The Mystery of a Good Book and TV Show

I wanted to draw attention to a really good show on non-cable, network TV. It's called Nanny 911 and it is on Fox (I believe ABC? has a simalar version starting soon). It's a reality show about a family having, um, difficulty parenting their children. One of 3 regular British nannies swoops in and stays with them for a week, teaching the parents (and viewers) how to control their kids. The cameras document the before, during, and after behaviour of the family. If all is to be believed, and I think a lot of it is because these families are almost totally lacking in any kind of basic rules/consequences, astounding results are achieved very quickly. At the very least, the viewers get to see that basic, genuine parenting measures are necessary and effective. It reaffirms a parent who hates to discipline her kids but knows it is necessary so they don't act like monsters. Some of the basics that have been brought home to me are:
1) All actions have consequences.
2) Show them how much they are loved with words and affections.
3) Spanking probably means YOU have lost control; there may have been an opportunity before the spanking where you could have shown a better, calmer parenting technique. Kids learn swatting and hitting is ok if that is what is done to them. {That said, I am not totally opposed to spanking in all cases--just that I should try to stay in control more and not let them make me lose control.)

I also recently finished How To Talk So Kids Will Listen, and Listen So Kids Will Talk. This is also a fantastic parenting tool, and a very quick read due to lots of illustrations. It gives the parent STEP by STEP tools for diffusing situations with kids. Definitely check it out of the library or buy it. You won't regret it, I am sure.

A non-parenting book I read is called Celebration, U.S.A.: Living in Disney's Brave New Town. I am a Disney-phile, and love to read about Disney's effects on culture, media, architecture, etc. This book is written by 2 married journalists that move to Celebration, Florida, a town "underwritten" by the Disney company. It is a wonderful introduction and analysis of the "neotradional" style of architecture and town development/layout. Interesting read.

And finally, before I change my sidebar, I wanted to feature my absolute favorite Thanksgiving book, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie. You have to check this book out for next thanksgiving. I read it every year (dramatically, of course) to my whole family. It's based on the story I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, except each thing this old woman swallows is a part of the thanksgiving feast (rolls, salad, cider, turkey, squash, etc.). In the end they roll her out the door and she becomes part of the Macy's parade as a balloon. Funny.

See what all these books look like in the sidebar to the right!