Doctors’ Tips for Keeping Your Kids Healthy

Practice What You Preach

What the doctor wants you to know: “The concept of three well-balanced, well-portioned meals a day should be an automatic. It is something kids will carry with them through their childhood, and it will help prevent eating problems (and disorders) down the line,” advises Kathleen Hart, a child psychologist in Portland, Maine. “So be firm―and a good role model. Mommy can’t slug back six-packs of soda or subsist on fat-free yogurt. Kids notice.”

Where she slacks off: “I never remember to pack basic over-the-counter medicines when we travel. Which inevitably leads to a mad scramble for ibuprofen at 2 a.m.”