As a current/future parent, can you learn how to become a better parent from watching Wife Swap or...?

Question

As a current/future parent, can you learn how to become a better parent from watching Wife Swap or Trading Spouses? Why or why not?

Answer 1

What a good question! Watch the Nanny - you can learn quite a bit from that show. Also, the shows that you mentioned are good too. The Nanny shows you how to be in control, and not let the kids run the house.

Answer 2

I personally believe that if you watch for the conflict - NO but if you watch and can draw similarities to situations in your own life, see where there might be some "problems" with how you parent that you want to change, then yeah I guess you could. What also would work is set up nanny cams in your own house - or a cam corder in the room you and your children are in most. Do this for a week - TRY to act as you always do. Don't tell the kids it's there or the actors will come out... sit down with your spouse one day that you can have someone else watch the children for at least 4 or 5 hours. Go through the tapes together - using FF lots - don't discuss it at the time - just each of you take notes - on positive and negative things you see in 1) yourself 2) your spouse 3) your children 4) a babysitter if there is one and on what tapes you saw them and about where on the tape so it can be easily found again.

THEN after you both have the notes go over them together and see if there are any things you can work on.

I think that Wife Swap , Supper nanny and the list of shoes that have families resolve their personal problems in front of millions of strangers is not necessarily the most healthy way to improve family communication. You married your spouse because you felt that you both could make a good life together. Why not start there if you feel that a change is needed.

That's my opinion - and like a belly button - every bodies got one - some are just a little deeper and fuzzier than others.

Answer 3

I'm already a parent but I didn't watch before becoming a parent. I believe that you can learn how to be a better parent by watching those shows. While watching those shows you do learn a lot about children and how they react to discipline and their own way of life.

For example, this week there was the episode of Wife Swap about the family with "no" morals and the family that has taught their children to be "robots." Both show that the kids aren't necessarily happy or sad about their current situation based on their parents reaction. We get used to what we live. One thing I found very disturbing was the family who "trained" their children to believe the wife should stay at home and the man should work. While this may be okay for some I feel it's unfair for the children to grow up thinking that's the only way it has to be. I feel, also, that the parents who basically allowed their daughter to display risqué pictures on the internet are too lenient. I feel that when a child gets of age if they aren't in school [including college] that there should be a two year time frame to which the child must grow to be independent. IF the child isn’t respectful of others living in their home to others or themselves that they should be asked to leave. I wouldn’t put up with and eighteen year old who I have to wake up every morning.

In the end Wife Swap shows that there is no right or wrong way to parent. It shows that there are two extremes to every situation and that finding the middle is the best way to go.

Supernanny is interesting to watch but it’s more of a “what not to do” show. It’s crazy how these kids behave but I guess it comes back to you live what you learn. Some of the parents who are on the show I honestly don’t know if the change sticks past a month or two. I feel that Jo does show that there are ways other then spanking to which discipline can work. I love her consistency feel but at the same time I think many of the problems she is correcting could have easily been solved [without help or major discipline changes] if the parents had a little foresight.

I guess both shows are interesting and if a parent could relate well to another parent who is on the show they can learn a thing or two. I’ve learned a few things from the shows but not too much that I didn’t already know. I feel they both teach consistency and a good mix of family life equals a happy family and inevitably happy children.

Answer 4

Trading Spouses seems to enlist a lesser class of people than Wife Swap. I use SuperNanny techniques, and I watch that to remind me that my kids are pretty good kids!!!!

Answer 5

Well i don't see where it would hurt to try.They do shed a lot of light on parenting.And super nanny is also a good show about parenting

Answer 6

looking at the lives of others - family, friends or anything can be of help to see how you can improve on your own skills, develop new ones or never try certain ones

but best to seek help from ones that you know of are true help ...... start with the Scriptures is a good idea

Answer 7

You can learn from anything--

--BUT--

That show is NOT the way to go. They pick families with freakish approaches and quirks that make their parenting styles unrealisitic.

"We live as pirates."
"Cheerleading is our family focus."
"We haven't cleaned our house in six years."
"My husband dusts the entire house every single day."

Come on. It's a freak show.

Answer 8

yes. because you can see how they deal with things on the show and apply it to your own problems at home. you can learn a lot of things from tv, both good and bad.

Answer 9

Just a bunch of Garbadge on TV, I don't have cable for that reason and I don't miss it!!!

Answer 10

no. why...? it's TV. And the best exp. is going to be when you learn from doing it, mistakes, and oh, duh's, and uh-O's