Supernanny

I'm hooked. It's my current favorite reality show: Supernanny. Watching it brings major comfort in being reminded that my parental frustrations are not unique and that there are countless mums and dads going through similar scenarios. Jo Frost, the nanny herself, serves as my virtual shoulder to cry on. I watch the episodes and see myself imposed as one of the parents in a few of the situations. Okay, many of the situations. (Most fan viewers must surely feel the same way.) And I say to the TV, "Yeah Jo, I'm there as well tearing my hair out (sniff-sniff. voice cracking). What answers do you have for me this time?"

Now having three kids is surely no spot of tea, as Supernanny would likely say. Certainly there are golden moments when all is simply nirvana. La, la-la, lala. However, for all those other times, oy vay! That's when Melinda and I do the best we can, sometimes in the 'textbook' way, to try to resolve the child/parent issues. Some things work. Some don't, and that's when we look to books or other parents to see what they've done. We're glad the Supernanny show let's us see it in action; it makes our learning to be better parents more efficient.

In several of the episodes, Jo Frost reiterates that for the times when kids get unruly, it's simply due to boredom. Bingo! my kids exactly! Thus, it would help if there was a daily schedule to keep everyone busy. However, our schedule wasn't ever written down. Lazy us. It was followed off the cuff right from our heads. But I suppose that'll need to change. Well then...let's give it a go. For these next few days, I hope to make the kids' routines more solid--in writing and with more structure. I'm curious to see what comes about. Better temperament for the kids, perhaps? Lower blood pressure for yours truly, I surely hope?

And oh wouldn't the Supernanny be just cheery and proud of us all! :-)