Parenting Continued..

Yesterday I watched an episode of "The Dog Whisperer"-which by the way is a great show! Cesar is the dog whisperer,and he can solve any dog "problem" anyone has because he understands dogs- They DO seem much less complicated than people and when they act out, there is a reason and a way to solve the problem. He says he rehabilitates dogs and he trains people.

ANYWAY: They did a little story on Virginia Madsen (the actress from the movie "Sideways") and her son. They've had two dogs but recently had to put one to sleep. I fast-forwarded thru this part because it was making me feel so sad. But I watched the part of the show where Cesar was talking to her and her son, who was around ten years old I'd guess, about how to pick a new dog to join their family. They still had one dog, who is about ten now so it was important to pick a good match for him. They looked at a few dogs and two in particular stood out. One was a little bitty something and seemed submissive but not scared toward their other dog. The other dog they were considering was a little aggressive towards their dog. The son really had a preference for the more aggressive dog, just because something about that dog clearly attracted him. But after Cesar had said the other dog would probably be a better match, it was time for them to make a decision. It seemed the boy would pick the "wrong" dog. But Virginia did the coolest thing. She said to her son something like, "Well, you know a lot about dogs and you're smart about these things so I know you'll make the right decision." And I really think she would've gone with which ever dog her son decided on. And it probably would've turned out fine either way. But the ten-year-old dog might have had to go thru some challenges and at this point, his life should just be nice and easy!

After really thinking it over and spending a little more time with his two choices, the boy picked the little bitty dog that seemed to be the better fit for the family. It was such a cool example of giving your kid your trust to make good, educated decisions. Not just giving them choices, but letting them know how much you respect their opinion...

Big variations on parenting skills demonstrated by celebrities the last few days...