Tantrums...

We have learned a few things about our children in the last few months. Our oldest is very intelligent but very immature for his age. His behavior is dramatically affected by his diet and schedule. Even in summer we stick to as much structure as possible (set bedtime, get up about the same time, lunch near when he had it during school, etc.). I also have to be very careful what he eats. Whenever he gets red dye he will go into complete emotional meltdown and throw major temper tantrums. We had to stop buying popsicles and stick to the creamies or skinny cow ice cream sandwiches. Several years ago I would have never thought food and food additives would affect my child (I used to laugh at people who said stuff like that), but we have found it truly is a type of allergy for our child. His reaction is through behavioral problems, emotional meltdowns and tantrums - not hives or other expected allergic reaction. If you have a child with issues I would seriously start looking at their diet.