Fri, Oct 23, 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?
Fri, Oct 30, 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?
Fri, Nov 6, 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?
Fri, Nov 13, 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?
Fri, Nov 27, 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?
Fri, Dec 11, 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?
Fri, Dec 18, 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?
Fri, Jan 8, 2010
Jo visits the Benton family where parents Greg and Amber are having trouble with their 10-year-old son, Rivers and 8-year-old son, Hunter who do nothing but fight and yell constantly. Rivers even uses homophobic slurs against his little brother which shocks Jo. Jo recognizes the reason for the boys' misbehavior is because of their parents' marriage on the rocks. Can Supernanny help this couple's marriage and control their kids?
Fri, Jan 15, 2010
Jo helps out 25-year-old single mom Kristin Hallenbeck who still lives at home with her parents, Patricia and Greg with her two boys: 6-year-old Jordon and 4-year-old Jaydon. The boys constantly fight and disrespect their mom and their grandparents, whom Kristin expects to raise her kids while she texts, surfs the web, and watches TV. Kristin's relationship with her parents is strained and she criticizes her mom about how she raises her kids. Jo is shocked with Kristin's attitude and is horrified over how selfish she is. Can Jo give this single mom a wake-up call and help her regain control over her kids?
Fri, Jan 22, 2010
Mike Ruggles is a warm Chicagoan with over 17 years' experience as a teacher and developmental therapist for children. He focuses on the specific challenges presented by this family. After an observation period, he kicks the parents out of the house and gives the kids a voice by using role-playing techniques to determine some of the root problems, as the parents watch from a monitor. In the Griswolds' case, this provides a tearful comeuppance for Mom and Dad as Joe confesses his fear of his father and imitates his dad's rages. In addition, Mike has some tough talk for Roberta about the continued effect of her negativity on the family and her marriage -- if things continue down this path, failure is assured. He walks the parents through challenging scenarios with Joe, educating them step by step.
Fri, Jan 29, 2010
Jo visits Melissa & Mark Mann who need help with their 5-year-old daughter, Naomi and their 3-year-old triplets Nathaniel, Norah, and Madeleine. Naomi is known as the "mistress of mayhem," ruling the house with her tantrums, defiant attitude, and screaming. Her bad behavior has spread to her younger siblings. The parents' form of disciplining is paddling their kids with a wooden spoon if they misbehave which Jo doesn't agree with. Mark is anxious to go out alone with all the kids and even a trip to the beach ends in chaos while Melissa is hurt by Naomi's angry comments about her. Bedtime is also a disaster because the kids don't want to stay in their own rooms. Can Jo help this family?
Fri, Mar 5, 2010
Jo helps out single mom Ashley McKinney whose 3-year-old son, Kaiden has gotten so physically aggressive, he was asked to leave preschool. He also swears and breaks things in the house. His 6-year-old big sister, Kayla is also defiant towards her mother. With Ashley working as a single mom, student, and full-time bank employee, there is no structured schedule and Ashley feels like the kids are running the house and wants to gain control back. Can Jo help this single mom?