them to be getting and focus on taking those daily. For us, that is vitamin D, probiotics, and fish oil. And this month, we’ve added alteraVites Kids to our protocol.
Figure out your child’s vitamin style. By this, I mean experiment with different forms of the same vitamin to figure out what goes down easiest. Different types come in options of chewable tablets, liquid, and then there is powder form like alternaVites, which I must say is easy to transport if traveling and can then be taken straight from the packet or added to a drink.
Make it a habit. Whether it’s right after breakfast or upon waking up from naps, if you make a habit of doing it at approximately the same time every day, then even your kids will start to remind you. I keep all of our vitamins and supplements in a basket in the cupboard adjacent to the kitchen sink. This makes it easy to remember to pass out vitamins either during breakfast or supper.
Is this something you’d like your kid(s) to try out? If so, enter below to win an alternatives gift bag plus one month’s supply of alternaVites Kids! And you don’t win or want to head to your local Walmart and check them out immediately, use this coupon!
My son is allergic to food dye and it is SO hard to find vitamins without it! Excited to check these out!