Books Two-Four Done

This week, I read The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start, and the Biggest Loser Simple Swaps . I also read Late Talking Children.

The Biggest Loser books were quick reads, but I am counting them. I also purchased them, but oh well. Really, the goal is to read more, and so they count. I also got them at a good price, and they are helping me in my seemingly never-ending quest to lose weight, so it's all good.

I enjoyed the tips, but found the tone a little annoying. I have been thin and in shape and healthy, so the books came across a little pedantic to me, but I think it's because they are geared towards people who are total newbs to fitness/eating healthy and don't know where to start. They are motivating, though, and full of great recipes. I also like that they advocate clean eating, i.e. no processed foods, no "white stuff", lots of whole grains, fresh fruit and veggies, etc. I think this is important information that a lot of programs ignore. I have done Weight Watchers, and I generally like it, but I don't like the food products they sell (waaaay too processed) and I don't think they emphasize enough that all calories are not created equal.

For that reason, I would recommend the books.

Late Talking Children was sent to me by my father-in-law, as I have a 2 year old who is not speaking yet. He's such a smart kid. He can understand complex commands, and has an amazing memory. He will point to objects in a book, and wait for you to tell him what it is. If you get it wrong, he gets upset by grunting, looking at you, and pointing again. He knows. He has done this for some time, so he's been processing these things.

Last night, he was watching TV and saw a police officer. He immediately pointed to my husband's Kevlar vest which hangs on a hook. He then pointed to daddy's flashlight and other cop stuff that stays by our front door. He makes these connections.

The author also had a late talking child, who he also knew to be very bright. The book chronicles his frustations with finding an answer and a "cure." He also tells the stories of other parents who contacted him after he published a newspaper article about his son. The anecdotal information he collected is amazing--the similarities between these children and what many of the children have gone on to become is enough to give hope to me about my son.

The author found that many of these kids (most of whom are boys) go on to excel in areas like math and science, and that many of them have relatives who are engineers, mathematicians or musicians (or related fields). What's fascinating to me is that 1) my father is an engineer and so is my father-in-law. My grandfather was also an engineer. My mother-in-law is a musician, as was my husband. My brother, also a late-talker, is absolutely brilliant and works with computers (another field that many of these kids excel in).

I felt I was reading about my son. Many of the characteristics fit him to a T. But what was sad is that the families and the kids struggled so much--too many false diagnoses of autism, too many teachers who don't care, don't have time to care, or don't know what to do to help, too many doctors who, because they don't know what is going on, can't help. A sad commentary on the state of our educational system and our medical system.

The book, also a quick read, gave me hope, but steeled me for a long fight against the system with my son. It's both a story of hope and a cautionary tale, but I'm thankful that I read it. The best advice from the book, to paraphrase: let go, go with the flow, but be your child's best advocate. Seems like common sense, but at times it can be difficult dealing with a child who cannot communicate with you and it wears on you. It can be maddening having to explain to people who give you the "what's wrong with him?" look, or ask about him. It's hard on siblings. It's hard on the child themselves sometimes. It's hard to try to convey to drs, grandparents, etc. that 1) it's not something I did, 2) he's not just defiant or lazy 3) he's not retarded 4) it's not because I'm overly permissive 5) it's not because I had a homebirth with a midwife.

So, thanks Thomas Sowell. Your book was more helpful than anything we have done in the last six months and I am filled with a renewed since of hope, love and patience for my baby boy.