Nurture Shock

I'm one and a third chapters into "Nurture Shock" and, if I take all the advice they have offered so far, I will be a parent who praises only Rose's actions and not Rose herself and sets a strict bedtime until she is 21. The book claims in the first chapter that overly praising your child can cause his or her brain to fail to create the connections needed for persistance. A child who is told they are fabulous, amazing, so smart, the best will be reluctant to try new things because failure means they are not living up to the praised perception of themselves. This has stuck quite a cord - I don't think I have the persistence connections. I always err on the side of avoiding new things (sports, languages, etc.) because of the possibility of failing. And if I do fail, I cannot deal with it. I becoming a crying, whining mess, I become a three year old.
The second chapter suggests that obesity, depression and ADHD all stem from children not getting enough sleep. I love that the one thing all kids hate - going to bed - is actually, probably, the most important thing that they could do to lead healthy, happy lives. Ah - life's little ironies.