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Interview with
Heidi Murkoff
Author of
the best-selling pregnancy and parenting “What to Expect Series:
The Truth Behind the Three-Second Rule and More
In
the new guide, Murkoff offers tips to help parents navigate through a day in the
life of a house with kids.
1. What made you write this guide?
As a mom, I've done my share of stressing - probably more than my share.
Especially when my kids were little - and swapping snotty germs with their
playgroup pals - I'd wonder if they'd ever go a month (especially during the
cold and flu season) without bringing home another bug. And I'd also wonder -
and worry about -- what lengths I'd have to go to in order to keep them healthy
(follow them around with disinfecting wipes? Encase the stroller in a plastic
bubble? Wash them down with a hose every time they came home from school?) So
other moms - and dads - wouldn't have to stress as much (or drive themselves and
their children crazy with hyper-hygiene), I wrote the What to Expect Guide to a
Healthy Home - a super-simple, common sense approach to keeping your family
healthier.
2. Do you think that people are as aware
as they should be of the potential dangers of an unhealthy home?
The good and reassuring news is that your home is probably already
cleaner and healthier than you think - and than your mother-in-law seems fond of
telling you. The even better news? Fighting germs where they live (and where
you live) is also a lot easier than you think.
3.
Is it possible to be too clean? In other words, what about the possibility of
reducing immunities because germs are not present?
Some
researchers have speculated that exposure to some germs early on in life can
actually bulk up a child's immune system, so that they're less likely to get
sick later - one very good reason why you don't have to overboard when it comes
to cleaning. And not only isn't it necessary to eliminate all germs from your
home and your family's environment - it's virtually impossible (at least,
without that plastic bubble). Most germs that are hanging out in your home, in
fact, will happily never make your family sick (though many of them are
admittedly icky). Still, there are certain bugs that can really bug your family,
and that can be avoided by following the easy-to-use tips in the guide.
4. Was there anyone or anything that was
especially influential in your efforts?
My bottom line has always been helping parents - it's why I started
doing what I do, and it's why I'm still doing it. I wrote What to Expect When
You're Expecting so that other expectant moms - and dads - would sleep better at
night than my husband and I had during our first pregnancy…and ever since then,
I've been on a mission. That mission extended not only to other books in the
series (First Year, Toddler Year, the new Eating Well When You're Expecting),
but to the creation of the What to Expect Foundation. The Foundation helps
families living in poverty expect healthier pregnancies and healthier, happier
babies through a ground-breaking prenatal health literacy program. Our “Baby
Basics” book has helped hundreds of thousands of families so far - and through a
generous grant from Clorox, sponsor of the What to Expect Guide to a Healthy
Home, we'll be able to help many, many more. So the brochure was not only a way
to spread sensible, voice-of-reason advice on keeping your family healthier, but
a way to spread information and support to the expectant and new moms in this
country who need it the most.
5. What is the most important thing that
you'd like people to walk away with after reading through "What to Expect: Guide
to a Healthy Home"?
Actually, there are two things - first, don't stress! Second,
remember that an ounce of prevention (in the form of soap, water, and
handwashing know-how) is worth a pound of cure when it comes to the bugs your
family brings home. Hands down, thorough and frequent handwashing is the first
and best line of defense against the bugs that bug your family. Make it a part
of your family's routine (before eating, after playing, after coming home, after
nose blowing, before and after cooking, after changing diapers or using the
toilet - and so on), and your family will stay a whole lot healthier.
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Heidi Murkoff, author of the best-selling
pregnancy and parenting “What to Expect Series,” now delivers a
free guide for
parents, “What to Expect: Guide to a Healthy Home,” offering
sane advice about keeping homes healthier. Parents can order
the free guide at
www.whattoexpect.com. |
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