What a couple of days of the plague will teach you

I spent most of my time since Thursday evening in my bed. Friday I tried to go to work for an hour to finish something and got sent home. My acupuncturist stopped by on his way home and worked some of his magic that (in combination with some ibuprofen) made me decide I might live. Being sick occasionally is good for us I've decided. It reminded me that the world can move on without me--Gman took great care of the kids, kept the house as clean as it ever is, and came to check on me asking if he could rub my...insert body part here... My beautiful girls came to check on me and ask me if I was feeling better with great care and concern in their little voices. Stuff got done at work, I had to use what was functioning of my brain to dump the stuff that no one else knew but they managed to get it taken care of way faster and I'm sure better than I could have in the state I was in.

Its not that I think I am indispensable, I just act like it a lot of the time. I want (need?) things done and while I am at it I want it done my way! I have a bad habit of not listening to my body and giving it the rest or activity it needs--but I've been working on that. Somewhere along the line (I am guessing from my very own supermom) I picked up the idea that doing it all was what I was supposed to do. I've learned the hard way I can't and a few days of feeling horrible is a good reminder that Gman and the kids can take care of themselves even if they don't like it very much. It was also a good reminder that Gman is my soul mate and that I probably don't show him nearly enough appreciation for just being him. Stay tuned for my review of Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box: Cut Yourself Some Slack (and Still Raise Great Kids) in the Age of Extreme Parenting. It has been a real think piece for me on the theme of what is expected of us as mothers so I'll post it here and not just on Maven Says.

Come on over and clean your car!

Okay, just kidding. But head on over the Maven Says and check out my review of Blink...and its done products. They are billed as Mom's car solutions. And as a bonus, you'll find information on entering their MessMakers contest which runs through April 15. So go on over and check it out, you know how I love to tell you what I think!

Maven Says: Good Kids, Bad Habits

I was an overweight kid who has fought weight demons all my life. Trying to keep my kids from the same fate is constantly on my mind. So, as the Mom of two girls I've tried to be open with them about choices--healthy ones and not so healthy ones. Collins new book, Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge® Guide to Raising Healthy Children, by Jennifer Tratchenberg, M.D. seemed to be a way to measure how well I was doing.

Overall, I thought the book was a kinder, gentler version of the Discovery Health Channel's Show, Honey We're Killing the Kids! In the show, they start off by showing the parents a giant image of what the kids will look like as they grow into adulthood if they continue with their current habits. It is a bit scary, okay more than a bit! The book takes a much gentler track. In the beginning there is a quiz that covers 6 areas from nutrition and exercise to safety. Based on your scores in those areas and on the ages of your children you can focus on the parts of the book where you get the lowest scores (1-10 scale). This definitely makes the book easier to digest, knowing you don't have to change everything at once. At various points in the book it gives Real Age projections about what habits will make your children older or younger than their chronological age when they reach adulthood. The suggestion that you follow-up on your changes by re-taking the quiz every 90 days was a bit more work than I was planning.

Throughout the book "Dr. Jen" uses the 4I's--Identify, Inform, Instruct, Instill--to describe how to deal with various situations. Identify the issue, Inform your kids about it, Instruct them how to deal with it, and Instill the good habit. There are shaded boxes on nearly every page of the book giving additional facts or resources on the subject matter being discussed. The book also has charts, tables, and online resources at the end of each chapter--along with a reminder to check out http://www.RealAge.com/parenting. I would like to have seen a few more well written True Parenting Stories as I thought they added a new voice to the book outside that of the pediatrician author.

While I have worried most about nutrition and exercise I was surprised to learn that one of the areas where we need the most work is safety. The reminder that accidents are the number one cause of death in kids 1-14 was a real wake up call. With Boobah being nearly three when we moved into our new house we didn't do as thorough a job as we should have child-proofing our new house. We will be putting in a new medicine cabinet, cabinet locks and re-fitting the girls' bike helmets.

I didn't learn anything new, but I don't know that there is "new" information on any of the areas. The easy to read and digest format had good examples of how to establish good habits--even if they aren't always fun. I would rather have a root canal than take my kids to the grocery store but I appreciated the suggestions for establishing healthy eating habits by letting kids go to the store and pick out new foods and learn to read labels.

Good

• Easy to read


• Straight forward examples and strategies


• Lots of charts, examples of forms, and web resources


• Real Age predictions tie current behavior to future health


• Break down of areas into age categories and highlighting the areas most applicable for each throughout the book (rattle, teddy bear and backpack symbols)

Not So Good

• Oversimplified in some areas


• The goofy "Up" theme to the chapters, Gear Up, Chin Up, Smarten Up...Give it up already

Recommend It?

Definitely suggested reading for parents who've made it through What to Expect When You're Expecting and What to Expect The First Year. The age appropriate break-downs also make it a handy guide for kids transitioning from toddler to preschooler and early elementary to late elementary school--can be consulted again for each age group. A good common sense guide for understanding how what kids learn today sticks with them for the long run.

Maven Says...stay tuned for product reviews

A degree in marketing, working in media reserach and now I have an offer that I just can't resist! I am excited to announce that I have joined the Parent Bloggers Network. My PIM Julie and Kristen have started the Parent Bloggers Network to provide feedback to companies from parent bloggers. I'll be labeling those posts as "Maven Says..." Its exactly the kind of thing this Maven lives for, free stuff to try out and the opportunity to tell everyone about it!

I love trying new things and either sharing my opinion, as a kid my mother said I had to take every public restroom for a spin and then give my critique of the facilites, usually embrrassing someone in the process--hey, I had high standards! If I try something and like it (Tide pen) or hate it (customer service at Zales, Verizon or Comcast) I'll let you all know with plenty of gory detail to help you make up your own mind.

So, the network is just getting started so stay tuned for the Maven Says!