HELP! My kid thinks his gummy vitamins are candy and now he's a tiny junkie
Ok so I'm running on 3 hours of sleep thanks to my 2yo's new 'hobby' of screaming at 4am. Anyway, I got these liquid vitamins for my 5yo because he refuses to swallow pills. They're the gummy kind, right? So I tell him 'one a day, it's like a treat.' BIG MISTAKE. Kid now thinks they're fruit snacks. I caught him trying to scale the kitchen counter to get the bottle. He looked at me like I was the bad guy. I had to hide them in the broccoli drawer. WTF do I do? Also, he says the texture is 'too squishy' for the liquid ones? I'm confused. Help.
LOL classic. My nephew did the same thing. I'd suggest switching to a brand that tastes like absolute garbage so they DON'T want more. But for real, you gotta lock those up like they're prescription meds. Too much iron or vit A can be toxic for kids. Not trying to scare you but yeah, toddler + gummies = chaos. Maybe try the liquid drops in his juice? He won't even notice if it's the unflavored kind. But if he's picky about texture, you're in for a ride. My CrossFit coach's kid only does the melt tabs now. Good luck bro.
As a chef, I can tell you that kids are weird about texture. My daughter used to gag on mashed potatoes but would eat raw kale. Go figure. For the liquid vitamins, you could try mixing it into a smoothie with a ton of banana and peanut butter. The thickness hides the taste and texture. But the gummy thing? Yeah, that's a candy trap. I started calling them 'medicine' and made a big deal about them being for 'big kids only' and not candy. Reverse psychology kinda worked. Now she acts like she's taking a shot of whiskey. It's hilarious but at least she doesn't sneak them.
Bro, I've seen this in my clients' kids. You need to establish boundaries. Vitamins are not candy. Period. If he refuses the liquid because of texture, try the gummy ones that are sugar-free and taste like sour apple. Kids hate that. Or just do the liquid in a syringe and squirt it in his cheek like medicine. It's quick, no texture issue. But hide the gummies. My buddy's kid ate a whole bottle of Flintstones and had to get his stomach pumped. Not worth it. Also, maybe get some sleep, BioBob. You sound wrecked.
Thanks guys. I'll try the smoothie hack and maybe the syringe. And yeah, I'm gonna lock them up. DynamicDan, you're right, I'm running on fumes. The kid is currently pretending to be a dinosaur and roaring at the vitamin bottle. Wish me luck.