Supernanny Book Review #7
Moving on from eating to Social Skills, the next chapter in Supernanny : How to Get the Best from Your Children is all about Eating. The two key concepts here are modeling and involvement.
Modeling is how you as the parent demonstrate acceptable behavior. It can be easy to forget that kids come into the world with a blank slate. Social norms and courtesies we no longer think about have to be learned. Everything from how to act in public to meeting new people to getting along with others.
When it comes to small children modeling means playing. Social skills are first learned through play. So, mom and dad, play with your children! My wife once heard a former co-worker remark, “I buy toys, so I don’t have to play with my kids.” Egads! These kids are behind the eight ball in so many ways. Kids need their parents to play with them. This is how they learn sharing, listening, collaborating, empathizing, and a host of other worthwhile skills.
So forget you’re a mature adult, and play! If you need another excuse: Not only is play good for the kids; it’s good for your health, too.
But let’s be honest: We can’t play all day. There are things that have to get done: shopping, cleaning, cooking, etc. This is where involvement comes in. When play-time is over, get your kids involved in whatever “work” your doing as much as possible. For a couple years now, my five-year old has helped me with the laundry. She and her almost-two-year old brother also love to help mom cook. Anything you can do to involve your children will benefit them.
Now I hear you: When they’re young it’s not much help. In fact, a simple task usually winds up taking much longer than necessary. But which is more important, expediency for the task at hand or parenting for a lifetime? Consider the situation from a different perspective: More than them “helping” you, you’re teaching and training your children for life; and isn’t that what parenting is all about?
Next: Bedtime
Order Supernanny : How to Get the Best from Your Children from Amazon.com
Tags: abc, books, social-skills, supernanny, tvRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Supernanny Products, Supernanny Swag
0 opinions for Supernanny Book Review #7
No one has left a comment yet. You know what this means, right? You could be first!
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: