by: Martin Smith
Most parents' think their children are eating a fairly healthy and if not they throw their hands up in the air and give up. They then ply their children with multivitamins. No it's not a bad thing however, many children think that vitamins are candies, especially now that they come in gummi candy, gumballs, and cute animal and cartoon character shapes. - This poses a serious issue because if they are in children's reach they could be ?sneaking? extra tablets without you knowing it.
Since many children's multivitamins are fortified with iron it could cause an overdose. If you even suspect that your child has ingested too many call your local poison control center immediately and get your child to an emergency room immediately. An overdose of multivitamins with iron could cause your child to become seriously ill or even die. It's imperative vitamins and all manner of medication be kept out of the reach of children.
Generic multivitamins are fine if you think your child needs it but for the most part, children get most of their vitamins from their diets. If you child has special needs such not being able to drink milk or eat dairy products or not liking them s/he will still need to get the calcium from other sources.
Consult with your child's pediatrician for advice.
If your child's diet is bad one week, do not give him more than one vitamin a day. Too much of any one vitamin could prevent others from being absorbed by the body. For example, if your child gets to much calcium it could prevent the absorption of other vitamins such as iron.
You can expect to give your child vitamins well into the teen years because children are not always going to make healthy food choices.
Before you buy vitamins know that there are opposing opinions regarding iron in vitamins for children. One school of though is that you in fact should be given vitamins with iron. Another school of thought says under no circumstances should vitamins with iron be given to children. In my own experience my child showed signs of low iron in infancy. At the advice of his doctor we put him on iron fortified vitamins and he is healthy now.
Always check with your doctor on this.
Too much iron in the blood can cause a disease called Hemochromatosis. The body becomes unable to utilize the iron and it is not washed out of the body easily. It is a nearly always-fatal disease and can cause serious health issues and even death.
Calcium is a very important part of your child's diet to help them build strong bones and muscles. Calcium is a mineral. Children who eat ice cream, yogurt, and cheese or who drink milk usually get enough calcium from their diets. There are those who do not like dairy products or they don't like them. It is easy to help these children get what they need by giving them calcium-fortified juices, cereals and vitamins.
Most children get enough fluoride from drinking fluoride treated water or fluoride bottled water, and/or toothpaste. Do not give your child fluoride supplements without checking with your child's doctor. Too much fluoride could permanently stain your child's teeth. This totally defeats the purpose of the treatment of water and the use of tooth paste with fluoride that are meant to protect your child's teeth.
Infant multivitamins are usually available in liquid form and given with an eyedropper.
These drops usually contain vitamins A, C, and D. They may also have added iron. They may also contain other vitamins and minerals such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B-12.
Children's multivitamins also commonly come in chewable forms and the shapes of cartoon characters or animals. They also come now in gummi candy form and gumballs. If it is difficult to get your child to take a vitamin try getting one that is like his favorite character or in gumball form. Monitor your child while he's taking his vitamin.
I personally, give my child the vitamin rather than allowing him to do it on his own. He may not take it or he may take too many. Vitamins for children can be a very good thing however too much of a good thing can be fatal. Keep them out of reach of children.
Your child may not always eat what is right and giving him vitamins may offset some of that, however, it is better to err on the side of caution and check with the pediatrician before making any adjustments to your child's diet.
Fun shapes are fine but your child could believe they are
'candy' and so they should be out of his reach or locked away in a cabinet.
About The Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of products which includes Vitamin C and Herbal Supplements, and more! http://www.1st-vitamins-n-supplements.com.
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Have Fun With Baby Halloween Clothes
Have Fun With Baby Halloween Clothes
by: Kirsten Hawkins
There are lots of great things about being a new parent. For example, the joy of bringing a new life into the world, the thrill of shaping a young mind, the pride with each new stage of your baby's life. Few things are more exciting, however, than the license to be a kid again. What better way to celebrate your newfound childhood with your baby than by dressing up with them for Halloween?
There are a few basic rules of babies and Halloween. First, it is probably best to attach yourself to a group of friends with children who are a little bit older, otherwise it is obvious that you are just out getting candy and playing dress up. This is not vital, however, since many candy givers will be too distracted by how darned cute your baby is to care if you're the one who's going to eat the candy. The second is to be careful of the material of your baby's costume. A lot of store bought costumes...
Have Fun With Baby Halloween Clothes
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Character Building by Designing Parents
Character Building by Designing Parents
by: Jean Tracy. MSS
Think carefully about what your child needs when you teach right from wrong. Research reveals 92% of high school students say they are satisfied with their own ethics and character, yet 1/4 admit stealing within the past year. (Josephson Institute of Ethics)
You gave your child the gift of life. Give your child character too. The method below offers you a 3-D Character Building Activity.
I remember counseling with an overworked mom who gave very little time to her daughter. The police caught 10-year old Jessica shoplifting not once but twice. Children who steal at an early age may be filling a hole in their hearts - lack of time with their parents. Find out how Jessica's mom used the Character Building Activity below to stop Jessica from becoming a habitual shoplifter.
3-D Activity:
1.Discover - Jessica's mom questioned, listened well, and discovered how Jessica...
Character Building by Designing Parents
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7 Simple Weight Loss Feasting Tips for the Holiday Season
7 Simple Weight Loss Feasting Tips for the Holiday Season
by: Tracy Lee
Here comes Halloween... and the start of the "season of feasting" for a lot of folks around here.
It's become a sort of time-honored "tradition" for Americans to put on weight between Halloween and New Year's Day.
Some would even say it's to be expected -- "After all, it's the holidays!", they say.
Now, I love the holidays.
And I bet you do too.
Who wouldn't love all the great treats and wonderful foods that just seem to spring up around us during the holiday season, right?
But don't you just hate it when you step on the scales after the holidays, and discover you've put on weight?
Fret not, for I'm here to show you how you can have fun during the holidays and enjoy all your favorite holiday treats, _without_ putting on any extra pounds.
Here are 7 Simple Weight Loss Feasting Tips for the Holiday Season...
1. Give...
7 Simple Weight Loss Feasting Tips for the Holiday Season
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Lose the Excuses to Lose that Weight
Lose the Excuses to Lose that Weight
by: Janice Elizabeth Small
The opportunities to overeat are everywhere these days. Someone is always bringing cakes into work to celebrate their birthday, their promotion or their escape. Then there are all the family parties and other social occasions you enjoy (or have to attend). And these days even if you're not in company there's food to tempt you everywhere you go. Fast food places are sprouting up on every corner and supermarkets greet you with the smell of baking as you walk in the door. So it's undeniable that it's harder than ever to avoid tempting food.
Yet we find excuses to eat too much all too readily, saying "I really shouldn't" all the while grabbing the piece of chocolate cake on offer.
If you've ever been on a diet and not reached your target weight, you probably had excuse-making down to a fine art. After all there's a ready-made excuse for eating in any set of circumstances if you...
Lose the Excuses to Lose that Weight
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Just How Is Chocolate Made?
Just How Is Chocolate Made?
by: James McDonald
How is chocolate made you are wondering? Chocolate is derived from a cocoa bean removed from the pod of the cocoa tree. Cocoa trees are found growing in equatorial zones in the South America region. Once the Cocoa beans have been harvested they are then placed into large shallow pans to be heated. This is also known as the fermentation process. In some regions where the climate is warm the beans may be fermented by the sun. Throughout this fermentation workers stir them often to ensure that all the cocoa beans have been equally fermented.
One of the first things that industrial chocolate manufacturers do is dry roast the beans. The process of dry roasting helps develop the flavor into what we enjoy when eating it. The cocoa nibs, otherwise known as beans are comprised of two very important ingredients: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The cocoa butter is basically a fat while the cocoa solids are predominantly...
Just How Is Chocolate Made?
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Don't Let Your Preschooler Get You Down
Don't Let Your Preschooler Get You Down
by: Nicky Vanvalkenburgh
Have you ever seen parents discipline their children in public? I recently saw a mother spank her child at the bank. Unfortunately, the mother was treating her little girl like a punching bag.
The child was probably five or six years old, and was intrigued by the bank?s ?Take one!? brochures. When the child took one, her mother slapped her hand. The girl began crying. She received another slap. ?You be quiet!? the mother growled. The child sat down on the bank?s sofa. She crossed her legs, Indian style. Oops, her feet touched the sofa. Whack! By the time they marched out of the bank, that mother had slapped her child at least 20 times.
Was that necessary? I don?t think so. Children often make mistakes because they?re immature or don?t know better.
They?re kids, and they?re not as sophisticated as adults. They?re also creatures of wonder and awe.
I can?t remember...
Don't Let Your Preschooler Get You Down
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