That Nanny Show

[4blessings]

I don't remember which one I saw last night. Actually, I only saw a small part of it. It was a clip of the mom trying to get the 2 y/o to sleep in his crib. The nanny had her put the boy in his crib and just sit on the floor of his room with her head bowed and not looking at him and not speaking to him. I don't know. To me that almost seemed more cruel than letting a child CIO (which I wouldn't do, either.) I felt so sorry for that poor little boy sitting there calling out to his mommy and not understanding why she was sitting right there but wouldn't speak to or look at him. :bheart I had to turn off the TV. It was too sad. :(

[Oliveshoots]

We had a great thread going about that very incident back on the old boards. (Last night was a re-run from Feb. or Mar.)
I agree that I felt it was wierd with the no eye-contact thing.
Someone made a good point on the last thread, that at that age, it might have been appropriate? I can't remember who or what they said. I do agree with you though that it was odd.
I'm not too crazy about Nanny Jo, but I do like her as a person, and some of her ideas/methods are great. She is just so "behavioral" to me, and I'm sure that's due to her education or training (I was heading in that direction after college....so glad I didn't continue that way.)

[DogwoodMama]

It's also being discussed on this thread... :)
http://www.gentlechristianmothers.com/mb/index.php?topic=4746.0

[4blessings]

Thanks! I'll check that out!

[UltraMother]

Honestly, I refuse to watch any of these "nanny" shows. If your children are already having a very hard time behaving, it's cruel to have a camera crew following you around and a complete stranger who changes everything. I also wonder how many children learn only to obey the nanny. They only have to put up with her for a week, right? What happens when she leaves? And what about when the kids realize that she was only helping them for money/publicity/whatever? I bet there will be some happy therapists in their future.

[sadie]

Honestly, I refuse to watch any of these "nanny" shows. If your children are already having a very hard time behaving, it's cruel to have a camera crew following you around and a complete stranger who changes everything. I also wonder how many children learn only to obey the nanny. They only have to put up with her for a week, right? What happens when she leaves? And what about when the kids realize that she was only helping them for money/publicity/whatever? I bet there will be some happy therapists in their future.


:clap :clap :clap

Glad someone said this.

[erinee]

Honestly, I refuse to watch any of these "nanny" shows. If your children are already having a very hard time behaving, it's cruel to have a camera crew following you around and a complete stranger who changes everything. I also wonder how many children learn only to obey the nanny. They only have to put up with her for a week, right? What happens when she leaves? And what about when the kids realize that she was only helping them for money/publicity/whatever? I bet there will be some happy therapists in their future.


I do understand what you're saying, but there have been so many times I wished I could have Dr. Sears or Crystal come to my house for a week and actually *see* what was going on and give me specific ideas. I guess I can see where it would be helpful to have someone do that (although without the camera crews and airing on national TV with tricky editing ;)).

[sadie]

IKWYM Erinee. I wish I could have Crystal come over too :tu

But that is very different, IMO, from what these shows do. After all, if Crystal came over to my house to help me, she wouldn't bring a camera crew, nor would she be careful to do things that will be entertaining and garner good ratings, nor would she focus only on methods that gain immediate compliance over long-term benefits (correct me if I"m wrong Crystal :P :lol ).


This show is more focused on making the nanny look good than actually helping the family. :(

[booboo]

IMO, I think some people are missing the point here. The child wasn't getting to sleep at a decent hour, the mom was totally exhausted and after a while, he did learn to get to sleep on his own. I know many of you are into cosleeping, but it doesn't work for everyone. I do believe in gentle parenting and am still learning.
I don't think this show is just all about making "JoJo" look good.

For me, I've learned a lot of positive points. Even my counselor who is prospanking and wouldn't listen to Sears' Biblical viewpoint, saw her points on why spanking wouldn't teach them anything. (there was an episode where the dad did spank and she told him not to and why)

[ArmsOfLove]

Well I wouldn't come over and roll my eyes :rolleyes and look shocked :wow

:)

[sadie]

Booboo, you're right, people can possibly learn things that help them from this show. :)

My concern is, however, that people forget this is entertainment, and the goal is the get good ratings to keep the show on the air. This show is not aired for the edification of parents and in hopes that they ought to learn how to parent from it. I have heard too many references lately from moms I know who seem to think it's an educational show. :rolleyes I don't mean it's specifically to make the nanny herself look good, but the show is designed to be entertaining and make her someone the public enjoys watching. So everything she does and how it's edited, etc. is geared towards that goal.

[cklewis]

Except . . . . Nanny Deb rocks! :tu She's soooooo very cool and better than all the other nannies.

C

[4blessings]

IMO, I think some people are missing the point here. The child wasn't getting to sleep at a decent hour, the mom was totally exhausted and after a while, he did learn to get to sleep on his own. I know many of you are into cosleeping, but it doesn't work for everyone.

That point wasn't lost on me. I completely understand a child not getting to sleep and mom feeling exhausted as a result. I've been that mom more than once. I just think there's a better way to help a child get to sleep than the way it was done on the show. As I said, the way Crystal described is what worked for us. We set and enforced firm boundaries yet didn't completely ignore our child.

I also agree that some things can be learned from the show. I especially like how the nanny encourages parents to get the kids helping out so everyone is working as a team.

[booboo]

Sadie,

I totally see your point. I've been one of those guilty of seeing this show as educational, yet some things I take as a grain of salt. Like Crystal mentioned JoJo being "totally shocked." This is said every week. You'd think by now she wouldn't be so shocked by what she sees. :wow The part about the kids being involved in stuff does motivate me. And let's face it, if the kids weren't misbehaving so badly, it wouldn't make it on tv, would it? I admit I've seen my kids behave like some I've seen on there. My 6 yo has major tantrums that wears me out by the end of the day. :banghead

I may have said before, I don't learn well by reading up on a topic. So even just picking up on the kids participating every week, if it showed that every week, it would help me somewhat as a mom. And I like to really see I'm not alone and don't deserve some of those angry look from strangers in the grocery store.

I hope I didn't get anybody angry here.

[sadie]

(((((((((((((((booboo)))))))))))))))))))))) :hug

Of course not. I totally see what you mean. And you are a great mama. :hearts

ETA all those people who give you dirty looks either don't have kids or have forgotten their own children's public meltdowns :P