Thu, Apr 30, 2009
Shannon and John both have high profile jobs at a large church, but their home is a far cry from a peaceful sanctuary. All four of their children fight with each other so viciously and so frequently that mom usually intervenes only if someone has drawn blood. That happens regularly because the kids bite, pinch, kick and pull hair for all they're worth. Mom's yelling isn't working, and Dad says he spanks to discipline, since he doesn't believe THAT timeouts or talking work. But in spite of the hard-line tactics, neither parent has much authority. How will Jo deal with these challenges, especially with a dad resistant to her methods?
Thu, Jan 15, 2009
Dr. Steve Brickley (40) and Dr. Ann Gormley (42) can't control their four children, fraternal twins Aiden and Ella (4 nearly 5) and identical twins Louis and Ciaran (2 1/2). The younger set of twins refuse to eat solid foods, the older set don't like to wear nappies and their mother take them out to walk for exercise. Can Jo help this family out?
Thu, Oct 22, 2009
The Coliers of Cleveland, Georgia, are a blended family on the brink. Dad Jason coddles his three young sons under the age of 5, but is hostile to his 13-year-old stepdaughter, Madison, whom he adopted last year. Jason showers his little boys with affection but his relationship with Madison is frosty and contentious - she doesn't call him "Dad" and says he doesn't seem like one; he counters by saying she's a pathological liar and carries on "like a moron." Jason also spoon feeds his three-year-old and holds the older boys back from gaining valuable life skills by doing everything for them. Stay-at-home mom Dawn feels caught in the middle when Jason clashes with Madison and undermines her time-out attempts with the toddlers, but Jo pushes the couple to closely examine whether or not they want to continue in this marriage. Can "Supernanny" set this family on a better track?
Thu, Oct 29, 2009
Debra and Tracy are pushover parents with two sets of twins, ages four and seven, who call all the shots and eat a diet packed with sugar and unhealthy food choices. Four-year-old Parker calls Mom a "butthead" with no consequences; Debra hides in the bathroom to eat a meal and get a moment's peace. Dad Tracy works from home, and when his rambunctious children need disciplining, he meekly implores them not to misbehave. They respond by locking him out of their bedroom! Can Jo Frost help this family?
Thu, Nov 5, 2009
Jo Frost travels to the deep South -- Hayden, Alabama -- and faces off with Amy Phelps, who defends her right to spank her three boisterous boys. Dad Jimmy is open to change, but Amy won't budge, and this issue is bringing their marriage to the breaking point. Jo is adamantly opposed to corporal punishment - can she show these parents how to get even better results the Supernanny way?
Thu, Nov 12, 2009
A Florida family with four children ranging in age from two to twelve is ruled by the crown prince-Zachary, an impulsive, tantrum-prone four-year-old. Jen, a beleaguered stay-at-home Mom, cowers to his every whim, and doesn't enforce any kind of discipline. Her approach is to gently enfold the children in hugs or eventually give in. Roy, a painting contractor, would rather work on the computer at the end of the long day than help Jen with the kids, but when he does try to impose rules and consequences, his short fuse and yelling intimidate the children and have driven his wife to threaten divorce. Jen tearfully tells Jo in her submission tape, "This is our last shot." Can Jo show these two parents the tools to not only tame Zachary but repair their relationship?
Thu, Nov 26, 2009
Bill and Tammy McGrath of Hamlin, New York, have three beautiful young children, and their middle son, Aiden, 5, was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Managing his illness is very anxiety-provoking for Tammy, because she saw her father die of diabetes at just 46 years of age. She sees Aiden's diagnosis as her worst fears realized, and mealtime has become a battlefield. Aiden makes power plays, refusing to eat, which not only threatens his own health and frightens Tammy, but causes problems for both parents in adjusting Aiden's insulin levels. The other kids, Liam, 4, and Paige, 9, feel their parents' distraction and are frustrated by it -- Paige hides out in her bedroom and Liam acts out aggressively. Jo pinpoints Bill and Tammy's problems communicating effectively and enforcing discipline -- their versions of timeouts are useless. Can she help Bill and Tammy regain control of their family?
Thu, Dec 10, 2009
Nicole and Nate Beck are classic tag-team parents. Nate works full-time and Nicole stays at home, works part-time AND is a full-time student. Add to the mix three boys -- Hunter, 9; Pierson, 5; and Bronson, 3 -- who offer huge challenges. The youngest has just been expelled from pre-k, spits at Mom and calls Supernanny a curse word; the oldest has attention-deficit disorder, and homework time hangs like a black cloud over each day as the yelling just escalates; and the middle son is extremely stubborn and contradictory. Mom and Dad think they have a time-out tactic called the Penalty Box, but it's so ineffective that Jo pulls the plug on it immediately when Bronson runs out of the house, down the street and nearly into traffic. Jo notices that Bronson has a speech problem which is probably fueling his aggression. On top of all this, she is shocked to see how the parents' master bedroom has the kids' scribbles all over the walls and giant piles of clothing stacked on the floor. "What are these parents thinking?" Jo marvels. Where to begin, and can she make a difference?
Thu, Dec 17, 2009
Christina and Joe Heredia both work full-time and have four children under five years of age: triplets who have just turned two -- Samantha, Taylor and Ryan -- and older brother Brandon who is four. Christina is a well-meaning perfectionist who always tried to please her dad. Now, as an adult, she frets that strangers will judge her mothering skills, but in fact she's her own harshest critic, brought to tears by what she feels is her inability to deal with the challenges of raising these little ones. The simplest tasks are three times harder with the triplets -- they cannot be trusted to obey Mom on a short walk through the neighborhood without straying; Brandon tries to get attention from his parents by acting out; and all of the children disrupt mealtime, barely eating. Since the triplets were premature, this is a big concern to Jo and the parents. Can Jo help the Heredias harness the chaos and show Christina how to be more effective?