1. Posted by Ave Maria L on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 9:55 am PDT

Not all children who are read to at bedtime are fond of reading. Both my daughter and granddaughter were products of extensive exposure to books, classical music and healthy food (a Mediterranean diet with a focus on fresh fruits, veggies, and meals "made from scratch"). In addition to a healthy diet, both had the opportunity to travel and were exposed to different places, cultures, etc. YET....both do not favor reading as a source of information or pleasure, do not care for classical music and have not, generally incorporated their experiences into their lives...they are big on videos, fried foods, rap music, sub-standard use of the English language, tasteless clothing choices and I could go on and on... In the end, is it not the educational, financial, social stratum that dictate how a child will "turn out" but rather the personal preferences and choices of the individual? Parents can arm themselves with all of the information and good intentions in the world but in the long run influences outside the home seem to have the more powerful influence. Looks like we need to focus our attention on changing our society as well as our children.

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2. Posted by Ave Maria L on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 10:02 am PDT

Not all children who are read to at bedtime are fond of reading. Both my daughter and granddaughter were products of extensive exposure to books, classical music and healthy food (a Mediterranean diet with a focus on fresh fruits, veggies, and meals "made from scratch"). In addition to a healthy diet, both had the opportunity to travel and were exposed to different places, cultures, etc. YET....both do not favor reading as a source of information or pleasure, do not care for classical music and have not, generally incorporated their experiences into their lives...they are big on videos, fried foods, rap music, sub-standard use of the English language, tasteless clothing choices and I could go on and on... In the end, is it not the educational, financial, social stratum that dictate how a child will "turn out" but rather the personal preferences and choices of the individual? Parents can arm themselves with all of the information and good intentions in the world but in the long run influences outside the home seem to have the more powerful influence. Looks like we need to focus our attention on changing our society as well as our children.

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3. Posted by lisa m on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 10:12 am PDT

Well said! As a mom I try to keep my children active and watch what they eat. We have time limits on the computer and video games and they have to give me reading and outside playtime to get on the computer or video games. It works! My children also refer to me as the food police! But the are healthy and and get wonderful grades! I attribute it all to their diet and exercise!

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4. Posted by aprilakamommy on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 10:58 am PDT

Hello I am a mother of one pretty awesome 2.5 year old son named jackson. My son loves books he always has, since he was a couple months old me and my husband have been reading to him and since he has gotten older we have included, flash cards, nursery rymes, and pre-school workbooks. He has been always been very advanced for his age, shocking his doctor at every mile stone and us. He has about an 1500 word vocabulary and can sit down tell you what he did that day in detail and tell a good joke. ABC's to counting to all the other things he knows, is because we read to him and talk to him like he is an adult and not a baby. He also eats very well fruits veggies and every once in a while we will get fast food but to be honest he eats salad better than fries and nuggets. We are very active and we always said if we have a child we want him to be active as well, going for walks playing at the park, jumping on his trampoline, or swimming at nana's. Bottom line I can't stress enough how reading/spending lots of one on one time, good diet, and exercise is the key to a happy healthy child..

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5. Posted by Kim on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 11:13 am PDT

I'm a dietitian in Portland Oregon and I completely agree with you. Parents have control to offer healthy foods and reading materials and not to offer the TV and junk foods.

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6. Posted by ladipasquale on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 11:22 am PDT

I agree with the last few comments too. I think it all depends on your attitude as well. I read to my kids (now 15 & 13) since the day they came home from the hospital and as teenages they may not say reading is their favorite thing but they do love to read in general. Plus their comprehension is extremely good. I see some parents doing things to the extreme which also turns kids the other way. You have to just do things in moderation. I am very into excersise and health but I let my kids eat some junk food and dont go to the extreme one way or the other. Otherwise it is just has the opposite effect. So they know the difference and if given the choice would never eat at McDonalds on a daily basis. However maybe every few months they do like a buger from McDonals etx

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7. Posted by Shelly on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 11:53 am PDT

Well said doctor! As a mother of a 5 year old and a 3 year old I am faced with this everyday. I admit when I am tired I will get a pizza or burgers and let the kids watch TV until there little hearts are content. But my 5 year old loves books and she is a picky eater so I don't slack off much. At least 3 times a week I cook a well balanced meal and daily we will read whatever book she picks out to read. The good thing is that my 3 year old tries to imitate everything her sister does so now she is really getting into books also. Doctor like you I am saddened by the way these kids eat and watch hours of mindless TV. The government is getting involved to bring awareness to the diet and lack of play (exercise) in the youth but parents are going to have to get off their butts and do the work. A lot of parents are couch potates too, you know!

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8. Posted by happygal on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 12:07 pm PDT

I agree with this article, I'm the parent that stocks shelves with books and limit "junk food" cooking fish, etc. for dinner. My children play sports, I limit their TV and they play sports, but I have one that is slightly over weight. I was like that at her age and I'm not really over weight now, I feel that she is just going to thin out as she approaches her teenage years. Her doctor is always making suggestions about maintaining or loosing some, personally I think the doctor is fortunate to have a slender build but not everyone is born to be that thin. Yes, the pediatrician is a woman.

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9. Posted by Jennifer on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 12:48 pm PDT

My husband and I are both physical therapists and we treat a lot of overweight kids and adults. Very rarely will I see an overweight child with parents who are of a healthy weight. More often, overweight parents are setting their children up for a life of obesity and a myriad of health problems. As a parent, I stress the importance of being healthy to my two girls. It's important to exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet, not to be thin or to fit into those skinny jeans, but to be healthy. We need to exercise our children's minds as well as their bodies and as parents, we need to set a good example. Exercise can be a lot of fun, especially when you include your kids!

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10. Posted by whitewifey15 on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 2:11 pm PDT

i was just reading your article and you talked about cartoons. My question is this; if your child likes to watch a movie about 20 minutes before bed and then it goes off is that bad? I have found that my daughters imgination has grown for moments when she is playing in her room with no tv on? Especailly dress up time? Is there any link to that being harmful to your childs educational status?

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11. Posted by Briahna G on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 2:48 pm PDT

what kind of mess do you think you writing to kids these bays you are monsterous

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12. Posted by Big mama on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 4:58 pm PDT

What the heck does comment #11 say? I enjoyed your article. I have 4 children ranging in ages from 4- 27. I attribute their intellegence to a healthy diet and plenty of playtime. As for reading, We all like a good book!

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13. Posted by dtcwife on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 5:11 pm PDT

Thank you for validating my husband and I. We do try to read our child, who is 2. And we have been cutting out the processed foods, and sugary drinks. Instead of coco puffs in the morning, she gets a bananna and yogurt. The most sugary thing I give her to drink is my ice tea. Shes already trying to count numbers and read to herself. She loves books, puzzels, and drawing on paper. She dosent like meat and prefeers meals that are made with fresh ingredients.

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14. Posted by 3babyguys on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 5:45 pm PDT

What a great article. I could not agree more! Mom of 3 Vegan boys that love books.

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15. Posted by Crystal W on Thu, Jul 19, 2007, 7:30 pm PDT

I enjoyed this article very much and the comments (with exception of number 11??). I am not a mother but I am a 23yr old female who has five younger brothers and sisters who are 4, 5, 7, 11, and 18. My mother allows the kids to watch numerous hours of tv and video games and gives almost no attention to their diets. It hurts me because I know what she is setting them up for. I try to enforce good eating habits but they won't come an inch near any veggies or vitamins. All they eat is fast food and starches. My mom is overweight along with the oldest four children and the 7yr old (there's 8 of us total). I enjoy reading articles like this to break the curse for myself and my future family.

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