Supernanny not so super says childcare expert

I've seen the show a few times and I don't think it's terribly miraculous. At the end of the show, the parents often talk about how it's helped and that they are working on things. None of the shows I saw seemed to indicate that it was an overnight thing but that the nanny was providing tools for a process. In any event, I don't think the show makes the kids look bad - it makes the parents look clueless.

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Gina Ford doesn't know what she is talking about. Supernanny always praises the children, saying to the parents that they have got wonderful /beautiful/clever children that need better parenting. She points out to the parents that the kid's bad behaviour is as a result of the kids pushing the boundaries. Jo Frost doesn't shame and blame - the kids are warned before being taught that their actions will have consequences which they have to accept. The "punishments" are not shameful.

Now that Gina Ford has finished with mumsnet she is trying to get publicity off the back of another childcare expert, rather than from her own thoughts and ideas.

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I have watched several shows of Supernanny and she is always telling the parents that the child's behavior is the result of their actions....and showing the parent how to change their behavior to help change the child's. She uses a common sense approach to the children in regrads to time out and praises. She actually makes sure the child understands what she is saying, not tuning her out. She tells the parents that they don't have to give the child an answer other then no all the time.

Seems someone doesn't like or get what she is doing b/c it's not popular to tell your child no and say that you don't have to give them an answer to everything.....

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Also Ford does not know much about the show if she thinks it happens overnight....they make it appear that way with wearing the same clothes (which I do not understand why they do it) but if you listen carefully you hear that all this happens over a period of time.

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Don't like the show. I actually discourage my parents to watch the show. Her tactics are not what I encourage at all and, as a child development professional, I think she does a major disservice to all of us.

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I have to disagree! I have learned quite a few things from watching Supernanny and they all have had a positive result. I was having a hard time with my 10 year old daughter not listening to me or obeying rules. I used a couple of methods that I got from watching Supernanny and now my 10 year old not only obeys the rules she has even started doing her chores and homework, etc without even being told. My household is alot happier thanks to Nanny Jo and I feel it has even brought me and my kids closer. Instead of feeling like I yell and harp on my kids all the time, we enjoy our time together. THANK YOU SO MUCH NANNY JO!!!!!!!

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I've never seen the UK version, but her description does not remotely match that of the US show.

Privacy: she helps families in crisis, after the parents themselves apply. The camera crew and producers clearly arrive hours or even days ahead of Supernanny, because they're in the house already when she arrives, cameras have been hung from the walls in every major room, and the whole family is eagerly anticipating her arrival. So nobody's privacy is "invaded"; she and the cameras are invited guests.

For day 1, SN just observes the family dynamic. Even though the family has provided video of their problems, and has their own theories about what's wrong, this is where she takes in the big picture. She also tries to talk one-on-one with family members, to hear what the wish the family life were like.

Day 2 is the dread parent meeting, and if the parents try to lay the fault at the feet of their kids, watch out because they're going to get an earful. If she has a bias, it's that kids are not the problem -- parents failing to assert themselves as the rightful authority figures are the problem. The point is frequently made that kids crave stability in their world, and that rules and consistent discipline help provide reasurance that "Mum and Dad" care. She communicates well the belief that setting boundaries and raising expectations are loving acts. Many of the parents have arrived at that crisis point because of inner conflicts they've been feeling about saying no to their kids. So that idea is something they especially need to grasp.

The rest of day 3 is SN and the parents working as a team to introduce a couple rules, explain consequences for misbehavior, and (inevitably) having to practice discipline. Typically that's some variation of Naughty Spot plus maybe one other such as Bedtime Routine. Then the parents are left to spend several days continuing the work on their own.

On day (5? 6? 7?), she returns to give the parents positive reinforcement on the progress they've made, encourage them to stick with the new habits, and help them "fine-tune" anything they haven't implemented quite right (for instance, a lot of parents at first tend to skip the step of getting down to a child's level and looking them in the eye to tell them why they've earned several minutes in the Naughty Spot).

The helps she offers is explicitly not "quick-fix". It really irks me to hear it described that way. She spends so much time pressing the parents to work on their fundamentals: teamwork, supporting one another, communicating both as partners and parents, long-term consistency, telling kids when they do things right, increasing time spent together as a family, etc.

I've also never seen a child be "pilloried" by the show or subjected to humiliation by it (though sometimes the parents come shockingly close -- and on those ocassions, I've been glad there has been someone there to tell them that's counter-productive, hurtful, and absolutely not necessary).

Honestly, I can't imagine what show Ms. Ford is watching. Hard to believe that the UK show would be 180-degrees opposite the US one, especially since it would require SN to be espousing completely opposite views to the two continents.

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I rather enjoy watching the SuperNanny, even though my son doesn't really have any issues that normal 13 year old boys don't have. (Messy, addicted to tv, and stinky! LOL)

I also watch Nanny 911, and while that show is ok, I feel that SN gets more to the root of the problems than N911.

And someone needs to clue Ms Ford in, because I almost always get a front row parking spot! ; ) I tell my nieces and son that I have it in good with the Parking Fairy!

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Gina Ford doesn't know what she is talking about, and what she did say is WRONG! The show is great. The children are NOT piloried. They are shown what they are doing is wrong, and the consequences of misbehaving. Jo usually talks with the parents and shows them a video of what THEY are doing wrong that is causing their children to misbehave. I have two children, 12 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, and there is nothing wrong with this show at all. Parents need to discipline their children in a way that is not physical, which this show gives the tools and instruction on how to do that. Too many parents let their children run rampant because they don't know how to parent or how to constructively discipline which is WHY this show is needed. Gina Ford needs to get another job because she does a poor job with the one she has!

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So, Jenni, what tactics DO you support!? There is NOTHING wrong with this show, and if you really are a child development professional, I don't think I would use you since you are putting down tactics that work and are beneficial to the children. The supernanny does none of the things the negative article says it does, at least not in the United States.

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This is a TV show that lets people know they are not alone, but it is a TV show that allows us to see the ignorance that goes on in homes today causing children of the future to fail and misbehave. Though there are no quick fixes I am sure they don't actually only spend the time we see on the show, and if they do we all know there are no quick fix to life changes. However, this show does have great ideas with team work, and discipline, though sometimes I wonder how the nannies keep their hands at their sides and don't go in swinging. We can all learn from this show, what parents not to be, and we can also learn great ideas such as different discipline styles and group activities.

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