Season 4, episode 18


 * On the request of the family, their names have not been used on this page.

Season 4, episode 18 is the eighteenth episode of Season 4 of the American Supernanny show.

Episode summary
Jo visits the family living in San Dimas, California where the father (58) and mother (43) have six children: a 20-year-old daughter (who is in college), a 17-year-old son, a 14-year-old son, a 10-year-old son, an 8-year-old son, and a 2-year-old daughter.

The mother is so busy with her work as a successful real estate agent and is constantly on her cell phone, she has no time for the kids. The father's 17-year-old and 14-year-old stepsons feel that their stepdad is freeloading & their mother makes more money than he does.

All 4 of the boys spend much of their day playing video games & have no responsibility around the house or act out. Meanwhile, the calm 2-year-old daughter wanders around the house and seeks attention.

Can Jo help out the family?

Episode recap
During Jo's observation, the mother doesn't even come downstairs to greet her, which Jo thinks is rude. When the 2-year-old starts taking a liking to Jo, the mother gets jealous, saying, "She'd rather sit in with Supernanny than watch TV. This is ridiculous!"

When Jo speaks with the boys, the 14-year-old son says that his mom is always angry. At dinnertime, a fight breaks out over money because the boys don't think that the father provides well enough for the family while the mother says that she pays the bills.

Later, Jo finds the 2-year-old daughter in bed with a can of spray cheese, watching TV while the mother is in her office. On tv a documentary about gang violence was on after the father left it on. Jo asked the mother was this tv show appropriate for the 2-year-old daughter to be watching. Jo then told what was on the television. The mother then said oh no she shouldn’t be watching that and changed the channel and the mother said she wasn’t paying attention because she was in her office at that time.

At the parents' meeting, Jo addresses the children’s lack of responsibility and chores, and takes the mother to task about leaving the 2-year-old daughter to look after herself. She also encourages the father to be more involved and more vocal.

The mother and Jo butt heads with each other. Jo tells her, "You've got no respect!" and the mother answers back, "I can't change overnight."

The next day, Jo makes the family put away all of their technology (including the mother's cell phone) in a jar. After that, she helps the father & the mother mend their relationship. Then, Jo creates a chore list for the kids.

The father bonds with his stepsons by playing pool with them and Jo teaches the mother how to put the 2-year-old daughter to sleep in her own bed. After Jo leaves the family for three days, the mother grabs her cell phone out of the jar.

Three days later, Jo returns to the family's house with DVD footage which includes an unsuccessful family movie night, the mother barking orders at everyone and she & the father arguing over changing the 2-year-old daughter's diaper.

Jo tells the mother that she has a future as a prison guard. “This is a prison here,” the mother replies. “I have to be their warden.” Jo doesn't accept her excuse and tells her, "There's no love!"

Later on, the father gives his family a sermon, admitting that he hasn't done the best job being a father & husband. Then, Jo plans a game for the family where they work in teams to complete challenges and the losers get pies in their face.

In the end, the family starts getting along much better and the mother promises, "I'm not going to be an armchair parent."

Behind the scenes
This episode was filmed in February 2008.