Cabin Fever?

This time of year when gray skies and cold temps keep most kids indoors, cabin fever sets in. The fever causes misbehavior because kids are antsy, bored, whiny and easily upset. You might see more sibling rivalry or tattling. If you're feeling the walls closing in on your family and misbehavior mounting, try this therapeutic activity: Enjoy an indoor picnic.

Picnics elicit fond outdoor memories. Talk to your kids about picnics they remember. Who was there? Where was the picnic? What'd they eat? Share your childhood memories of picnics, too!

Hold your picnic today, at an indoor "beach" and wear summer clothes. Use a basket and beach blanket. Sit on the blanket in your living- or family room; munch on picnic-type foods. Talk about birds and nature. Read books or sing songs together; if you have a young tot, sing the Teddy-bear picnic song.

Spending uninterrupted time with kids can help ease their stress and you'll see better behavior. Plus you'll fortify physical skills like eye-hand coordination; cognitive skills through problem solving; language skills by talking, and social/emotional skills through the art of pretend -- this is good discipline.

Remember "bad" behavior can be avoided or improved through productive play.

The Birth to Five Book: Confident Childrearing Right from the Start is available online http://is.gd/jaTZ or buy signed copies from me by mailing $12 per book (U.S. only) to: P.O. Box 1302 | Mount Vernon, OH 43050. Finally, for fun, fast facts follow me on twitter .

(C)Copyright 2011, Brenda Nixon.

Successful Parenting

One of my favorite parenting writers/speakers is Dr. Sal Severe. He’s doled out advice on Oprah (before Dr. Phil) and other noted media outlets.

Prior to my book's release, Sal published his book I still love and recommend How to Behave So Your Children Will, Too! (Viking, $23.95). The title alone is something many educators would like to teach parents today.

One of the jewels in the book is a chapter on how successful parents behave. Listed are three promises every parent needs to make to become more successful:

1) Promise to have courage to be open and accept new ideas. If what you’re doing is working, says the author, stick with it. If not, have the courage to try something new.


2) Promise to have patience – plenty of patience. Your twelve-year-old kid has had twelve years to develop his behavior patterns. Give him time to change.


3) Promise to practice. The author says, “If you are willing to read about new ideas but not to practice them, give this book to someone else and buy a magic wand.”



Good parenting skills take time and practice. Thanks for stopping by my blog, you’ve shown me you’re open and accept new ideas. Patience and practice are your daily discipline assignments this week.

"Sticks and Stones"

Remember the childhood chant, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”? In reality, words can wound a child for life. The poet Longfellow wrote, “A torn jacket is soon mended; but hard words bruise the heart of a child.”

I was disturbed when I watched a recent ABC news program with journalist Diane Sawyer. In the program, irate parents called their daughter, “a f---- bitch.” Not only was this behavior immature and verbally abusive, but it added to – rather than diffused – the tension in the home. Additionally, kids will rise – or fall – to the label given them.

Is your child a brat, loud mouth, liar, tramp or a helper, good thinker, problem-solver, kind person? In your daily discipline, what you call your child is what you’ll get . . .eventually.

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