Meghan King Edmonds Gives Her 3-Year-Old Melotonin, Stirring up Backlash

02/05/2020 09:54 am EST

The Real Housewives of Orange County star Meghan King Edmonds has sparked a debate among her followers after she shared a photo of her 3-year-old daughter Aspen and revealed the toddler had taken a melatonin gummy. On her Instagam Story on Saturday, King Edmonds posted a photo of Aspen sleeping on which she wrote, "This angel found a melatonin gummy in mama's purse leftover from our flight. 30 mins later (that was 2 hours ago)."

Melatonin is a hormone that is found naturally in the body and regulates night and day cycles, and it is often used in synthetic form as a supplement to help someone who has trouble falling or staying asleep. King Edmonds received both support and backlash for her decision on social media, with some people pointing out that her parenting choices were her own and others arguing that children do not need sleep aids.

After receiving criticism, King Edmonds released a statement saying that she wanted to "give a full explanation to this silliness."

"It was a melatonin gummy for kids, not a sleeping pill and certainly not for an adult," the reality star said via PEOPLE. "It is completely safe."

"Aspen found the one little gummy in a little baggie while rummaging through my purse," she continued. "She asked me if she could have it and since it was nap time I told her 'Yes.' In fact, the recommended dosage for this particular brand of melatonin for kids is 2 gummies and I let her have one."

The 35-year-old also addressed claims that she had deleted the post of Aspen from her Instagram Story.

"I never deleted the post, it stayed on my Instagram Stories for the full 24 hours because nothing wrong or dangerous happened," she said. "Aspen was fully supervised by me the entire time and didn't take the gummy without my express permission. The post was cheekier because it's Instagram that's what social media is about: a glimpse into our lives — not usually the full story. But, since the parent police are out in full force, I've felt compelled to give a full explanation to this silliness."

Along with Aspen, King Edmonds and ex Jim Edmonds also share 1-year-old twin sons Hart and Hayes. The two currently share 50/50 custody of their children.

Photo Credit: Getty / Jon Kopaloff

Disclosure: PopCulture. is owned by Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.