Monday, November 12, 2023
"How my son went from uncontrollable to being a stable and happy kid..."
I was at the end of my rope and it was the biggest turnaround for my child, for myself, and for my whole family
Written by Jessica Acosta
Hi, I'm Jessica Acosta. I thought I knew a lot...then I became a mom. Then came the tears. Restless nights. And the daily struggles. That's why I like to write about ways to get rid of the stress that comes with the million responsibilities of a mom. So you get the peace you deserve.
I used to be one of those people.
Shaking my head and saying ‘my child wouldn’t dare.’ It worked for my first daughter. Then my son came along.
I remember the last time so clearly.
He was completely out of control at the supermarket. Running away from me, knocking things off the shelves. When I tried to calm him, he threw himself, screaming, kicking, face down, on the supermarket floor.
A crowd started to form around us.
I tried to pick him up. He kept screaming and kicking and wriggling out.
I had no option but to drag him by the hand toward the exit, while people made way for the world’s worst mom and her little monster. I tried to ignore the head shakes and the tut-tuts.
“If they are loved,” I heard one woman say, “they don’t act like this.”
My head was burning and my heart was racing. By the time we made it to the car, hot tears were running down my face. Meanwhile, my defiant, angry, uncontrollable 4-year-old kept bawling his blood-curdling scream.
"My head was burning and my heart was racing. By the time we made it to the car, hot tears were running down my face."
What had happened to my once-sweet boy? What had I done to cause this?
My son was out of control, and my whole family was miserable
My son was the most contented baby ever. And then at age two, the problems started. Normal. But instead of it getting better, it just.... stayed horrible and got worse as he grew and changed.
This usually started 5 minutes after waking up, and he had up to 4 in the space of an hour.
He hardly ever sat still, and I could rarely interact with him because he moved about all the time. He never spoke to me — he growled and snapped.
My once-happy home became tense. My husband and I started fighting. I would lock myself in the bathroom and pretend I was showering so I could cry without everyone knowing. I thought it was me. I felt like I was failing him.
And what about him? I know now he was frustrated that he couldn't control his behavior. It was taking its toll on him, and it would only get worse — if we couldn’t find a way to help him.
How would he grow up like this?
It got to the point where my boy wasn't allowed to sit on the story time mat with the other kids.
He struggled with finding friends to play with and ended up sitting alone on the buddy bench a lot. Nobody wanted to be with a kid who couldn’t keep his hands to himself... and who the teacher disapproves of.
What do you think this does to a child's self-esteem? How would it warp him as he grew up?
My son was having trouble socializing and I worried it would only get worse
Of course, I tried everything. Positive reinforcement. Time outs. Ignoring bad behavior... confiscating toys... a points system with rewards. I even tried meditation and mindfulness.
We also eliminated ALL sugar and artificial food dyes. We began to eat as organic and clean as possible. Lots of fruits and veggies. I also gave him supplements to cover any nutritional deficiencies he might have.
I wanted to help him so badly. But none of it made any difference.
The unlikeliest bit of help from the most unexpected corner
One afternoon, I was at the grocery store again, this time blessedly alone. And I heard a familiar voice behind me.
"Hi Kathy!"
It was my ex-coworker Lisa. I hadn't seen her in more than a year. The last thing I remembered of her was her difficult 6-year-old daughter. She had lots of issues with moodiness, and following instructions.
Lisa and I got to talking... about what else? About my out-of-control kid and her out-of-control kid.
"Oh, it's been a miracle," she said. "My daughter has no issues anymore. Her behavior is just like any normal kid now. And it was such a small thing too."
My heart was in my throat. I begged Lisa to tell me more.
A new theory of behavior issues in kids?
"It turned out to be a nutritional deficiency," Lisa said.
My heart sank. Not back in its place. But down to my feet.
"I tried giving him supplements before,” I said. “Besides, we only do super clean food, tons of fruits and veggies. A gummy is not going to do anything for him."
But Lisa wouldn't let it go. "I thought the same," she said. "but have you actually taken a look at the back of the label? It turned out I was basically giving my kids sugar bombs with other vitamins... It matters so much what nutrients you give him". And she told me the name of the brand of gummy vitamins she liked.
As you can probably guess, I ignored Lisa’s recommendation for weeks. After all, I’d tried supplements before. They did nothing for my son's behavior issues.
It was only weeks later, after I came across a new study about the real cause of kids’ behavior issues, that I finally tried these gummies. I wish I hadn’t been so stubborn for so long.
The easiest health routine for my kids
I'll tell you all about the study that opened my eyes in just a second. But first, let me give you the full breakdown of my experience with this brand.
I ordered the brand of multivitamin gummies that Lisa told me about.They are called First Day. I'd never heard of them before — they aren't a big name yet, they are not available on Amazon, and seem to be more of a boutique for kids' vitamins.
Anyways, I ordered one test bottle. It arrived very quickly since it's an American company and ships from the U.S.
I opened the bottle up as soon as it arrived. It was promising. The gummies smell great, not like typical chalky vitamins. They also look great — fresh and bright, like they had just been put in the bottle the night prior.
Then came time for the first test.
My son loved the taste of First Day vitamins and I loved how it made him feel
I framed the gummy as a treat when I gave it to my son before breakfast. Normally, he's a very picky eater, and even when we tried to get him to eat veggies, it involved jumping through a lot of hoops — coating them in butter, masking them with dips.
But not so with the First Day gummy.
My son studied it for a second and scarfed it down. Then he smiled and asked for more. I gave him the second one (two is the daily dose). Then I distracted him with real breakfast because I didn't want to give him more than that (more on this below).
First Day gummies has been a game changer for our family
Every morning since, he asks me for his "gumbie." So he likes the taste...
After that first month, you can bet I stocked up on the First Day gummies.
But I was still in wonder that the right multivitamin could make such a difference. So I dug in for an explanation. Here's what I found.
Why I failed to fix the issue all the times before
The human body, even that of a 4-year-old, needs B vitamins for nerves to fire correctly... it needs vitamins A and D in the brain for dopamine production... it needs ALL vitamins at optimal levels to achieve deep, regenerative sleep.
And if you have a deficiency of any of these vitamins?
It can negatively affect their physical, mental, and emotional health.
It's not just me saying this. I mentioned before the study which made me even consider giving multivitamins a shot. It was conducted at the University of Michigan.
Most of the world is deficient in at least one vitamin — with serious consequences
Scientists there looked at 100 kids' vitamin D status. And they found that “children with blood vitamin D levels suggestive of deficiency were almost twice as likely to develop externalizing behavior problems.”
And there are dozens of studies like this. All around the world, scientists have linked low levels of different vitamins to trouble with learning, to fidgety behavior, to problems with following directions. Which raises a critical question:
Why did I never hit on this before, in spite of giving my son other multivitamins, and giving him a diet full of fruits and veggies?
There are several possible reasons. Many supplement companies use cheap forms of vitamins that pass through the body unused. Others provide them in such low doses as to be useless.
It's also a matter of having the right combo of vitamins. Vitamins work in tandem, and if any of a dozen is missing, it can cause neurological problems or sleep issues that lead to agitation.
That's probably why my attempts at a clean, organic diet didn't produce the results. I simply couldn't give him all the vitamins he needed, in sufficient amounts. And you know what?
I bet this was causing other problems too. Here’s what I mean.
"Children with blood vitamin D levels suggestive of deficiency were almost twice as likely to develop externalizing behavior problems."
Thousands of reasons to give my kids these gummies
Even if vitamin deficiencies had nothing to do with my son’s behavior challenges, I would still give him these gummies. In fact, I give them to my 7-year-old daughter now as well.
Of course I do! Because there are a thousand and one things in the body that need optimal vitamin levels to work right.
My daughter used to get sick regularly. Nothing major, but she was very susceptible to every bug that passed through school. I’m really curious what’s going to happen now that I'm giving her the First Day gummies each day. I'm hoping it will help her get sick less and to get over bugs more quickly.
The fact is — allergies, sickness, immunity problems, even brain function issues — all of these can be caused by vitamin deficiencies. I think in my son’s case, a deficiency was probably causing problems with reaching deep sleep.
The issue is this:
In today's world, it's pretty much impossible to get kids to eat all the veggies they really need to get all those vitamins. And even if I could feed my kids nothing but lettuce and kale, there's still no guarantee I could get them ALL the vitamins they need, in perfect doses.
Because too much of any vitamin can be as harmful as too little. Many vitamin companies don’t seem to get this, or they just count on impressing parents with big numbers.
That's why I still stick with the First Day brand and not others. The company claims to use only the best ingredients, at scientifically-backed doses, and based on what I’ve experienced, I believe them. Their gummies are also free of gluten, gelatin, artificial dyes, and they are made with the highest-quality production process.
Do I sound like a big raving fan? That’s because I am!
These things have literally transformed my household in so many beneficial ways. And even so, the price is so affordable, particularly when you compare it to alternatives we were considering. Which brings me to my final point.
Finally a normal, happy, healthy kid I can deal with
Look, my son hasn't turned into a perfect little angel. Nor do I expect or want that.
I know kids get cranky, hungry, tired, bored, that they make a mess.
I'm also not saying every child can be helped just with a multivitamin. But it's certainly worth a try, before reaching for much more serious (and unnatural) options.
I'm eternally grateful for finding these gummies. I know every child is different, but having First Day in our everyday routine has been so rewarding. Our whole family loves it.
I tell everyone about these and joke that I would literally be their "spokes-mom" if I could, because I love them so much.
35% off for the moment
I just found out that the First Day company is currently running a special promotion where they are offering up to 35% off the regular price of their kids multivitamin gummies. I'm definitely going to jump on this opportunity and stock up, especially since both my kids now take these gummies.
I realize now how hard it must have been for my son to be out of control, to know he was being bad, and still not be able to control himself.
For any kids showing similar problem behaviors, a simple vitamin deficiency might be at the root of it. And that’s why I recommend these gummies to all kids and parents — the sooner you check them out the better.
How To Get First Day Gummies Now
Now that you know about this revolutionary product, let me show you how easy it is to use it. All you need to do is follow these 3 steps:
- Step 2: After receiving the bottle, store it in a safe place your kids can’t reach.
- Step 3: Once a day, give your child two First Day gummies (more is NOT better).
Sellout Risk: HIGH
Shipping Cost: FREE
Here's a tip: Know any overworked and overstressed moms? First Day gummies can be the perfect present to help them keep their kids happy and healthy!
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