"Relatively few children and adolescents achieve dietary calcium intake goals," according to an American Academy of Pediatrics in a 1999 policy statement on calcium needs.

The concern arises because parents and children are replacing calcium rich milk and dairy products with sports drinks, soda, and juices.

Children need the following calcium amounts: (one cup of milk = 300mg calcium)

1-8 years old 800 mg/day

9-18 years old 1300 mg/day

A special note about teens. They add 15% of their adult height during adolescence and they are the group that is least likely to drink milk.

Good sources of calcium are:

-- Milk (1-3 year olds need whole milk, unless advised differently by your pediatrician).

-- Yogurt

-- Cheeses

-- Broccoli

The advertising industry has been effective in convincing our children and us that milk and water are insufficient to meet our needs. I mean really, how BORING. Well, you know what is boring? Sitting in a nursing home with osteoporosis staring out the window unable to do anything because your bones are too brittle, watching your milk drinking peers run, hike, and enjoy life.

As parents, we need to think ahead. We plan for dates, college, marriage, grand babies, but do we plan ahead for our children's health? "No not really," says this pediatrician because we allow our kids to eat and drink too much junk food. Thereby setting the barometer of our kid's health for stormy weather.

We need to make tough decisions. Here are some recommendations:

1. Hold your ground --"No you can't have soda with dinner, you need to drink milk."
2. Start early by serving milk with meals instead of soda, juice, or Kool-Aid.
3. Children under 12 months do not need juice
4. Children over 12 months should only get juice as a stool softening agent.
5. Limit all sweet drinks to 4-8oz/day at any age (including your age)
6. Make eating dark veggies a regular event and don't make a big deal about eating them. Use cheese to make them more palatable.
7. Talk to your teens about the effects of soda (bone loss, vitamin C damage, tooth staining).
8. For picky eaters, milk intolerant folks, or really stubborn teens, give a multivitamin supplement and follow up with your kid's physician.
9. Most importantly, pray about it. Yes pray about it. "Lord, please help me help my child." The Lord will give you what you need to help your child the most. Like strength to deal with a resistant child, creativity for a picky eater, wisdom for your teens. Remember do not parent alone, He does not want you be alone. The God that made your child knows how best to help in all matters including nutritional.