Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Something To Consider Regarding Bad Behavior
Heidi 01:20 PM 05-23-2014
Many of us, who've been in this business for years have noticed a change in children. More bad behavior, basically. We tend to blame it on parenting styles (and I agree to a large extent).

But, I remember a lady telling me that as a child, she had some major behavioral problems. Then one day, she had an allergic reaction to something, and the E.R. gave her Benydryl as a first resort. Liquid Benydryl. Her body went into hyper-drive, and they ended up giving her an epi shot.

After extensive testing, they found out that corn syrup was the culprit (and liquid Benydryl was or is sweetened with corn syrup). So, they removed all corn products from her diet, and not only was she physically healthier, but her behavior dramatically improved.

So, after reading Jack Sprats description of what her little dcb eats, I did a little research and found this article:

http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1...n-behave-badly

What do you think?

Do you think the increase in additives and coloring and chemicals in our foods affect the behavior of our children?

I know most of us don't feed our dck's garbage, but often, their parents, quite frankly do. The little guy I just termed; he is the only one in my group who gets candy, sweets, chicken nuggets, etc. Makes me wonder...

And as I ponder that...although the "terrible two's" are considered developmental, and that's certainly valid, isn't that when most parents start giving their children more "treats"? I wonder if that contributes?
Reply
NeedaVaca 01:53 PM 05-23-2014
I absolutely think the food they eat can contribute to bad behavior! My son has severe reactions to food dye (especially red 40) and it's noticeable to everyone. Night and day difference of behavior.

I find your comparison to the timing of sweets and the terrible twos very interesting!!
Reply
MarinaVanessa 02:01 PM 05-23-2014
Yes absolutely. My 9yo DD has ADHD and we cut out red dye and have started reducing processed food (canned, frozen, pre made etc) and this has GREATLY affected my DDs behavior. She's improved grades and her behavior at school as well.

I feel better as well now that we eat more home made meals. I have more energy and I feel happier, more pleasant. Idk how else to describe it.
Reply
cheerfuldom 02:07 PM 05-23-2014
I know many families that swear by a change in their childs diet making a big improvement on behavior! I do believe that a healthy diet is a basic foundation for growth and development and can only benefit children, even those with less obvious behavioral issues.
Reply
MotherNature 04:51 PM 05-23-2014
I definitely think that the massive amount of processing in our foods, the inflated amount of gluten bred into our grains, and additives, pesticides, etc..in our food supply has a damaging effect on everyone, not just kids. Personally, I think it could definitely be a contributing cause for the rise of the autism epidemic. Yes, we're better able to diagnose now, but it's probably not a coincidence that when you remove dyes and gluten from many autistic kids' diets, their symptoms improve.
Reply
Sunchimes 07:01 PM 05-23-2014
I was just reading a story today that suggests that the high rates of autism in the US may be related to GMOs. Not so much eating the GMO food, but because of the enormous amount of herbicides and pesticides required to grow GMOs. One mentioned was glyphosate, or what we know as Roundup. Autism rates have remained level for the last 10 years in Europe, Australia, and Japan, while escalating here. Many of the pesticides and herbicides used on GMOs are banned there. I think it said that most GMOs were also banned there.

My personal thought is that if we ever find a cause, it will be only one cause for only a segment of those affected. Like cancer, there will prove to be many, many causes or contributing factors. I'm thinking of the rise in sonograms, GMOs, cell phones, plastics, and things I never even dreamed of 30 years ago.

http://www.collective-evolution.com/...oxin-exposure/
Reply
NightOwl 07:36 PM 05-23-2014
A related thought: the hormones fed to beef cows and chickens are making our daughters "develop" faster. Puberty sets in sooner, breasts develop sooner, periods start sooner, than ever before.
Reply
Sugar Magnolia 04:10 AM 05-24-2014
Yes! I have looooooong been opposed to red. Red drinks, red cereal, red anything. Red makes you crazy, especially little kids under 5. I mean, food coloring IS a PETROLEUM product.
Reply
Blackcat31 07:21 AM 05-24-2014
Originally Posted by MV:
Yes absolutely. My 9yo DD has ADHD and we cut out red dye and have started reducing processed food (canned, frozen, pre made etc) and this has GREATLY affected my DDs behavior. She's improved grades and her behavior at school as well.

I feel better as well now that we eat more home made meals. I have more energy and I feel happier, more pleasant. Idk how else to describe it.


When the schools labeled my child with ADD, we modified his diet. We removed all the additives and food dyes.

HUGE changes!

I am a BIG believer in the connection between the foods we eat and the behavior we exhibit.

Having a DH that is an insulin diabetic helped cement my thoughts. Blood sugar highs and lows have a HUGE impact in how a person feels and behaves.
Not only in the moment but days later.

Nan is REALLY big on making sure her charges get a healthy diet. She pushes the idea that if a child eats well, gets good sleep and plenty of fresh air that it sets the stage for healthy everything else.
That foundation of good basic care is something that should be taught to ALL parents.

I think Nan used to require her parents/clients to view the movie/documentary Food Inc, before she accepted them into care.
Reply
mountainside13 08:29 AM 05-24-2014
We removed red dye and it did improve our dd behavior!
Reply
Josiegirl 10:16 AM 05-24-2014
I completely agree! All the additives, enhancements, flavorings and colorings, preservatives, all the altered foods....how can it not affect a person? And because a little person has less body mass to absorb harmful chemicals, I think it does far more damage to their developing brain, nervous systems, etc. I may not have said that right but I know what I mean.

With that said though, I grew up in the Koolaid and Devil Dog era and while I didn't suffer any of the mentioned symptoms of a bad diet, I have always had a problem with weight, depression, anxiety. So who knows what other personality/bodily changes it can cause.

There's a 6 yo within my family who was just diagnosed with ADHD, typical terrible diet. Instead of putting her on meds. they're going the diet change route first.

I went vegan for 3 months and it was torture but I could tell how my body responded by feeling SOOOO much better and healthier. Then my darn resistance faltered. And again, I feel like crap.
Reply
momofsix 07:46 PM 05-24-2014
I have one little girl here that eats horrendously at home-well actually not at home because the ygo out for supper every. single. night! When she started school she started having terrible behavior problems-throwing fits, fighting, crying uncontrollably...so bad she started therapy. I just mentioned to my dd that it will be interesting to see when she starts coming full time again in the summer and getting a healthy breakfast, lunch and snacks if the behavior changes. I never ever had the problems the school has and I think diet is playing a huge role. This child gets NOTHING healthy put into her body.
Reply
Meyou 02:34 AM 05-25-2014
We all eat whole foods because my 10 year old is so reactive to additives, chemicals and other "foodlike items". That's what we call processed food here now. She literally can't eat anything out of a box or package unless the ingredient list is all whole foods (can be found in any kitchen, no chemicals).

We detoxed her two years ago and the changes were insanely remarkable in less than a week. Her school wanted her medicated for ADHD. I call it a detox because all of these processed things we call food are like a horrible drug for her little body. The changes are just as insane when she eats something she shouldn't. We let her eat junk at birthday parties and holidays and the fallout is immediate, aggressive, loud, emotional, disturbing at times with a huge crash at the end where she often falls asleep now. We started with the Feingold elimination diet for two weeks and then added other foods one at a time to watch for reactions. If she didn't react it went into her normal food list. If she did we kept it out and tried that food a couple more times before banning it.

We also limit her screen time and she plays outside ALOT. She needs the extra physical activity to sit for periods of time even with the diet changes. She's a busy kid at heart. But we cope by doing things like sending her to race up and down the street on her bike for 30 minutes between dinner and her piano lesson so she can focus. We also look for activities that work for her. Lots of sports and not so much sitting. Piano is the exception but we found a local teacher who is teaching her partially by letting her compose her own music so it engages her interest much more intensely.

As a side note because of my dd my daycare is whole food now as well. My daycare kids all come from very food conscious families who to varying degrees live the same lifestyle we do. I can confidentially say that all of my whole food eating daycare kids react like crazed monkeys when they get into something with dye or additives. Half of them get a glazed over look or their eyes start spinning. They all act like demons compared to their normal behavior and there is a distinct lack of control in all of them.

It's amazing and terrifying to watch what we call food do that to children. Then we wonder why the average child can't sit still anymore.
Reply
TaylorTots 02:44 PM 05-25-2014
When you make dietary changes to try to improve behavior, how long does it take before you see a noticable change?
Reply
Meyou 02:20 AM 05-26-2014
Originally Posted by TaylorTots:
When you make dietary changes to try to improve behavior, how long does it take before you see a noticable change?
With my daughter there were remarkable changes in her behavior the first week. By the end of that week she was a different child.

There is some trial and error at times with diet changes. A couple of months ago dd went a little wacky and it took me days to figure out the salad dressing DH bought had "natural flavor" in the ingredients and she was reacting to it. He bought it in the organic section so he didn't read the label. I knew she was into something she shouldn't be (based on her behavior) but I couldn't figure out what.
Reply
WImom 01:09 PM 05-28-2014
Yep!! I only feed my own kids, myself and DH food without chemicals/dyes, etc. Mostly organic. When ever my "spirited" DD goes to friends house or a birthday party, something like that that she eats "junk" at she is much more hyper and can become moody and cranky!!

Also, I have a DCB that is my "trouble maker" and some days he is this way ALL DAY! Starts about 2 minutes after mom leaves. I can tell it's like he can't help it. He copies kids and me, bugs them, is hyper, talks back, just generally annoying. It makes me wonder what he ate for dinner and breakfast! I think today it was a pancake sausage on a stick with syrup on the way here.
Reply
Chellieleanne 01:42 PM 05-28-2014
I try to limit the junk food I feed my kids but it does make it's way in there. My oldest(3yo) will go and take an apple off the counter though if he is hungry instead of the various junk that we have(gummy snacks, gold fish crackers, gogurt...). I do believe food can cause a lot of problems we see in kids though, I have suggested to the mom of my dcb to watch his diet since he seems to have a lot of behavior and control issues. I know they eat out almost every night and she gives him a lot of the sugar junk cereal too:/ I have been slowly phasing out junk, we still buy it but not as often and I participate in bountiful baskets(it is amazing and totally worth it. Look it up or pm me ) so I get a lot more produce that I used to. My own kids don't seem to have any behavior issues, at least nothing that is out of the ordinary for their ages, but I also cook at home 95%of our meals and limit anything that is pre processed unless I have no other way to make a dish.
Reply
hope 02:04 PM 05-28-2014
Not only the junk food that parents feed their kids but also the water supply. Our water supply has low levels of medications from our overly medicated society. Estrogen in the water is thought to be linked to the early development in girls. I can only imagine what effects it has on children's behavior.
Reply
Reply Up