brendanixon

In March 2001, Wine Press Publishing added your book "Parenting Power in the Early Years" to their paperback line. It's considered a "confidence resource for all who find themselves raising a newborn to kindergartner." What parenting advice do you offer about becoming a successful parent?

How to be a Successful Parent is one of the free articles on my site. This article represents one chapter from my book.

In a nutshell, I encourage parents to embrace childrearing as vigorously as any other career; ask questions, learn, improve, do the best you can, and enjoy the job. Raising kids shouldn't be a "me-against-you" or "I'm your best friend" attitude but one of rules and relationship.

What is the proper way to handle those terrible temper tantrums, especially in stores?

I receive this question frequently. Embarrassing isn't it? My advice is to ignore the pesky behavior as long as it's nonviolent. Of course, you can't ignore a tantrum when the child is kicking others or pulling down the curtains, but if he's just laying there screaming out his lungs, you CAN pretend it doesn't bother you and soon he'll stop. The reason? You are his favorite audience and it's no fun to perform without an audience! Basically, the best way to extinguish an unwelcome behavior is to ignore it. This is skillful child discipline.

In stores and other public places you can remove the child to a quiet location like the restroom or your car. Then let him carry on with his hissy fit while you ignore the behavior. When he calms down, say something simple like, "I'm glad you're calm now" (this reinforces his self-calming skills) and resume your activities. It's critical to teach a child that tantruming is not an acceptable way to gain satisfaction. Children whose tantrums are tolerated or reinforced are at the greatest risk of emotional problems as adults.

What makes your parenting book stand out on the shelves?

It doesn't - in fact it's a tiny tome that many people overlook. But once it's picked up and people thumb through the pages packed with research-based information, ideas, humor, stories and potent quotes they can't put it down! Parenting Power in the Early Years is cover-to-cover empowerment for anyone raising a child from birth to five years plus it includes handy resource lists like a 0-5 Child Development Guide and a Gift Giving Key.

How does your book improve family relationships?

Once parents understand why their kids act the way they do, normal stages of development, or what message their parenting style sends, then they can respond with greater compassion and skill. I believe the way to build stronger families is through parent empowerment. Family relationships will improve if readers practice some of the attitudes and guidance in my book.

Tell us about your education, in terms of Early Child Development and Parent Education and how you applied it to your book?

A Masters Degree in Religious Education, Bachelor's Degree in Education, over 100 hours of continuing education in child development and parent education, and working as a Certified Parent Educator, Preschool Teacher and Nanny are some of my formal education. Whether writing or speaking to audiences, I like to bridge my formal training to practical parenting advice.

I understand you're a local TV personality of Fox 4 in Kansas City. What information have you included in your parenting segments?

Well, for a couple of years I did a regular parenting segment on Kansas City's FOX TV affiliate where I shared parenting tips and encouragement. Today, my Daily Discipline Tips air every Wednesday on Utah's KSTAR radio program, "Healthy, Wealthy, Wow" on the Grapevine Talk Radio Network and I'm a regular guest on regional and syndicated radio programs. Your readers may have heard me share how to find the right summer camp for kids, what to do about nightmares and terrors, or ways to relieve cabin fever on Focus on the Family's "Weekend Magazine" program.

There are so many things to learn as a new mom or even a second and third time mom. What are you hearing from mothers as their most common concerns? I would think discipline is on top of their lists.

You're right! Discipline is a hot topic and one I'm asked to speak on frequently. In fact, that's why I now offer a free Daily Discipline Tip e-service for subscribers. Anyone interested in receiving a tip, quote, resource, or encouragement for their daily interactions with kids, can subscribe at my website. My number one message is: discipline is teaching. Kids are not born with the skills to gain satisfaction in appropriate ways. We must teach them. The goal of discipline is to teach a child to be self-controlled in her behavior. When you look at it like that, discipline is a positive, 24/7 thing we do because we love our children.

Because of so many distractions these days, how can parents boost their child’s school success?

I feel strongly about the messages we send our children by the way we live. So if you want to boost your child's school success, live and talk in a way that sends the message; learning is important, school is one place we learn! Parents can do that by encouraging children to do their homework, being positive when talking about the school or the teacher(s), getting involved in PTA/PTO, and going to parent/teacher conferences.

Like it or not, teachers judge parents' support based on how often they see them in the building. So I encourage parents to take their lunch hour and visit their kid's school or help with field trips or participate in special events as much as possible.

What tips can you offer for limiting TV and video game time?

A little TV is not harmful, but too much of anything can become addictive and unhealthy. I encourage parents to be the authority over the TV, computer and video games by governing what and how much of it their children are allowed. These electronics will never take the place of good, old fashioned time with the parent.

You also have written parenting articles and columns for more than 15 publications. Which magazines and what have your topics been?

I currently write a monthly column for inspiredparenting.net, and for more than 2 years was the "3-5 Years" columnist with Children's Ministry magazine, a subscription magazine published by Group Communications. My articles have been published in regional parenting publications and I've been quoted in Child and Woman's Day.

Most of my topics are on child behavior, development and parenting. Some articles are on specific interests such as the power of pretend play for adopted children or guiding kids through the grief process.

Although I love writing books and contributing to anthologies like the Chicken Soup series, I welcome writing assignments from magazine editors.

These days you’re speaking nationally, writing and teaching on child behavior and parenting. How do you juggle all these responsibilities?

Great question and one skill I'm not always proficient at. However, I have the luxury of long, quiet office hours to work now that one of my two children are out of the house. There are also shortcuts such as ignoring the telephone - that's what answering machines are for - and submitting simultaneous submissions. I often write to-do lists and take short breaks to walk with my dogs. Short breaks refresh my mind and help with emotional balance. Healthy eating and vitamin supplements are ways I nurture myself, too.

What other interests do you have when you’re not traveling from one speaking engagement to another?

Well, the signature line of my e-mail says, "Parenting Speaker, Writer, Educator, Author of Parenting Power in the Early Years and Writers Who Speak, columnist and radio personality" but there's more. I'm a blessed mom of two kids and have been married to my best friend for 27 years. This summer (July '06) he and I plan to bike down the summit of Pikes Peak following my interview at Focus on the Family for their "Weekend Magazine" program.

I love animals, have two miniature dachshunds and work outdoors in my garden as weather and time permits. My favorite color is blue, flavorings are peppermint and cinnamon, place to be is the ocean and TV program is CSI (the original), although when American Idol is running, I'm temporarily attached to that program.

Church is an important element in my life, I help in the nursery and actively participate in my Sunday school class. In fact, at church I'm a regular person so many people see me as "Laura's mom" or "Paul's wife" and don't know me as a national speaker or author.

How did you organize all your topics and decide what to include? How long did it take for you to write your book?

It took me three years to write my first book. It was easy to organize those topics because the book is a collection of first and favorite newspaper columns on parenting.

The second, a booklet, Writers Who Speak is a compilation of articles I wrote for magazines on how to craft a presentation, platform skills, handling audience criticism, setting your fee, secrets to a successful speech, and other speaker related topics. That one is good for anyone who has a book and wants to speak as a way to promote it.

What was the publishing process like for you? Tell us how you’ve marketed your book? What's worked best in terms of promotion? What information can we find on your website?

My first two books are self-published through WinePress Publishing in Washington state. It was a positive and professional experience for me and I recommend WinePress. I've marketed these books through e-commerce sites such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble, through personal appearances and booksignings, reviews and by speaking at writer's conferences.

Basic book promotion techniques is an article I wrote that appears at willwrite4food.com. Readers can find it in the archives and hopefully it'll provide some unique ideas.

There are many effective ways to promote. One that has helped me is media interviews. I love answering questions and giving parenting tips on the radio.

My website offers information to parents/grandparents/educators of children and gives program planners, who need a speaker, a list of my presentations.

There's very little information aimed at writers, but I do have topics for writer's conferences and will be on faculty at Glorieta Christian Writer's Conference in New Mexico this October (2006). That, along with other engagements, are on the "Calendar" page of my site. Thanks for asking.

Are you considering any future writing projects?

Yes! I'm writing a book on discipline (that seems to be my forte) and one on what I call a parent starter book, Right from the Start. At this point, neither have a publisher so that's where my efforts are focused. This time I want a royalty publisher with a passion for parent empowerment.

For more information about Brenda, log onto www.brendanixon.com