Kids' Health Rules You Should Break

Pop a Daily Vitamin

The real deal: Most kids don't need vitamin supplements. "If your child eats healthy meals and snacks, she's probably already getting all the nutrients she needs from food," Carter says. Anything extra that a supplement provides simply won't get absorbed. And if your child eats a less-than-stellar diet over several days, her body naturally increases absorption of vitamins and minerals from food -- a built-in safety net. If your child is a very limited eater, however, a daily multivitamin can offer some extra insurance. Just be sure to give children's formulas (adult vitamins pack higher levels, which can be risky for little kids) and to avoid giving megadoses of single vitamins or minerals.