Where is Super Nanny When I Need Her?
The days are so long. The nights are even longer. Your child will not sit down to eat. She will not share with her siblings. She fights about clothing, is rude to others and does not go to bed without a scene. You are exhausted. You look over the horizon for Super Nanny, but she is nowhere to be found. What is a parent to do?
What the Super Nanny television show taught us was not what we expected. Viewers tuned in to see her magically changechildren. What she did was change the interactions that parents had with their children. She taught parents simple strategies to improve children’s behavior over time. She gave them opportunities to look at their own behavior and see how it impacted their children’s behavior.
We don’t need Super Nanny to change our children’s behavior. We just need a few simple strategies, consistency in our parenting, and a willingness to keep trying. So where can you find these strategies? Look for parenting classes available at your local schools. Look for names like “Love and Logic” or “Strengthening Families.” Attending these classes does not mean you are failing as a parent, just that you are out of ideas and need some refreshing yourself. Attending a class also helps you realize that other parents struggle with the same issues.
Here are some online links you may find helpful as well.
For very young children: http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/challenging-behavior/
For school agers: http://www.pbs.org/parents/parenting/
https://www.loveandlogic.com/t-Free-Articles-and-Handouts-for-Parents.aspx