The Supernanny Serves Up Tips For Families

The Supernanny Serves Up Tips For Families

Although she knows how hard it can be to gather everyone together, TV's "Supernanny," Jo Frost, believes in the benefits of the family dinner.

"I understand how difficult it can be for busy parents to keep their families on track," said Frost. "But with a few simple and easy-to-follow tips, families can achieve happy, well-balanced lives."

Eating together can be a great way for parents to encourage healthier eating habits and to foster parent-child communication.

According to a recent survey conducted by Impulse Research Corporation, more than half (51 percent) of parents say they sometimes struggle with getting kids to eat well and more than 80 percent say their kids are at least sometimes picky eaters. A frequent challenge is getting kids to eat much-needed vegetables.

With all the news about the new USDA Food Pyramid, the survey found that almost six out of 10 parents (55.6 percent) say they don't know how many servings of vegetables per day the guidelines recommend kids eat.

One of Frost's tips is to use kid-pleasing pasta sauce. For example, Ragú Pasta Sauce offers more than a full serving of vegetables in every one-half cup serving of sauce, is 100 percent natural and a source of lycopene and vitamin A.

Since 86 percent of parents surveyed say that pasta with tomato sauce is one of their child's favorite meals, pasta sauce is a good dinnertime solution for parents.

According to the survey, virtually all parents (96.9 percent) believe good eating habits are formed during childhood.

Frost suggests involving children in the meal-planning process -this will help them feel as if they have a choice, which can lead to healthier attitudes toward food as they grow into adulthood.

While hectic schedules sometimes make it difficult for frequent family meals, Frost says it's important for families to carve out at least one to two nights a week for a family dinner that includes all members. Serving a special meal that everyone loves, such as spaghetti and meatballs or tacos, can be a great way to foster family togetherness.

It's important to have an open dialogue with your kids, says Frost. A good way to begin is by engaging the family in dinnertime conversations that are relevant to your child's learning and development. Encouraging each member of the family to share details about the day can bring everyone closer.

BONUS : The Trouble With Parents

Like most parents, my partner and I work hard to develop our children into healthy, well adjusted people. We want them to have the skills to persue whatever objectives they choose for themselves in this world.

None of us are perfect parents and we all learn from the past. The purpose of this article is to pass on one of our experiences. It had a profound effect on the way we approach the parenting game.

A few years ago, our two children were aged two and four. Over a period of weeks one of our boys had become increasingly naughty. His behaviour was rubbing off on his brother. Mum and dad had explored the usual discipline options but nothing seemed to work.

Eventually, as my partner and I discussed the boys behaviour, we decided that there must be a trigger. If we could find it, we thought we could perhaps effect a change for the better.

We wound back the clock to the time when the behaviour change emerged, then looked at what we had all been doing at around that time.

As it turned out, the onset corresponded with a time when my job was being restructured and my partner was as worried as I about the outcome. We were both focussed on ourselves and quite naturally were exhibiting signs of stress.

The result of this pressure, was that we had very little time for our children and they were not getting the attention they needed from us.

We decided to try an experiment. We set aside all our other priorities for the weekend and spend time with boys. Nothing special, just being with them and giving them quality time.

Their behaviours changed almost instantly. And it was a change for the better.

This small experience had a profound effect on the way we approach parenting. We learned that the behaviours of our children are significantly affected by our own behaviours.

We are now a lot more careful about the amount of time we spend with our boys. When there is a behavioural change from them, we look to ourselves first then check the external influences before we choose a course of action.

Parenting is a wonderful journey, full of twists turns and surprises. I hope that by sharing this small part of our life it will help you in yours.