The names we call them

I am by no means a parenting expert,

but I did nanny for nine years,

and I learned my fair share of techniques that are being used and ousted and perfected with a baby of my own.

Not to mention, I was parented by two of the most perfect parents on the planet 

and that's got to be good for something, I suppose.

I would like to share the greatest lesson that I have learned by observing my parents and throughout my first  decade of caring for children.

Be careful of the names you call them.

In the nannying of one family,

this lesson hit me square between the eyes.

I observed the children with their parents and let me say...

BRATS.

with a capital B.

I started an experiment.

I told them on a daily basis what good children they are.

I reminded them of how special they are and how happy they make me.

I called them sweet and kind

and I never called them brats, annoying, spoiled, etc.

An amazing thing happened.

I had well behaved children.

We never even had a single temper tantrum.

Not one.

Until Mom or Dad would walk in the door and 

BAM!

the floodgates of terror would open and Satan's spawn would return.

Tantrums.

Biting.

Screaming.

Yelling.

Fighting.

Throwing.

Punching.

And Mom and Dad would say 

"You are such a little brat"

"Don't be annoying"

"What an attitude"

"You are a stinker"

Here's my philosophy:

What children are TOLD they are...

THEY BECOME.

I was told that I was bad at math.

So I am.

I never tried to be good at it because I was told I wasn't.

If our children are told they are brats,

why would they try to be anything else?

So when I see sweet babies and little ones called 

Divas

Terrors

Beastly

Brats

Naughty

Stinkers

and

Annoying

I wonder if they will ever try to become anything else.

Why would they?

If my potential is capping off at "being a brat" 

I may as well live up to that potential, right?

So anyway,

don't be alarmed when your children become what you frequently refer to them as.

And don't say you weren't warned.