Help Me Choose A Children's Vitamin

[fci5767]

I want to get my 2 1/2-year-old FS started on a multivitamin but I'm wondering which one to choose. I'm probably going to get one at Whole Foods unless there is a great one available at the drugstore.

Anyone got a good one to recommend?

[Canice]

I can't give a specific recommendation, but I had to find a multi for DBF and one for his dog, and the vitamin person at Whole Foods was extraordinarily helpful. Incredibly knowledgable and helpful, so they get my endorsement!

[TwinMom]

Rainbow Light makes a nice multivitamin for kids. Natural and veggie extras in there.

http://www.vitacost.com/RainbowLightJustOnceKidsOneMultiStars

Now that they are a little older (6) they take

http://www.vitacost.com/MegaFoodEssentialsKidsUsFoodBasedMinis

[BucknellAlum]

My pediatrician prescribes one for us, so the kids get the right amount of flouride. I am glad to not have to worry about picking the right one, because I always debate on picking my own vitamins, and I am sure it would be worse for my child's!

[GingerPow]

Great idea to give vitamins to your foster son, Beth. I like the natural based Solgar vitamins, and gave my kids Solgar Children's chew-ables. There are some listed on this page.
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/search/en/query.jsp?q=Children%27s+vitamins&l=&pt=&d=&pr=&k=&ist=&b=Solgar

I also gave them an orange flavor chewable Vitamin C, approx. 100 mg. per wafer.

I'm not a fan of the supermarket vitamins for children such as Flintstones or whatever is on the shelves now. Too many artificial ingredients.

Just a bit off the topic; I also never gave my kids the fluoride drops that the pediatrician pushed, I did not want them to ingest fluoride. Out of all three kids now in their teens and twenties, there was only ONE cavity to be filled. I always made sure they ate natural yogurt, not loaded with sugar or gelatin (i.e. Stonyfield) which I think helped.

Editing to add: I remembered after posting this that I gave my kids liquid vitamin drops until they were about three or so. Chewables came later. Sometimes I'd mix the squirt of vitamins in juice, or just give them the dropper full in their mouth as it tastes fruity anyway.
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=NT-1035

[ClaraB]

One thing you need to be aware of is the correct dose of MVI for a 2 1/2 yo. Many vitamins recommend giving 1/2 a vitamin for that age, which I don't like doing because with the shapes you do not get exactly 1/2 the dose when you break them (the only pills that should be split are the ones that are scored, for that reason). Make sure the vitamin you choose doesn't have to be split to give FS a dose. It's been a while since DS was that young, but I think the Bugs Bunny vitamins worked for us at that age.

[Terri_A]

I would definitely steer toward a liquid vitamin for a 2 1/2 year old. The most worthless vitamin is the one that never gets ingested, so with that in mind consider taste. It really stinks to have something spit back at you!!! We used a liquid vitamin that the pediatrician prescribed. I'm sure if you called yours, they'd have a recommendation or two for you.

Good luck!