Have recently watched a couple episodes of Super Nanny (ABC TV) and found her helpful despite my usual distaste for reality TV. Here’s her advice (granted its anecdotes from 2 shows):
1. Stop being hostile with your kids. You’re the adult, you can’t stoop to there level of negativity and irritability.
2. Be consistent and predictable. Tell them the rules ahead and stick to them.
3. Support each other (spouses)
4. Be creative and encouraging when dealing with problem areas in your kids rather than repetitious and criticizing
5. Have fun with your kids.
Not bad for a TV show. On the last point, we tried a game she suggested to a family. We each had a animal name written on a Post-It stuck to our forehead. We had to ask yes/no questions to try to learn what animal we were. Both my 6 and 9 year old thought it was great fun. My 9 year old decided to give his brother a Post-It with “bat” on it. When the 6 year old learned that he was a winged creature without feathers, he asked, “Am I a flying pig?” We had a lot of laughs.
Musings on Faith and Psychology 
That sounds like a fun game
I played this on a men’s retreat ages ago, so it’s fun for adults, too. (We used famous people or celebrities…I had some rock star, so I was doomed.)
Having just watched Super Nanny….I find the recitation above extremely accurrate. I like watching the show for the constant re-validation of those messages. Glad to have found your post!
Thanks for stopping by the blog. The show is good. If I had a complaint it would be that it may suggest that once you learn the tricks, parenting will be joyfilled, happy, and creative most of the time. No, parenting continues to be a challenge and lots of hard work with moments of joy and pleasure. We take pictures of those moments and then return to look that the pictures in order to remember some of the joy. Our family recently watched a old video footage when my children were performing antics to music several years ago. It was good to see their smiles. It helps with the current homework struggles.
How true! We have boxes and drawers of videos and photos (not to count the digital ones)! Breathing between the moments, sometimes harder than other times, but with kids, always filled with love.
Hi. Just stumbled upon your unigue website,while amidst personal research re “Supernanny,Reality TV,and the Christian perspective”. Hope to visit more often,as,it appears, you have many fresh,and refreshing insights. Thank You.