Judgment calls: More playing, fewer French fries

Nothing gets my inner sanctimommy more riled up than seeing a two-year-old drinking from a baby bottle ... filled with soda. Or a relative telling me that her toddler goes to bed at 11 p.m., “because she’s not tired before then—she just refuses.” Or overhearing a parent say that the only furniture in each of her children’s rooms is a bed, a TV, and a Playstation, “because they’ll destroy everything else.”

In times like these, what I need are a few copies of Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge® Guide to Raising Healthy Children, by pediatrician Jennifer Trachtenberg (new from Collins), to distribute. Then I could stand back and let the good doctor sensibly, succinctly describe why kids need to eat healthy foods, get a decent amount of sleep, and stay active—plus offer a pretty realistic plan for helping them do so.

I can’t say that I learned anything especially new in this book, save a few tips on boosting nutrition (example: challenge kids to pick out a rainbow of fruits and vegetables at the supermarket—eating a variety of colors pretty much guarantees a healthy dose of vitamins and antioxidants). But maybe that is the point. The advice here is not gimmicky or instant-fix. It’s solid, straightforward, and sane. It’s also convincing, especially the sidebars listing both the short- and long-term effects of “bad habits” such as poor nutrition, couch potato-ism, and slacking on preventive care and safety.

I wouldn’t suggest reading this book all in one go, lest you feel overwhelmed by the changes you probably ought to be making. Start with a chapter or two and incorporate some of Dr. Trachtenberg’s tips. Once they’ve become a good habit, move on to something else. You can use the RealAge Healthy Kids Test, either in the book or online, to figure out where you need the most help. (But if you’re anything like me, you already know—you just need a kick in the butt to remind you to work on it.)

What I liked: The book features several helpful charts and checklists, many of which you can find online if you’d like to print them out. There is also an excellent set of questions you can use to assess your child’s self-esteem. One useful chapter provides brief profiles of chronic conditions (from asthma to autism to cancer), with overviews of their prevalence, symptoms, and treatments, plus links to organizations where you can get more detailed info. Another chapter offers short reviews of more than two dozen other helpful websites.

What I didn’t: Simple is good—to a point. Sometimes Dr. Jen (I know—yuck) gives off too much of a breezy, easy-for-you-to-say vibe. Her advice on quitting pacifiers and thumbsucking—vices with which I am well acquainted—boiled down to cold turkey for the former and sticker charts or gloves for the latter. Dude, we are so beyond that point.

Who it’s for: Any parent who’s resolved to instill life-long healthy habits in her kids—or change some not-quite-so-healthy ones. I will caution you, though, that it’s very mainstream. There is nothing here about delaying or refusing vaccines, alternative or Eastern medicine, reducing kids’ exposure to chemicals, or even eating organic (except one short item about milk).