How to Make a Daily Supplement Routine Stick for Kids

The short answer: pick one moment that already happens every day, such as breakfast or the bedtime milk, and give the supplement at exactly that point. Keep everything you need in one place, decide who's responsible for it, and expect the first three or four weeks to need a bit of thought. After that, most families find it happens without much effort.

Why a routine matters

Children's supplements like magnesium are designed to be taken every day, because the body uses the mineral all the time and the reference intakes are daily amounts. A supplement given now and then does very little. A fixed routine is what gets the dose in on most days. See can kids take magnesium every day?

Choose an anchor

An anchor is something your family already does at the same time every day. Linking the supplement to it means you only have to remember something you already do. Good anchors for children are:

• Breakfast, mixed into juice, milk or a smoothie. This suits families whose mornings follow the same pattern.
• The after-school snack, stirred into yoghurt or a drink.
• The bedtime milk or water, as one of the steps of the evening routine. Evenings tend to follow the same order every night, which makes this one easy to keep. See our bedtime routine guide.

Choose the one that happens most reliably in your house, weekends included. There's more on timing in the best time to give a child magnesium.

Set up a small kit

• Keep the bottle in the same spot. Once opened, our liquid goes in the fridge, and the door shelf next to the milk works well.
• Keep the oral syringe or measuring spoon with it, rinsed and ready.
• Use the same cup or beaker for the dose each day, so everyone knows which drink it's in.
• Keep supplements out of reach of young children, and don't let them help themselves.

The first two months

1. Week 1: give it at your anchor every day, with a phone reminder as a back-up.
2. Weeks 2 to 3: keep the timing the same, including at weekends. If more than one adult gives it, put a tick chart on the fridge.
3. Weeks 4 to 8: most people stop needing the reminder somewhere in this stretch. A University College London study found new daily habits took about two months on average to become automatic.
4. After that: check in every few months, for example when your child turns 5 and moves up to the 5ml dose.

Share the job

When two adults share mornings or evenings, a supplement is easy to forget, or to give twice. Agree who gives it on which days, or keep a tick chart next to the bottle. If your child spends time with grandparents or lives between two homes, see children's supplements away from home.

Get your child involved

• Toddlers can choose the cup or stir the drink.
• School-age children can tick the chart or remind you.
• Older children can measure their own dose with the syringe while you watch.

If it isn't sticking

If you're missing more days than you're giving it, look at the anchor. A routine tied to a moment that only happens on school days, or that's often rushed, will keep slipping, so move it to a calmer and more predictable part of the day. If your child is refusing it, read how to get kids to take supplements. If you've forgotten a dose, see what to do about a missed dose.

Our magnesium for kids is made for a simple daily routine: one measured dose, truly unflavoured, stirred into a cold drink. The dose is 2.5ml for ages 1 to 5 and 5ml for ages 5 to 14.

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Our magnesium
Liposomal Magnesium for Kids (Age 1+) is truly unflavoured, gentle on little tummies, and built for absorption. Magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system.*

*Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Consult your healthcare provider before use if your child has a medical condition or takes medication.