Supernanny: How to Get the Best From Your Children [Paperback]

Jo Frost (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 12, 2005

Meet Supernanny Jo Frost, a modern-day Mary Poppins here to rescue today's beleaguered parents by offering up her practical, road-tested methods of childrearing in an indispensable new book based on her upcoming ABC-TV series.

Jo Frost, a.k.a. Supernanny, is the answer to every stressed-out parent's dreams. In ABC's upcoming primetime TV series by the same name, Jo works miracles on problem children by dispensing hard-won wisdom and reassuring us that parents really do know best. The Supernanny method gives parents the know-how to tackle problem areas such as mealtime, bath time, bedtime, bedwetting, homework, sibling rivalry, aggressive behavior, or a child who just won't do what he or she is told to do.

Divided into action-oriented problem and solution sections, Supernanny will show parents how to restore harmony and authority in the home using the Supernanny's ten basic rules and her effective, no-nonsense approach to problem-solving. For example:

Problem: What if your child refuses to go to bed? Supernanny Solution: Develop a bedtime routine so that the child can get used to a consistent pattern that she is not going to be able to change or manipulate. A routine will set up a calming sequence of events that will be designed to help the child relax.

Problem: Toilet-training Supernanny Solution: Prepare your child by taking any hint of shame or disgust out of what is simply a natural fact of life. Keep the door open, bring her into the bathroom with you, and explain what's happening, including the use of toilet paper and the washing of hands afterward.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

For despairing moms and dads everywhere, "Supernanny" Jo Frost may as well be wearing a Wonder Woman costume. Her no-nonsense rules--not tips, not advice, but rules--for consistently managing one's offspring leave no room for arguments (or wrestling matches). From her arms-akimbo stance on the book's cover, it's clear she's in charge, and ready to instruct all wishy-washy (overworked American) parents how to lay down the law in their own home. She offers her "top ten rules" for setting boundaries, managing mealtimes, even surviving toilet training, and it's mostly rock-solid, and peppered liberally with British wit. (For parents who obsess over their toddler's every meal, she warns: "It doesn't take long for them to work out the obvious: you can't make them eat.") Frost may not have a degree in child development, but she was raised in a stable, doting family, and has 15 years' experience taking care of tots, a combination which puts her way ahead of most parents. She may be firm, but by setting definite boundaries, she sets the stage for parenting to be more of a "joy" and much less of a "slog." You can raise your sippy cups to that. --Erica Jorgensen

Review

'Kim and Aggie for naughty toddlers' -- The Times 'Don't miss it. We're hoping for a second series ... heartwarming stuff.' -- Heat (Five Star review) on Channel 4's Supernanny 'An invaluable guide' -- The Sun 'It's Jo's experience and geniune warmth that really sets this apart from all other childcare manuals ... a must-buy' -- heat (5 star review) 'The answer to every mother's prayers' -- Sunday Express --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1 edition (January 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401308104
• ISBN-13: 978-1401308100
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (113 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,409 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Relationships

More About the Author

Jo Frost is one of the UK's leading childcare and baby experts. She presents the hit TV show Supernanny and has become the nation's preferred nanny.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 108 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Discipline Tips That Work For Us, June 24, 2006

By 

Donna Lee - See all my reviews

This review is from: Supernanny: How to Get the Best From Your Children (Paperback)

"SUPERNANNY" has discipline guidance relative to a spectrum of ages, infant through elementary school age and offers a variety of specific interventions of how to get better behavior from a child. I found Jo's advice to be easy to understand and I agree with the majority of suggested interventions especially on getting your child to sleep in his own bed at night. This book emphasizes 3 main areas to focus on: Putting an immediate stop to the undesirable or dangerous behavior in the heat of the moment (like whining, backtalk, hitting, tantrums and not listening)...Continuing to use "positive" discipline (outside the heat of the moment) by noticing and encouraging the good behaviors (like cleaning up, healthy eating, uses manners, sharing, and following a bedtime routine) and...lastly "Supernanny" stresses the importance and positive effects of adults prioritizing daily one-on-one time with each child that serves to strengthen the relationship between parent and child therby getting more cooperation from the child just because he knows he is important and understood.

As a teacher and mother of a very active 3-year-old, I highly recommend "SUPERNANNY" along with another parent friendly reference book that I purchased with this one called "THE POCKET PARENT", written soley for parents of 2, 3, 4, and 5 year-olds. These books are indeed "better together" as they compliment each other's helpful child rearing information. Neither book needs to be read cover to cover, but rather as you need it by subject (like bedtime, tantrums, etc)...giving you tons of quick-read discipline tips and strategies to consider trying on just about every challenging behavior your child throws your way.

230 of 259 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Respectable, Practical, Professional, and Engaging, February 7, 2005

By 

J. L. Wells (Kentucky) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Supernanny: How to Get the Best From Your Children (Paperback)

This was an interesting purchase for me. I am not a parent, but I am a teacher, and after catching a few episodes of "Super Nanny" on TV, I was intrigued by and supportive of Jo Frost's approach and foundational principles. This book appeared as I was browsing through current bestsellers, and mainly because of the price, I decided to purchase. What a nice find! The price alone is terrific, but do not let it fool you -- the book is quite professionally done. The book's principles are very solid, and the pictures are pleasant, beautiful, and engaging. Wait until you open to the child on the first page! How adorable! Ms. Frost's advice is very respectable. She makes consistent application of her "Top Ten Rules" throughout the book and also for specific behaviors. As a teacher, I agree with her advice. An organized schedule and a system of "currency" (praise and rewards and behaviors and consequences) are key staples in the classroom environment, but are very rarely applied in home situations. This book is a very good primer and starting point for parents. I would even recommend this book for new teachers (or seasoned teachers who need a little inspiration). Overall, this is the most practical, immediate, engaging, cost-effective, professional, and thought-provoking book on parenting and dealing with children. Go ahead and buy it. It will probably be the best ten dollars you've ever spent. I highly recommend!

62 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Enjoyed this Parenting Tips Book, April 5, 2005

By 

K. Jordan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Supernanny: How to Get the Best From Your Children (Paperback)

I was drawn in by the tv show and liked Jo's style and approach so I bought this book. My daughter is still quite small and I've been 'reading ahead' to get ideas for general approaches and techniques. I've been trying to get MYSELF ready for the future since one of the lessons that is proven out week after week by that show is that often children's misbehavior is directly related to how the parents handle - or don't handle - the behaviors that all little kids try out.

I like her Top 10 rules and how she applies them to each key area (e.g. eating, toilet training, dressing, etc.) I like that she takes in the whole picture and often talks about how one behavior could lead to another.

I went to a baby proofing seminar recently and although I might not remember the specifics of each gadget, I really remember one thing he said which is to get the items and practice using them BEFORE you think you need them. That way you have a chance to get comfortable with them before you have a toddler challenging every move.

I really took that to heart and think that applies to a lot of these techniques as well. For example, Jo talks a lot about giving warnings and explanations that things are about to happen so children aren't surprised. "In 5 minutes we are going to eat." or "I'm going to give you a bath after dinner." She calls it the Talking Clock method. So, if my husband and I learn to start talking her thru what goes on each day, hopefully we can help establish better routines before there are problems. As a parent, it's important that we learn and practice things that are going to help her learn!

I enjoyed the book. The general techniques are even handed and appear very common sense. They're useful because as a first-time parent I don't have the experience to necessarily anticipate behaviors or have already thought up techniques to head them off.

The book contains general approaches and some troubleshooting ideas. It doesn't have specific advice for severe problems - look elsewhere for that kind of info. The book does have a nice list of websites with a good synopsis of the information it contains. I've done a lot of researching on the web and the book suggested some new ones I hadn't seen.

As parents we are responsible for being consistent with our kids. We need to discuss which techniques we are going to implement and then back each other up!