Welcome to our forum for ABC's Supernanny!

[Lesa]

You've been very very naughty.

It's funny, every time I see a kid acting up in the grocery store, I think, "This looks like a job for Supernanny!" Since this show and Medium are on at the same time and I don't have a VCR that records, I find myself flipping over to Supernanny during Medium commercials just to see how bad those kids are in the beginning, and how well-behaved they are at the end. I did get to catch a whole ep of Supernanny when it first premiered, though, since Medium started a week later. I figure I should get to catch Jo while Medium is in its reruns.

I can't help but wonder, though... Does anyone here think there's any chance that this whole thing could be staged and the kids are only actors, pretending to misbehave? Or is this an honest to goodness reality show? Is it really possible to teach kids to behave after only a couple of weeks?

Welcome to our Supernanny forum!
Now let's hear your input.

[Lizzbitt]

I can't help but wonder, though... Does anyone here think there's any chance that this whole thing could be staged and the kids are only actors, pretending to misbehave? Or is this an honest to goodness reality show? Is it really possible to teach kids to behave after only a couple of weeks?

I don't really know. I watch it sometimes and think like you do. Sometimes, I think the kids are acting and sometimes I think they are not.

Yes, I think you can teach a kid to behave in 2 weeks. I think it's the first week that is murder to them.

These kids are over the top. But I don't want to grab the kid, I want to grab the parents for letting them get that out of control.

[Lesa]

But I don't want to grab the kid, I want to grab the parents for letting them get that out of control.

I know what you mean, Lizzbitt. But although I was 15 when my sister was born, I've never raised kids myself to know if I could do any better. I believe one major key is consistency, but knowing and doing are two separate things and I don't know if I could be consistent enough. Then you have the other parent to consider. What if both parents have different ideas on how to react to different situations? So much for consistency there.

If this show is for real, then I think every parent should watch, especially if their children misbehave a lot. Heck, even if the kids are acting, I think still there's a lot of good advice on that show that parents and their children can benefit from.

[Crstlmichallet]

Naw, I don't believe it's staged especially when they show the kids eating so much sweets. I watch the show and laugh at how clueless the parents are. It's like watching some of my friends putting their kids to bed.

Gee, you let him drink a regular soda for dinner, give him choclate pudding for desert and then you wonder why he's all wound up and bouncing off the walls and doesn't fall asleep until midnight....hummmm, what could it be??

I think it's very possible to get a kid to learn to behave in two weeks especially when you regulate the amount of sugar intake they consume.

Crystal

[Lesa]

You've got a good point there, Crystal!

In the first ep, Jo teaches the parents to first warn the kids that they'll have to sit in the naughty chair, then actually put them in the naughty chair if they keep misbehaving, keeping them there for one minute per year of their age. So what does the father do? He loses his temper and immediately puts the little girl in the naughty chair without a warning. Before leaving the naughty chair, the child is supposed to apologize. Yes, daddy remembers this, but the tone of voice that child uses when she says "sorry" wasn't a real apology, and I love the way Jo reacts to all of this as she's watching it.

Speaking of consistency...

[MrEMahon]

Heh, that's funny Crystal, give em pop for dinner and chocolate for desert and then they wonder why the kids are rambuctious, well, who knew?

Mr E