Parenting Toddlers

I was ecstatic two weeks ago when I realized that Supernanny was once again on television! I found Supernanny Jo Frost a few years ago when she was an unknown nanny up against a couple of shows that were similar. I started watching and found myself enthralled. Here were these little, snot-nosed brats destroying their homes and hitting their parents and siblings and the parents just stood there and took it! I couldn’t believe my eyes! I was an only child, and I never, EVER would have dreamed of hitting my mother. What kind of parents were these?

From what I’ve seen, most of the parents on Supernanny truly do care about their children, they just don’t know what to do. It’s like they expected each child to come with a detailed instruction manual. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen. They give in to their children in order to stop the crying/fussing/hitting/tantrums, and then wind up regretting it later. If there’s one thing I know about kids, it’s that if you give them an inch when they’re whining, they’ll take a continent.

I have to admit that I’m a little in love with Jo Frost. All of her techniques are, in my opinion, common sense, but that’s what makes them so wonderful! They teach parents how to have bounderies without being mean and unreasonable, and to enjoy playing with your child as well. I remember one episode where she made the parents play with a bunch of toys while the kids watched with her from outside - the kids had never before seen their parents play.

Do I think that Supernanny is the answer to everyone’s prayers? Of course not! Unless, of course, you can have Jo in your home helping you out. What Jo provides is basic answers for the most frequent, and sometimes the most extreme, problems. Just like with Dr. Phil, it’s up to you to recognize if your child needs more discipline and structure, like the kind that Jo stresses. Here’s a tip: if your toddler is biting, kicking, hitting, pushing, destroying toys or other objects, refusing to go to bed, or throwing huge temper tantrums in the floor, you might want to think about getting one of Jo’s books or tuning into her program…