Some parents want parenting advice. It is likely that if you're reading this book, you have already read other parenting books. You might find this book to be very different in that this book is not about "basic" parenting. This book contains no chapters on diapers, baths, breast feeding, baby powder, etc. The purpose of this book is to provide some "advanced" advice and information to consider during the growth and maturation of your children. We owe children a proper upbringing. This means nutrition, supervision, guidance, mentoring (providing a role model), motivation, safety, health, education and an environment in which to thrive. A busy pediatrician or family physician may not have the time to personally discuss all these issues with you. Hopefully, this book can fill these gaps with tidbits to make our most important job easier by doing it better.

The rest of this introductory chapter is a motivational one, to energize you to want to read this book. During a campaign, politicians often promise better schools, better child care and youth programs, to show that they care about children. Yet after they get elected, the results of these promises are frequently disappointing. This is similar to some parents who have the best intention of becoming the best parent and placing their child as the top priority. How many follow through to really place their children first? Our job as a parent is too important to neglect once we are elected as mother or father. Politicians are reminded to make promises again when a new election arrives, but as parents, we should not need reminding that this is our most important job.

It has often been said that the wealth of a country can be measured by the health of its children. Our country is very wealthy as measured by spending, yet by most measures and by just casual observation, it is clear that the health of our children does not reflect our country's immense monetary wealth. A foreigner visiting our country would notice a large number of spectacular buildings, abundant homes, more cars than in any other country, many luxury cars, vast fertile farms, abundant water recreation, crowded restaurants throwing away leftover food, large scale industrial manufacturing facilities, walk in health care, air transportation as busy as a beehive, neighborhood schools with multiple colleges in each city, shopping and entertainment facilities crowded with customers, and many other observations reflecting wealth in a land seemingly of plenty. They would be puzzled and confused when confronted with the paradoxical observation of abused children, malnourished children, children without vaccinations, youth criminals, teenage drug addicts, homeless families, poorly educated youth, and prisons bursting with criminals who began their crime careers as children.

If the wealth of America was measured by the health of its children, an "auditor" of our wealth would wonder why such visible external signs of wealth are present when the children are not fully cared for. Even fish and animals know that children need to be protected and raised properly. Most animals would sacrifice themselves to protect their young. This is an odd country where we spend so much on cars, shopping malls and self indulgence, while leaving many of our children to fend for themselves. Our children are our future. If every parent could raise their children better, our future will be brighter.

A book that is read by many has the potential to positively influence more people than a single person spreading advice in person one to one. I like being a pediatrician because I like giving advice to people who are willing to listen. I could talk all day to someone who wants to listen. A pediatrician is fortunate to gain the trust of many parents. This book will not substitute for your pediatrician or family physician, but it might provide you with some advice and some views on parenting. Thank you for "listening" to my words and giving me some time to, perhaps make at least some part of parenting, just a little bit easier.

Some parents want parenting advice. It is likely that if you're reading this book, you have already read other parenting books. You might find this book to be very different in that this book is not about "basic" parenting. This book contains no chapters on diapers, baths, breast feeding, baby powder, etc. The purpose of this book is to provide some "advanced" advice and information to consider during the growth and maturation of your children. We owe children a proper upbringing. This means nutrition, supervision, guidance, mentoring (providing a role model), motivation, safety, health, education and an environment in which to thrive. A busy pediatrician or family physician may not have the time to personally discuss all these issues with you. Hopefully, this book can fill these gaps with tidbits to make our most important job easier by doing it better.