multi vitamin for older kids

[boholife]

Hello, Any ideas for older kids who refuse to eat breakfast? This has been going on for a while, my 14 year old boy and 11 year old girl won´t eat or drink anything before leaving house, apart from a sip of water. I was thinking of some form of multi vitamin that´s either a powder or chewable (forget anything that smells, which is why I don´t think liquids will work). I have tried juicing, smoothies, but no luck. What do other parents do? I hate seeing them leave the house on an empty stomach.

[misscph1973]

Oh, that must be so hard! But I don't think a multivitamin will make any difference (also some vitamins are fat soluble, so you need to take them with food).

I think with their ages there is just not much you can do. Do they have a packed lunch or school lunches? Do they get up too late to have breakfast, perhaps get them up earlier so they have time to get hungry?

If you really want to give them a multivitamin, then surely they are old enough for a tablet that should be swallowed? If not, try Pre-vites from Holland and Barrets, I give them to my DC (8 and 11) in the winter months.

[boholife]

yes, they take a sandwich for break and then have lunch at school. Yes, they do get up too late to have breakfast but they won´t change that. My son has to leave the house by 7.50 and gets up 10 minutes before. I have even tried leaving bowls of nuts (which they normally love) and a glass of water by the front door, but that´s lost its appeal. So frustrating!

[misscph1973]

I know you said no smoothies, but have you tried making a lassi, basically natural yoghurt blended with fruit? Put it in a portable drinks container so he can take it with him? Or put the nuts in a container he can take with him? Try to think of something he can have on the bus?

My DCs are 8 and 11, so I have yet to experience having a teenager. But is there any way you could make him get up earlier for breakfast, bribe him or threaten him? I know it's a very common problem, our local secondary has breakfast in the cafeteria in the first break to help, not sure if your DS's school has something similar?

[CarrieLouise25]

So glad to hear it's not just us! We had the best breakfast eater ever, but not anymore. Our DS also gets up ten mins before.

He drinks milk if no time for breakfast which is better than nothing. I give him nature valley oat bars to take with him plus he has lunch and eats tonnes on his return home from school.

I juice after school and this is the only way to get fruit down him.

Our DD has haliborange fruit softees vitamins and I know they do ones for teens too which we might try.

[CarrieLouise25]

I know it's not easy to see them leave the house without food but try to look overall at their daily intake. With juicing and smoothies you could try them after school when you have more time. Home juicing for vitamins better than any multi vit.

Homemade flapjacks maybe to take with them?