Let’s talk about parenting. Don’t you find that when you are in the company of other parents, the conversation inevitably makes its way to kids?
Moms are particularly likely to be part of this scenario, sharing with each other the most intimate details.
“I spanked Ryan today,” could be one mother’s confession. “I just lost it and I feel really bad about it.”
“Hey, I did that last week; it happens, we’re not perfect,” says her friend, empathizing.
Or, “Claire just learned to use the potty,” says one friend feeling highly accomplished.
“She did? That’s incredible,” says her friend, sharing her excitement.
That’s called support and we all need plenty of it. Without it, parenting can seem overwhelming. “Parenting Works!” (3:30 p.m. Sunday and 6:30 a.m. Feb. 22 on WTTW-Ch. 11) is a lot like sitting around with a group of friends talking about the challenges of parenting. It’s an open forum, with parents sharing personal experiences about toilet training, discipline, in-laws, single parenting, grandparents and other topics related to child-rearing.
What makes this show work is its real-life, non-judgmental anecdotal style; there are no experts telling you whether your actions are right or wrong.
Producer Christopher Sarson, who is noted for such PBS programs as “Masterpiece Theatre,” “Zoom” and “Feeling Free,” believes times are changing and parents need to trust themselves.
“Things are different now, family structures are changing,” says Sarson. “The neighbors you once turned to are at work now and relatives live a long distance away. Parenting can be a lonely experience.”
Host Milton Creagh, a professional speaker and father of three, effectively leads the discussion group-eight parents from diverse ethnic, economic and cultural backgrounds.
The issue for the day is: “How do you cope when kids get out of hand?” Tantrums were discussed among the parents and what I found very refreshing was that not one parent reiterated what the experts advise about tantrums: walk away and ignore the child.
One mother told the story of her daughter throwing a tantrum in a furniture store: “When it comes to tantrumming (sic) you have to act immediately, you have got to stop it. I told my daughter to get control of herself now. If not, that’s why they make buns; they are for warming. She hasn’t had another tantrum since.”
Another mother said when her daughter started acting up in a department store, she decided to mimic the child’s behavior: “I flopped myself on the floor, started kicking my legs and screaming, `I don’t like this.’
“My daughter stood up and looked around the store like she was embarrassed. She helped me up and brushed me off. I asked her if she liked mom acting like that and she said no. I told her I would appreciate it if we didn’t do that again.”
After the parents and Creagh stopped laughing, they all agreed that the woman had come up with a creative alternative to handling tantrums.
“Parenting Works!” goes beyond the typical TV program. It offers an extensive outreach program designed to provide parenting information and resources to local and national organizations.
If “Parenting Works!” gets positive feedback, a series of 40 episodes will air in the near future.
