Is it really a must for the kids to be a daily intake of vitamins? When I was little, we have this Flinstones vitamins that my mother bought and "have to" take it regularly on a daily basis. If ever I miss one day, she would let me take 2 tablets. Is that alright for children or will that overdose them?

Giving an extra flinstone tablet wouldn't hurt, but giving a lot more would have been a problem. You have to monitor them.
The thing with vitamins though, is that only so much a day is optimal, if you miss a day, it's just missed, doubling the recommended dose may not do harm, but it won't make up for a day missed.

I make sure my kids get good things to eat all day long. But i still make them take vitamins. And their peds dr. thanks almost every well child visit, because a lot of parents don't have their kids taking vitamins and it's really important that they do.

We use those gummy vitamins you can buy at GNC. Even the baby likes to take them.

We haven't started our children on vitamins yet, though I think my almost 3 year old is ready to start. Actually, I take that back, she does take a cal/mag (I take it too) and a probiotic, but not a multi yet. I'm thinking we'll do a liquid vitamin because those are better absorbed. I'm wary of the gummi vitamins because I don't want vitamins to look like candy, know what I mean?

You should be very careful doubling vitamins, especially ones with iron in them.

I don't bother. The odd time I've bought them, I forget more often than remember to give them. If the child is eating a variety of healthy foods, there is no need. Real vitamins are always better than artificial. I really don't think vitamins help as much as parents are led to believe. My kids are all healthy, without vitamin supplements.
As for doubling up, I wouldn't but I figure they were probably tested with the notion that a child may accidentally take more than one so two would probably be safe.

I never remember to take my vitamins either. I generally take them when I know its going to be a busy day and I might not get a good meal in or I haven't gotten enough sleep. I didn't as a kid either. I've never seen the research that shows its completely necessary.

I agree that artificial is not good-but the worst and most concerning for me is when doctors try to make the mother give a two month old a vitamin with both fluoride and iron in it, just because they are breast fed. They claim that breast milk is lacking in vitamin D, and fluoride and that it may not have enough iron.

The truth is that the iron in breastmilk is perfectly absorbed-100% of it in fact. By comparison the artificial iron in formula and cereals is only absorbed at a rate of about 10%, and that is why so much is needed. It is not that breastmilk is lacking, is that artificial iron is just not right.

Giving them more iron can cause them to become constipated, and that is not needed in a breastfed infant!

And don't get me started on the fluoride....... A balanced diet is the best thing a kid could have.

I haven't started giving my baby vitamins, I try to give him balanced meals everyday and he has been healthy so far. I may start when he starts preschool when he is more exposed.

I hear doctors saying they are good for children under 10 and then some that say don't do it, so which is it? So confusing for new parents!!

I'm of the "it can't hurt" school of thought when it comes to vitamins for kids over, say, 2 yrs old. Once they are in more control of what they eat, and getting picky, adding a vitamin is a good way to make up for any deficiencies in their diet. That said, my kids don't even like to take them all the time!!!

I never gave vitamins to my kids as infants or young babies though. I nursed them all, and they ate pretty well once they started on solids after 6 months. I pondered vitamin D, but since we are fair skinned and I do get them outside as much as possible, I figured we didn't have to worry about rickets.

I think one a day is just fine, even if you miss one. I seriously doubt that giving two would cause an overdose. If one day is missed, I don't think that will cause any problems.