I love the Super Nanny! She is amazing! What amazes me the most is that she employs common sense parenting on a very no nonsense level. She knocks on the door and you know what you are getting! Still, we need four seasons of Jo Frost repeating the same things over and over.
The first thing I have noticed is that Super Nanny knows children AND she knows they are not stupid! In fact, it’s quite the opposite, she knows that children are smart, or as she would put it, “quite clever, actually!”. She knows that children are crafty, resourceful and MANIPULATIVE! Children should be in sales! They never take no for the final answer. If you have said “no” 39 times, but on the 40th try you give in and say “yes”, trust me, they will remember that you said “Yes” that one time! They know all they have to do is wear you down. Didn’t I say they would be good at sales? We wouldn’t be in a recession if 4 year olds ran the United States!
Now, the Super Nanny is not giving any new and groundbreaking techniques. In fact, her advice is tried and true. She simply lets the children know who is in charge. You are the parent! You are the alpha dog! You are the one in charged! Assume the position and claim it.
Easier said than done. I lose my position of authority all the time, and the worse part of I didn’t realize it until I saw myself on tape! My acting coach observed me and told me I flay my arms and contort my face and all that I was being said was lost. He had me redo the scene and taped me. he had me hold still, look into the eyes of the other person and say my line calmly and directly. WOW! Powerful! I realized that when I yell and nag at the children, I must look like a total fool! No wonder they don’t respond! The very next day I used this technique. I looked square into my kid’s eyes and told her calmly and without emotion what I needed her to do and…..SHE DID IT! It was amazing!
I continued throughout the day and I noticed at the end of the day, I had so much more energy!
Try it and let me know how it works!