Developing a library of parenting books can be an overwhelming task in today’s marketplace with such an abundance of options. This is the first in a series of posts that will recommend three books on various parenting topic,s such as emotional development, fun activities, healthy sleep, child behavior, and more. Today, we look at three books for children’s health.
1. What is the immune system? What are the cells in the immune system, and what is their function in our health? How do we strengthen our immune system? Written in easy to understand language and embellished with cartoons, Why Dirt is Good: 5 Ways to Make Germs Your Friends answers these scientific questions in an accessible way for parents. Author Mary Ruebush, Ph. D., has taught immunology, infectious disease, and pathology in medical school settings for over 30 years and raised two children. She explains that the development of a strong immune system begins in infancy. She suggests that the rise in allergies and asthma among babies and children is partially due to our “hand-sanitizer obsessed society.” Parents learn how a strong immune system develops through proper exposure to some dirt and germs. Disease fighting white blood cells multiply when faced with a germ, so through exposure baby is building an army of cells to work for her later on. “What we need,” emphasizes Ruebush, “is not less dirt, it’s more.”
2. Treatment Alternatives for Children, by Lawrence Rosen, M.D., and Jeff Cohen is a must-have reference book for parents. This book is essentially a manual of side-by-side comparisons of traditional and alternative treatment options for over 100 common childhood illnesses. Have you ever wondered if your child was experiencing a side effect of a medication? Did you spend hours on the internet looking for a more natural approach to treating a condition? Add this book to your parenting shelf in your library. This book presents treatment options, common side effects, recommended dosage, and explanations of how the ingredients work. Parents can have confidence in this resource since co-author Lawrence Rosen, M.D. is a nationally recognized expert in pediatric medicine and founder of the Whole Child Center. DIY fans will also like the use of simple kitchen items such as honey or baking soda to treat various conditions.
3. Part of growing up involves accidents, nightmares, bee stings, asthma attacks, and the fear of spiders. It is essential for parents to learn that the best way to handle the urgent nature of these situations is to be clear about their own response to the incident. Of course, getting your child quickly to a doctor is important in the face of an emergency. Knowing the best treatment for your child’s asthma is essential. Obtaining Red Cross First-Aid Certification is also valuable preparation for handling emergencies, small or large. What Verbal First Aid teaches us is that parents need to be calm when these episodes occur so that the child will feel safe and confident that she will be better soon. What you feel in your nervous system she will feel, too. If you are panicked, she will feel panicked. If you are calm, she will feel calm. This book provides many specific examples and suggestions for sentences that can be learned to say to a baby or child in these stressful or even terrifying moments. Learn how the healing process begins with your emotional response.
Do you have a favorite book on this topic? Please leave it in the comments, we would love to share it!
