I am intrigued about homeopathic medical treatments and often find myself wanting to learn more. However, if I turned to social media, I'd have so many unreliable sources trying to sell me on their version of the best home remedies, with no real research to back it up. That said, I vaccinate myself and my children, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, I am unable to fathom the idea of not trusting science and the medical community. Dr. Song mostly strikes a nice balance between homeopathy and traditional medicine. I do worry that some parents will take her advice to the extreme and forego proven medical interventions. I think her healthy food strategies are sound, and I appreciate that she takes pains to explain accurate dosage for various ages, as well as the risks of essential oils when applied topically or ingested for some ages.

I think I will take this book with a grain of salt, and use it to inform my efforts in steering toward healthier food choices, while also utilizing modern medicine.

Healthy Kids, Happy Kids is like a crib sheet for wellness. It takes Dr. Song's vast knowledge about whole child resilience and condenses it to a few hundred pages. In essence, so much stems from the gut and she has created this guide to help raise resilient children. Sometimes, as parents, we say, "I wish I had this when my child was younger," when it comes to certain books or resources. This book falls under that category and with it, I feel empowered to help my child have thriving, resilient health.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

As a mom of a 5-year-old and a follower of Elisa Song on social media, it was a given that I would pick up this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the different ways to help your child be healthy and happy, especially the gut health portions. I like that there are inclusions of recipes as well.

This book takes an integrative pediatrics approach to children’s health, specifically their gut microbiome health. Although there was plenty of valid and useful information here and some strategies that I’ve already incorporated into my own and my child’s life, a lot of the book also seemed to rely on scare tactics and seemed designed to sell homeopathic remedies and gut microbiome adjustment plans.

This is a very interesting and helpful book incorporating scientific research findings regarding the importance of gut health, tips for a gut-healthy approach to nutrition geared toward little kids, and recommendations for specific health concerns.

I have already done a lot of reading and learning about gut health for myself, so a lot of this information isn't new. I enjoyed hearing from Dr. Song with tips as an integrative medicine pediatrician and mom herself. She has some great recipes along with other homeopathic recommendations (such as natural remedies, etc.).

Please note: I'm hesitant to recommend this book to parents of autistic kids, and as a result, I'm not sure how I feel about recommending it overall. In several places, she mentions how gut health in kids can prevent a range of what she calls the "lousy list" of conditions, including autism (along with asthma, eczema, allergies, obesity, ADHD, learning disabilities, sleep disorders, mood disorders, behavioral concerns, and epilepsy). I'm not certain that research shows this or how helpful this advice is. I would have preferred she talk more in terms of how a gut health diet might help people with autism or other conditions manage symptoms rather than preventing it altogether since my understanding is that research is unclear on causes for and ways to prevent autism. However, this is an area I'm not very informed on; it just made me feel less sure about some of the other advice provided and gives me some pause in recommending the book.

This book by Dr. Song was fantastic! Not only does it depict the importance of gut health, but gives tips and tricks to help you get there…even after set backs. There is lists and tables for food options, explanations of proper portion sizes, and so much more.

My absolute favorite thing about this book is that Dr. Song does not under play the importance of antibiotics, but gives you other tools and tips that you can utilize before using or in place of antibiotics. She discusses the homeopathic options (including specific essential oils and acupressure points) for a variety of sickness’ that you or your child may encounter throughout your lifespan.

I will absolutely be purchasing this book for myself and friends! I believe that Healthy Kids, Happy Kids should be a necessity for all new parents! I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book as an ARC.

I couldn’t stop absorbing all of the information in this book! It has me rethinking everything I give my toddler and myself. I’ll be taking a look at our lifestyle and working on ways to improve it. Thank you for the resource!