All Kids Come with their own set of Instructions!

I just heard the good news that my sister-in-law is pregnant and I got to thinking.........All of my kids came with their own set of instructions, but it always takes so long to understand them!Seriously, each kid is unique! Just when you think you got it down pat - bam! You have to switch modes.
If they actually did come with instructions, I think that they would have saved me time wondering, "What the heck are wrong with my boys?" Why is he crying for no apparent reason and why can't he reason with me? Why is my other son throwing fists and getting angry at things that are nonsensical?
I think the instructions would have said,
Feed with Care!
Give your children the Nutrients they need!
Stay away from RED 40 or else suffer the consequences!
Stay away from all artificial food colorings - the affects are not as strong, but worth doing without!
Don't trust the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) they are capable of making errors and sticking to them!
It's true every kid is unique, but one thing my kids have in common is that they all get affected by artificial dyes. I am so glad that we found that out a few years ago. It took us awhile to find alternative foods, but now that we know what to buy life has been much easier.

Last week, my six year old was having a tough week. His kindergarten teacher is amazing and she does her best to keep Red 40 dye out of the classroom. However, last week the snack was colored goldfish crackers. She told me that he was very good at only picking the yellow ones out. Actually, all of the crackers have a potential to have red-dye or yellow dye (which is almost equivalent). She said that she had a hard time getting him to do his work and he was not interested in answering any questions like he used to. At home he was a mess. He was easily angered. He had a hard time controlling his frustration and had a problem with hitting. I had a feeling that he ate something. After talking to her on the phone, it confirmed what I was experiencing at home. He still has consequences for his behavior. He couldn't play his favorite game on the days that he didn't complete his work and he had time-outs at home when he was frustrated. I feel sorry for him though, I mean it is not fair to him that the food he is served is causing him to act this way.
I certainly don't blame every one of his actions on food additives - only when there is a direct correlation to it. I ask the time that he ate the food and when the behavior occurred. It is surprising to find that I have found the route of the problem so often. I pretty much have my kids figured out. I wish they would take this stuff out of our foods!