When it comes to choosing gifts for the holidays, the “perfect present” isn’t always easy to find for everyone—especially children and their parents. If your friend or family member’s child seems to have everything this year—their toy chests are overflowing, their closets are packed, and they have enough sweets to give them cavities—consider giving them (and their parents) supplements that are natural, effective and safe for children.

Although children might not understand the concept of supplements and why they are important, they are likely to understand what is means to feel healthy and strong—mentally and physically. Whether you give supplements as a gift to the child themselves or to their parents as a way to make parenting just a little easier, here are three reasons kid-safe supplements are a good choice for the holidays:

• Encourage children to stay healthy: When giving kid-safe supplements as gifts to your nieces, nephews, cousins, family friends or others, you have the opportunity to help them learn more about their bodies and their health. This can be instrumental in helping children grow up understanding how to make healthy choices about their diets, activity level and overall wellness. Supplements don’t have to be purely physical, either. While things like probiotics or multivitamins are great for general wellness, supplements designed to improve focus or other aspects of mental wellness can encourage kids to pay attention to their mental wellbeing, too.
• Show the child you care: Another reason supplements are great alternative gifts is because they are a great way to show the child that you care about their wellbeing—and not just during the holidays. Supplements can have long-lasting effects on health and wellness. By giving them as gifts, you’re telling the child how much you want them to stay happy and healthy all year long.
• Take one thing off the parents’ plate: Parenthood has many challenges, and although some parents might be interested in finding ways to improve their child’s health, they might not have the time or resources to do so. The holidays are the perfect time to be a courteous friend or family member and do the work for them, essentially taking one responsibility off of their plate! Doing the research and identifying the most effective supplements from the highest-quality brands can be a gift in and of itself, on top of the gift of improving their child’s wellness.

Great kid-safe supplement gift options

There are a lot of potential supplements available for children, so picking the right one can seem daunting. The best way to choose the right supplement gift is to consider the child’s lifestyle and any particular ailments they experience—such as poor sleep or trouble focusing—and find a supplement targeted for that.

The following supplement types often come in kid-safe versions that can benefit a wide range of children:

• Sleep: Supplements designed for sleep can be extremely useful for young, fussy children who are having trouble staying asleep at night, as well as for older children who might experience poor sleep as a result of anxiety or stress. Children need sleep to succeed in school, fight off illnesses and grow into healthy adults.
• Focus: Calm, focused attention in school and at home is important not only for children, but for the people around them. If the child you’re buying for has an attention problem, such as ADHD, supplements for focus may help them pay attention more easily in a natural way.
• Multivitamin: Children are less likely to eat a balanced diet than adults, so there’s a chance they aren’t getting all of their vitamins and minerals through food. Things like allergies, intolerances and lifestyle choices like veganism may also cause deficiencies in some nutritional areas. Multivitamins or other specifically formulated vitamin supplements can help ensure the child’s body gets what it needs to grow strong and stay healthy.

It’s important to remember not to give supplements designed for adults to children. The formulas can vary based on what ingredients are included and how much is safe for children to ingest. For example, children’s vitamin supplements can have drastically different amounts of each nutrient because of what a child’s growing body needs versus an adult’s body.

When giving supplements as gifts, remind the parents to speak to their child’s doctor before administering any supplements, just to make sure they’re safe for their child and can be taken with any medications they might be on.

Overall, when you give the gift of supplements—whether to a child, a friend or even a pet—you’re giving the gift of health and wellness, which is one of the most endearing gifts of all.