The folks at Child Care Aware sent out a reminder that next month will bring National Provider Appreciation Day, when child care providers we entrust with our kids get honorable mention.

Not a bad idea, depending on the care the kids receive. We’ve been lucky that way, so I figured I would send CCA’s press release along for your consumption:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 11.3 million children under the age of 5 that spend some part of their week in child care. If this number includes your family, chances are you’ve added an extended family member or two to your daily routine. And you’ve selected a person that you feel will provide the best care for your child.

Child care providers put a lot of love and hard work into their careers, and they’re often rewarded with little hugs and a “thank you” every now and then. As your child spends time with his/her child care provider, a special bond begins to form. This person is an additional teacher, friend and trusted caregiver. Your child shares many special moments with the child care provider, and you enoy the benefits of these relationships on a daily basis.

This year, take some time to show your child care provider how much you appreciate what she does for your family. On Friday, May 8, 2009, the nation will celebrate National Provider Appreciation Day – a day set aside each year to honor those who are caring for our young children.

For more information on Provider Appreciation Day, go to www.providerappreciationday.org.

Be honest, just between us. How many of you have watched Super Nanny or Nanny 911 and recognized your family? Or perhaps were left thinking that some of those families weren’t really all that bad?

Don’t feign ignorance. For several years now, the British nannies of Super Nanny and Nanny911 have been parachuting into chaotic American homes presided over by unruly kids, whose parents cower in a corner. When the nannies leave at the end of 60 minutes, the children are calm, respectful, do their homwork and chores on time. For icing on the cake, the kids even learn to speak French.

How do they do it? The nannies talk with soothing voices and come up with perfectly measured consequences for the misbehaving offspring. They have charts and schedules and the kids stick to them. The adults learn to be parents. At least that’s the story line.
I don’t recall the nannies ever telling the parents to cut out the cocaine or so stop the extramarital affairs. At no time are the words electrodes or water-boarding uttered in front of the children. Perhaps it’s just excellent film editing.

Most of us set out to be great parents, but often fall somewhere short of that. It’s tough to be great parents when kids now are lucky to get two part-time parents who are worn down by work when they get home. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. As a kid I remember reading that one of the future challenges facing our nation would be managing all our spare time. We soon would be working four days a week and even less in the future. And then there was that Star Trek episode in which the crew lands on this futuristic planet where no one worked; they just hung around playing the lute and reading poetry. OK, that isn ‘t my idea of Utopia, but I bet some of the folks on that planet picked the baseball/iPod/pizza choice.

A few years back my youngest son liked watching the Super Nanny and Nanny 911. I’m not sure if he was looking for ideas of what he and his brother might try next, or perhaps was trying to send his parents a message. I’m sure I picked up a couple of parenting tips while watching. But I’m still waiting the big payoff: The morning my kids come downstairs for breakfast, wearing white shirts, ties and greet their adored parents in French: “Bonjour mama; bonjour papa.”