What?!
Posted: July 2, 2013 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: annoying, being understanding of your children, children asking questions, children asking what, jules, pulp fiction, say what, say what again, school age children, too many questions Leave a comment
Jules Winnfield, Pulp Fiction
I’d like to think of myself as an articulate person. I believe when I speak, my words ring clear as a bell. I use language that is easily comprehended by my charges (except when I slip in fancy words to help them increase their vocabulary). Why then do I spend so much of my day repeating myself, time after time, responding to, “What?” after “What?”? After seven years as a full-time nanny, compounding some seven million or more, “What?”s, I’ve come to the conclusion as to where they come from, and how to tame them. Read the rest of this entry »
Help Me Help Y’all
Posted: June 25, 2013 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: car wash, children and accountability, chores, Doc, gas station, helping children learn responsibility, raising responsible children, teaching responsibility Leave a commentRespons-ability!
Many times when I’m with the kiddos, my primary concern is caring for them, doing things for them, keeping them distracted and happy. In my frantic frenzy to meet all of their needs, I can sometimes overstep and do too much for them. Most times it’s unintentional, but at times it is deliberate, as I know that I can clear the table/ pick up the living room/ or pick out the day’s outfit much more quickly and efficiently than the kiddos can. However, this doesn’t do the kiddos, their folks, or myself any favors in the long run. The old adage, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime,” holds true for kiddos as well. It is monumentally important for caregivers to pass on knowledge in the form of responsibility to young ones. Read the rest of this entry »
I Think We’re Alone Now
Posted: June 18, 2013 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: alone time, Boss lady, captain awesome, date night, date nights, Doc, individual, middle child, middle children, nanny and children, one-on-one time, parents and children, princess, quality time with children, quality time with each child, Rebel 3 CommentsAs much of a blessing as siblings are, there are times when children crave individual attention. I remember as a little girl I loved Tuesday and Thursday afternoons the years I was in PreK and Kindergarten. These days were much beloved because my mama would pick me up from school at 11:30 and we would have the afternoon alone, together. (My sister, Laurel was still in school, and my brother, Buddy was at Mother’s Day Out.) We’d go to lunch, then maybe a store or two, whatever I felt like. I loved having my mama all to myself just to talk to her (she is such a good listener), and to have special time that was just for us. Similarly I couldn’t wait for the annual Take Your Daughter To Work Day when I would get the whole day with my dad to myself, asking him questions, helping him with work, and of course lunching out in style, both dressed in our office clothes. I loved hearing about his job as a petroleum geologist. He is so smart and was very good at explaining things to me. Plus, before seismic computers, he filled in the geological maps by hand, shading the various layers in with map pencils, and would let me color some. (When Laurel was asked in a school questionnaire what our father did for a living, she answered, “He colors all day.” When I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up on one such quiz I answered “geologist,” mostly because I really liked to color.) I loved the alone time with both of my folks. As the middle child it was a rare and wonderful opportunity to have each of them to myself. Read the rest of this entry »
Dear Dad
Posted: June 16, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentHappy Father’s Day to all the good dads out there and especially the best one…mine!!!!!!
As a nod to Father’s Day, I was, of course, inspired to write about my dad. It’s hard to put into one post all the memories and meaning he has brought to my life, but I’ll sure try. For me, having such an incredibly happy and blessed childhood, was contingent on having him as my father, and my happiness since childhood, I owe to him as well. Our father-daughter relationship has had its ups and downs, but has only evolved, and become stronger, day after day, year after year.
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Disney Dos and Don’ts II: Solidarity Sisters!
Posted: June 11, 2013 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales | Tags: alice, alice in wonderland, animal pals, Ariel, briar rose, Cinderella, Disney, disney dos and don'ts, disney films, evil queen, grandmother willow, hormonal, huntsman, maleficent, mean girls, pervasive themes, pocahontas, princess aurora, queen of hearts, sleeping beauty, Snow White, snow white and the seven dwarves, solidarity sisters, stepmother, stepmothers, stepsisters, the little mermaid, tina fey, ursula Leave a commentDisney is caught in my good-natured crosshairs once again! Disney movies are rooted in entertainment yes, but also about bringing the family together for movie time, fun escapism, and the development of imagination. Why then, with all this purported purpose of unity and lightness (featured in some of the Disney films), are there so many pervasive themes of pitting people, particularly women, against each other? It seems that in a large number of our beloved Disney stories, it seems to reach climactic crescendos of Womano a Womano. I quote Tina Fey in the ultra-quotable classic Mean Girls when I say, “There’s been some girl-on-girl crime here.”
Just Breathe
Posted: June 4, 2013 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: airline announcement, Doc, good sleep, light sleeper, miss cheryl, nannies, overnights, oxygen mask, parenting advice, Rebel, safety first, take time 2 CommentsThis next post includes nannying/parenting advice from a rather unlikely place (airline announcements), delivered however from a not unlikely source, but from a dear pal of mine, Happy, who, for a time was a nanny herself (In fact she cared for Doc and Rebel before they became my charges). Read the rest of this entry »
Supernanny Icon: Annie Braddock
Posted: May 28, 2013 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Supernanny Icons, Tales | Tags: annie the nanny, breaking free from mrs. x, knowing when to quit your nannying job, mrs. x, nanny diaries, supernanny icon 2 Comments
Although I made it clear in my inaugural post that this blog “ain’t no Nanny Diaries,” I can’t help but think of that book (by authors, and former NYC nannies, Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus), and subsequent film (starring Scarlet Johanssen and Laura Linney) when deciding on my next Supernanny Icon, Annie Braddock. Read the rest of this entry »
One Year Anniversary!!!!!
Posted: May 22, 2013 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: creativity, entertainment, miss cheryl, one year, one year anniversary, One year up!, y'all behave, y'all behave blog 6 CommentsWelp it’s been a full year of Y’all Behave, y’all! Thank y’all so much for reading, sharing, “liking”, and loving! This blog has been such an amazing creative outlet for me and is a daily affirmation that I absolutely love what I do and the people i do it for.
Special thanks to the extremely supportive mamas of Boss Lady, Princess & Captain Awesome, El Fuego, Doc & Rebel, and Sassafras, who have been such cheerleaders and avid readers of the blog- your little characters are stars!
Thank you to my pals and kin who have been reading, commenting, taking the time to check out my posts. Very honored to say my folks read it every week!
Big THANK YOU to my Mr. Luke, who is not only a loyal reader but is always encouraging me to grow this blog, and always very supportive of my Supernanny career. I love you!
Last but certainly not least, Texas-sized THANK YOU to my brother, Bud who has been my blogmaster, editor, web designer, and idea soundboard from the very inception of Y’all Behave. You are such a thoughtful, talented, loving, helpful brother and I’m so thankful for all that you do!
Brother Bud: the brains of this operation:)
I’ll keep the positivity and creativity coming at y’all! Now 80+ posts under my belt buckle, and the blog read in the Lone Star State and beyond(even internationally!)! Again, Thank y’all so much for reading my tips and tales! I’ll do my best to keep ’em comin’ and keep y’all smilin’!
Y’all Behave Now! Much Lovin’,
Miss Cheryl
Miss Cheryl & El Fuego!
The Tao of Ferdinand
Posted: May 21, 2013 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: accept children as they are, be true to yourself, Ferdinand the Bull, Munro Leaf, Pacifism, Robert Lawson, The Story of Ferdinand, understanding your children 3 Comments
Being a Supernanny, it is safe to say that I do a fair amount of reading to the kiddos. Now in my seventh year of career nannying, I have read hundreds upon hundreds of different kiddo literature. Out the many books I have read, I do, in fact, have an absolute favorite: The Story of FERDINAND. Read the rest of this entry »
For My Mama
Posted: May 12, 2013 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales | Tags: for my mama, from daughter to mother, love from daughter, mother'd day 4 Comments
When Mother’s Day rolls around I’m always struggling to find just the right card, just the right gift, just the right way to show my mama how much I love her and how much she means to me. This past year I’ve been noting, compiling, and reliving some of the countless ways she has made my life better, lessons she has taught me, and memories she has given me. I was worried about writing a post with such a specific purpose, my usual MO is writing posts as they occur to me. I was surprised and amazed at how, once I started writing about her, how quickly the words came to me. I only hope she loves reading this as much as I loved writing it. Read the rest of this entry »
Y'all Behave! 