Code orange!???

So there is this Motrin commercial where the child is ill and is throwing things and having a meltdown in the middle of the night. The commercial states something about when there is a code orange.? I guess he means when your child is angry about being sick.

They also show a child being miserable while eating and spraying whipped cream all over the place because they have no appetite and are not feeling well.

I understand the point they are trying to make about children not feeling well and Motrin saving the day, but I surely parents are not falling for the justification that children can be disrespectful when they are ill.

The idea of positive parenting is about consistency. Yes more patience are required when someone ( anyone ) is ohysically ill. Of course it is more challenging to be in good spirits when you are ill. However, if anything can be helpful or advantageous, certainly keeping a positive spirit and being optimistic about geting better is imperative to recovery!

Besides that, this commercial sends the message that this is normal behavior for children who are ill. NOT. This behavior is normal for children who have behavioral problems and this behavior is magnified when they are ill.

Either way it is important to maintain positive discipline (or in other words teaching) whether a child is ill or not. It is not OK for a child to be disrespectful ever!

So if your child is ill and becomes disrespectful, just let them know who makes the chicken soup and who has the meds! kidding but you get the point!

Happy nursing and parenting!

Parents can benefit by forgiving their children

We all make mistakes or bad choices from time to time. Children are inexperienced and always learning how the world works..they also make more mistakes and more poor choices...well usually! ha.

They are trying to figure out the cause and effect principle...If I do one thing what will it cause or what will happen? They are often not very good at it. Like they really think they will not get caught or parents won't figure out things...
sometimes they are right which teaches them to continue to do things that way... and creates more confusion.

Anyway, when they screw up it is a good idea to address the problem and resolve in an effective productive manner(discussed in other blogs) and then forgive them.

The ability to forgive is a virtue and a healthy mindset as well as forgiving is a healthy behavior. The interesting aspect is that forgiveness is much more healing for the forgiver than it is for the perpetrator/offender.

A little forgiveness eases the stress and reduces the energy required for remaining angry. Staying angry inhibits the ability to think positively. There are many cognitive distortions that people are accustomed and conditioned to utilize in order to maintain unhealthy ways of thinking. Staying angry requires lots of these distortions all at once.

Imagine of individuals channeled all that same energy and effort into being positive, kind, happy, healthy, and productive.??

Children in this snow!

As most parents agree safety is always first and if it isn't it should be! Next is learning. It is a parents job to teach children how to think and make safe decisions for themselves in every situation.

When working with so many parents, one of the first strategies I help parents master is the art of giving children information. Giving information promotes thinking.

Most parents give commands or make demands, instead of providing information. Giving commands and making demands teaches children to depend on parents for instruction or orders. Giving commands can teach children to be mentally stagnant.

Also demands and commands can be unpleasant, annoying, can negatively affect relationships, and alienate children because children do not like being told what to do just as adults do not like being told what to do.

In the extreme snow conditions, I have heard parents say things like:

"get out of the street" (command)
instead of "a car is coming" or "it is safer to walk close to the sidewalk."(info)

"we're going home" (command)
instead of "I'm cold" or "I'd like to go home"

Parents could also offer choices and be flexible with children. There are many positive approaches that parents can use to generate thought, respect, and cooperation. Parents can benefit from mastering these communication skills. If parents invest as much time learning and perfecting these skills as they do worrying, complaining, and yelling, parents would find the time to be well spent!

Children would feel more respected and would be left to think and make a decisions, not only now but for many situations in the future. Parents would be surprised to find how pleasant, smart, and cooperative children can be when the responsibility is given to them.

Happy parenting!