The Ririe Family/Transcript

Opening Credits
Announcer: Coming up, on Supernanny: Jo meets the Riries, whose four kids are wearing Mom down. Especially their three-year old wild child. At home, and out in public. Mom and Dad are at odds, and desperate for help. Jo has two weeks to tame the quartet of kids and bring this family back together.

Jo: Hello!

Blake: Give it to me!

Jen: Stop! Oh, my goodness! No, no! Do not. Did you see that car?

Jo: When you want to go play with your friends, you have to ask mommy and daddy first.

Submission Reel
The taxi drives toward the Ririe Family home. Jo opens her DVD player.

Jo: Let's see who we have got here.

Jennifer: Hi, we're the Riries. I'm Jen. This is Scott.

Scott: I'm Scott.

Old photos of Scott and Jennifer dating, then marrying, fill the screen.

Jen: Scott and I met on my first and only blind date.

Scott: Yeah, that's when I fell in love with her. I knew at that point we'd be together forever.

Jo gives a coy glance to the camera.

Jen: And, we have four children. Our daughter, Selia, is 9. Hallden is 7.

Scott: We also have a three-year old, Blake. And Brody, our one-year old. (Footage of Blake and Brody appear.) I'm in investment sales, and I leave early in the morning. about 4:30, and I'm home about 2 or 3.

Footage of the children screaming in the foyer as Scott comes home. He picks Brody up for a hug.

Jen: While Scott's working, I stay at home, and look after the kids.

Jennifer sits on the floor of the children's bedroom with a book in hand. A young boy (Blake?) clings to her clings and yells.

Jen (to camera): This is pretty much every day.

Jen (on Submission Reel): Blake is pretty much the biggest problem we have right now.

Blake enters the living room with a drill. With a large smirk on his face, he directs the drill at the living room sofa.

Jen (off-screen): Oh my goodness. Blake. Blake!!

Jo (looking at DVD player): Whoa!

Jen: Blake tends to run off. All the time. It scares the life out of me.

Jo: That boy's just run into the street!

Jen: I'm truly afraid for his safety.

Jen (running through house, looking for Blake): Blake!

Scott: But I don't think it's a problem, he's just being a kid.

Jen stands in the driveway, calling for her son.

Jen: Blake!

Jen (on Submission Reel): It's a huge trial to take Blake out in public, especially with four children.

The kids gather around the minivan. Blake gives the hand as Jennifer corrals the children.

Jen: Blake. Stay here.

Jen (on Submission Reel): Bedtimes in our house are disaster.

At dinner, Blake opens his mouth to show all the food in it.

Jen: Blake! Come on.

Scott: Come finish eating.

Blake heads out the patio door.

Jen: All of them are up, running around.

Scott: Jen and I disagree on our parenting styles.

Blake curls up in a ball, crying on the kitchen floor.

Jen: You're not having snacks!

Scott: What difference does it make, if he has a snack or not?

Jen: Then he doesn't eat dinner. That's the problem.

Jen (on Submission Reel): The behavior in the house makes me feel horribly frustrated.

Jen carries a screaming Blake out of the kitchen.

Jen (on Submission Reel): I obviously feel that I'm failing as a mother.

Jen puts her hands to her head as Blake screams in the background.

Jen (on Submission Reel): Supernanny, I couldn't work well. I don't know what to do. I'm at a loss. We please, please, need your help.

Jo closes the DVD player.

Jo: Guys, you really do need my help. I'm on my way!

The taxi speeds through the neighborhood. Jo arrives at the Ririe Family home.

Observation
Jo knocks on the front door. Blake runs to answer it. Jen, Scott and Brody wait at the door.

Jo: Hello!

Jen: Welcome! I'm Jen. Nice to meet you.

Jo: Jo Frost, nice to meet you.

Scott: I'm Scott.

Jo: Hi, Scott.

Jo shakes hands with Scott.

Jen (interview): Jo just seems amazing. I was very surprised when she came in so warm, and kind.

Jen: This is Selia.

Jo (shaking Selia's hand): Hi, Selia! Pleased to meet you.

Jen: This is Hallden.

Jo: Hi, Hallden, pleased to meet you. I'm Jo-Jo.

Jen: And this is Brody.

Scott: Broden.

Jo: Hi, you! Can you shake my hand?

Scott: Come on.

Scott smiles as Broden gives Jo his hand.

Scott (interview): When I first met Jo, I was a little apprehensive. But hopefully she'll be able to help with the things we need help with.

Jen: And this one right here--

Jo: Ah, look who's hiding!

Jen: That's Blake.

Jo: Hi, Blake! Are you gonna shake my hand and say hello? It's Jo-Jo! (Blake beams at the attention. They shake hands.)

Blake: Hello Jo-Jo, mom I need to go to the bathroom can you grab me a pull up from my drawer

Jen: Here you go here is your new pull up.

Blake: (putting on his pull up and then peeing in the toliet)

Jen: You went pee in the toilet good job.

Scott: OK, come on in

Jen: Yay! All right.

The family leads Jo into the house. Jo stands with Jen and Scott in the kitchen.

Jo: So while we're here, I know you've got issues that need to be addressed.

Jen: Yes.

Jo: And, I'm gonna help you resolve those. But for now, what I want you to do is just carry on as normal, and I'm just gonna be a fly on the wall and just observe and take mental notes, OK?

Jen: OK, wonderful. All right, thank you!

Scott: That's good.

Jo: OK!

Observation begins
Jo (interview): This morning, Mom was getting the kids ready for school. And she was helping them get dressed.

Jen putters in the bathroom with Hallden.

Jen: OK, where did Blake go? Did you see him? (Hallden shakes his head.)

The front door stands wide open. Jo peers at it from the stairs. In the bathroom, Jen pats Hallden on the shoulder.

Jen: OK, let's go find Blake. (Jen starts opening various doors and walking through the house as Jo looks on.) Blake. Blake!

Hallden: I don't see him.

Jen: I don't like this.

Jo (interview): My first thought was, "Oh my God. He's gone outside the door?! He's gonna cross the road. A car might hit him."

Jen continues her search of the house.

Jen: Blake! He's where?

Blake dashes down the street. A white van barrels down the road. Blake runs across the street.

Jo (interview): That boy just runs across. He doesn't look left or right. (Jo steps out into the street.) It is so dangerous.

Jo: Blake! Where're you going, darling?

Blake peeks out of the garage side door. Jo stands in the driveway. Jen approaches them grimly. Jo kneels with Blake in the driveway.

Jo: Look, there's Mommy now. You go with Mommy.

Jo, Blake and Jen stand in the driveway.

Jen: Honey, Mommy only has two eyes. I can only keep track of a few of you at a time. OK? You know I was very busy.

Blake: Where's Nicholas?

Jo: Is this something that happens all the time?

Jen: Not all the time, yeah...I mean, his friend lives here, and they play all the time, and I mean they're great, great friends--

Blake runs across the street.

Jo (pointing at Blake): But--

Jen: But yeah, but see... (Jo looks on in confusion.) Scott, did you see that Blake was clear across the street?

Scott: Yeah, he was returning a toy, I think.

Jo looks at the camera and raises a hand in an incredulous gesture.

Jen: OK, but don't you think it's a problem that he's just running outside on his own? And running across the street? Without letting me know?

Scott (looking totally confused): I'll talk about it with him if you want.

Jen: Well, I don't think it does any good.

They all go back inside.

Jo (interview): Jen tells Scott that their son runs across the road. But he just laughs at her.

Jen, angry with arms folded, stalks toward the house. Jo looks on helplessly. Inside, Jo and Jen talk.

Jen: I worry about their safety. A lot. Scott's much more lax about that, so we tend to argue. Or disagree about that.

Jo: How does that grate on you?

Jen (as Brody cries and fusses in the background): It's hard. Because he feels really strongly that he's right, and I feel very strongly that I'm right, and unfortunately with our types of personalities, there's not a lot of compromise, sometimes. Scott has his job that he works at, and I have my job. And my job is really being a mom, and I feel like I'm not doing a very good job.

Jo: How do you think you'll ever make him listen to you?

Jen: I truly don't know. It's like hitting my head against a brick wall.

Jo, stunned at this confession, opens her arms to Jen.

Jo: Aw....

Jen: All the time. (They hug.)

Jo (interview): Jen is really having a struggle communicating between the pair of them. And right now, Jen is not feeling like she's being heard.

Jo sits while Scott and Jen putter in the kitchen. The kids eat snacks at the kitchen island.

Jo: What are your plans today?

Jen: We're gonna try to go to the mall. The four-- All of us. We'll keep our fingers crossed that that works out OK.

Jo: So-- So that's troublesome, then?

Jen: I have no control whatsoever. So, um, I-- It just scares me to death.

Jo: Yeah. OK.

The Oaks mall looms ahead. Jen gets the kids out of the car. They walk toward the entrance.

Jen: Okay come on.

Jen: Blake! guys, out of the road. Out of the street, please. (Blake hops around the parking lot as a car zooms by.) Hey, stop! Blake! Did you see that car?

Jen: Come on, on the sidewalk please.

Blake ignores her, continuing to hop around with his head down to the ground.

Jo: Oh, my.

Jen (as kids tromp through bushes around the entrance): On the sidewalk, please. Blake? What's wrong

Blake runs ahead of his family, waving a toy back and forth.

Jo (interview): As soon as we arrived at the mall, Blake's just running off in every direction. He went into every shop, and he didn't want to listen--

Jo looks on disapprovingly as Blake runs around like a maniac. He plays with an ATM.

Jen: Blake, this way.

Blake runs off into a Sephora store, making faces in a hand mirror. Blake runs off toward a side exit. He plays with the handicap button and runs back and forth in the doorway. He continues to run ahead, then runs into a specialty food store.

Jen: Blake. BLAKE!

Blake continues to run off.

Jen: Blake. Seriously, OK? Blake, come here.

Jo She finally grabs for him as heels dashes across a central atrium. Jo looks on with a grim stare.

Jen: Do not run. Do not run. There he goes....

Blake runs away. Jo strides purposefully after him.

Jo: (interview): At one point I thought I'd have to take him on myself, and run for it.

Jo: I just had to run off because Blake was going by the elevator and I was scared he was going to get in and go down and leave Mom up here.

Jen: Step back you gotta let the people get out first.

Jen: No no no no!

Jen: You cannot run into a store without me do you understand?

Jen: Blake!

Blake: What is it?

Jen: No step away! Do not!

Jo: Blake went from to refusing to stay still to refusing to move.

Jen: Get up. Get up.

Jen: Come on lets go.

Jo: The longer we stayed at the mall the worst things got.

Jen: Stay here, stay here, stay here!

Jo: We’ve got a mother that’s just left two children including a baby that’s, three children here while she’s had to run off and get blake from the toy shop.

Jen: No what’s look have to happen all he had to leave all the kids.

Jen: Blake it is time to go to the bathroom I have a pull up in my bag so let’s go into the bathroom and change you before you go potty on the toilet. Take your dirty pull up off and put the new pull up on, there the new pull up is on.

Jo: It’s not working.

Jo: Kids back snack all the time.

Jen: There you go.

Jo: I don’t even know how many times i saw those children go into the pantry this is the biggest candy pantry i’ve ever seen. I’ve just been in the pantry it,s like candy land in there there are so many treats and sweets and cookies and candies i mean my god is perfect no wonder why jennifers having problems with children eating they’re filling themselves up on the old rubbish.

Jen: Nope.

Jen: No more.

Jen: Done done.

Brody: Open up.

Jen: No.

Jen: No more snacks.

Jo: So stop with jennifer we both agreed with the children when it comes to snack time.

Jen: No we do not no no we completely disagree Scott feels it’s fine for them to come and get a snack and it’s fine for me to as long as there,s a limit set it’s our problem is agreeing on that limit.

Jo: I can pretty much say that you are definitely on separate pages when it comes to snack time.

Scott: You can say that that’s the first.

Jen: Things you can say that.

Jo: Snack time needs to be sorted out asap.

Lunch Time
Jo: As soon as they sat down at lunchtime the children are up out of their seats one was getting a drink the other one didn’t want their food.

Jen: Stay here, yeah.

Scott: Holden, come here.

Jen: I’d like to have this all sit down at the same time.

Jo: This is typical of meal times.

Jen: Oh absolutely and i’d really like us to be able to all sit down together.

Jen: Have some cheese chew it and swallow it please.

Jen: Yeah.

Jo: Blake decided that he didn’t want to eat his food so he started to get up from the table and spits everything into the trash can.

Jo: This is common for Blake.

Jen: Yeah.

Jen: He’ll stuff his cheeks pretty much full and go spit it out.

Scott: If he doesn’t eat, it’s not a big deal because he’ll drink his chocolate milk and its so he’s nervous he’s healthy i don’t have a problem with it.

Jo: Blake doesn’t eat his food and he survives on chocolate milk i mean, what kind of kicker survive in chocolate milk that doesn’t think he’s a problem that,s ridiculous so that conflicts with Jenny’s point of view.

Scott yeah i mean i think she wants him to stay and sit down and eat lunch but he,s active he,s always up and down it,s just the way he is

Jo so how do you guys resolve your conflicting opinions as a couple we really don,t do we

Scott know

Parent Meeting
Jo: When i first meet a family i watch how the family dynamics work the very family had issues that needed address it didn't scott i've observed your family so let's go into the next room and discuss why see okay.

Jen: Having Joe come in and critiquing us i’m stressed out my anxious I’m scared but I’m definitely looking forward to get as much help as we can.

Jo: wow you are as an english woman i can sit here and say the american dream

Jen thank you

Jo your children are absolutely adorable and i think as parents you should be very proud of that and what you,ve achieved

Jen thank you

Jo however i can see this going down to a road of a nightmare if you guys are not careful

Jo i would like to talk about blake running across this road where you could be hit by the car i mean it,s dangerous here one more minute i got next his three years old

Jen he has three children at all times

Jo scott your laughing why are you laughing

Jen let,s see the problem is it,s just not at home he does it

Jo why as it become a situation where you think it,s very important to make sure that your child is protected from harm,s way and that,s not like to be laughed at it,s really not and you need to come together on the same page

Jo let,s talk about snacks the children feel free to go and help themselves in the pantry- snacks and meal times are now becoming a situation where you have no control that any you what they,re going to eat and where they,re going to meet in that,s got to stop

Jo discipline they both need to be in control of that seeing children are running right on the pair of you the pair of you are equal as far as child rearing and jenniffer needs to feel that her husband is on the same side as her you undermined what jennifer,s feeling correct me if i,m wrong

Jen its true

Jo scott you need to respect what jennifer is feeling your devaluate in every opinion she has as a parent and you need to support her as she supports you and jennifer as much as i sit here and tell scott

Jen and i was just me just chilling

Jo you need to pull your weights one

Jen definitely

Jo you need to stand as a solid united front for your children

Jo scott are you ready to put the hard work in and do this and change it

Jo jennifer

Jen i,m ready

Jen i really think she pretty much hit the nail on the head with all of the issues that you know she brought it i mean it,s kind of a slap in the face but it,s one that we needed

Teaching begins
Jo obviously i need to go into the Ririe family i great changes for them in a positive way because let,s say a mistake it i looked at stake folding routine

Jen okay very good

Jen jump run in a routine that really categorize basically just our time throughout the day

Jo put in a snacks at these times are going to keep the children going

Jen right

Jo it,s not gonna take him away from them but at the same time it,s gonna keep them going and fuel because they do engage in activities they do need to snack to keep go right wait won,t do now is mess up your mealtimes

Jen yeah

Jo so that your children are not gonna want to eat their dinner

Jen i think the structured snack times will have an incredible effect on our family

Jen i think meal times are just gonna get better and better

Jo he tries to push over the boundaries and when it comes to mom and dad discpline then they never follow through so that needs to change completely

Jo blake you have to respect to mommy and daddy and listen to what they are saying any smart mouth in which is talking back and being rude that,s not acceptable behavior

Jo blake can you turn around please and listen to joe joe when your mommy and daddy say to you no stop that if you don,t listen to mommy and daddy they,re going to make you sit on this alright and this is called the naughty circle and you,ll stay there for three minutes because you,re three years old

Jen i think the naughty circle will sibling because he hates being confined to any tournament area

Jo: I’m never to show you guys since the naughty circle is inappropriate for Celia and Orden i’ve introduced the Naughty Room and that’s what they can go if they behave unacceptable.

Jen: This is the Naughty Room don’t wanna be in there right.

Naughty Circle
[Jen claps her hands and point at Blake]

Jen: Blake you stay right there!

Jo: In the afternoon Blake went across the road and mom said stop. He actually looked around at her and carried on.

[Blake running across the road]

Blake: No! No no no! I want Nicholas.

[Jen grabs at Blake and carries at Blake]

Jen: Listen to me! Listen to me! I told you to stop. You do not stay in the road, You do not run in the road, and you do not tell me no. Come on!

[Jen puts Blake on the Naughty Circle]

Jo: Blake already give him a warning! Because he didn't listen to her and she put him straight to the Naughty Circle.

[Blake on the Naughty Circle]

[Jen explains why Blake's on the Naughty Circle]

Jen: You cannot run in the road.

Blake: Why?

Jen: Because it's dangerous and the car could come and hurt you. Roads are for cars they're not for people.

Jo: Because you didn't listen to mommy so you're gonna have to sit on the naughty circle for 3 minutes.

[Jo and Jen walk away]

Jen okay blake you had to come on the naughty circle because you didn,t listen to mommy right

Jo when you go back jennifer are we need to explain to blake why you put in there means that i want an apology please because you did not listen to me

Jen okay

Jen okay blake you had to come on the naughty circle because you didn,t listen to mommy right b

Jen blake look at me i want an apology i want you to tell me you,re sorry for not listening to me

Jo he sayes sorry off have you get from the naughty circle hugs and kisses

Jen up come on

Jo thank you hugs and kisses hold no grudges let,s move on to the next step

Jo next step it,s vital that knocks down the doors to prevent him from running out

Blake Sorry

Family Test Run
Jo: It's important that Jennifer and Scott learned how to grasp the technques while i'm away they do need to learn as parents to do this on their own so let's see how they get on.

Jen: (Interview) I'm nervous to not have Jo here she does tend to give a little confidence boost when she's around.

Jen: This isn't go around your neck that's not safe

Blake: No

Jen: You told me no one more time and you're going on the naughty circle do you understand me

Blake: No

Jen: Come on let's go

Blake: No

Jo: Discipline for Blake.

Jen: You're going on the naughty circle.

Blake: No

Jen: Sit

Jen: You're going in the naughty room

Hallden: No I did'nt do anything

Jen: Exactley you did'nt obey mom and you lied to me

Jo: Mom doing discipline for Hallden

Hallden: [Crying]

[Scott still reading the newspaper]

Jo: Reading the paper how come dad isn't doing any of the disicpline here

Jen: Hey Scott can i talk to you for a minute about the same page stuff

Jo: Good i'm glad mom's using the same page technique

Scott: Is there something you wanted to talk

Jen: I had Halden in the naughty room twice and then i had Blake on the naughty circle and you were just kind of wandering though the house

Jo: Dad hello

Jen: I mean what was going on

Scott: It Seemed like whenever something went wrong as you were there to discipline them

Jen: No sometimes i think you tried to ignore what's going on because you don't want deal with it is really what i think so

Scott: Well I wasn't ignoring

Jen: Okay

Scott: I was this i wasn't even aware

Jen: Okay

Jo: Come on guys bring it together

Jen: I felt totally all this pressure on me you know when i'm the one doing everything

Scott: They've been trying to push their limits with you beacuse they know that you'll say oh let me get your dad

Jo: If you don't stick together how you gonna your household effectivey

Jen: Wait for mom good job yay hi honey

Scott: Blake where are you going

Jen: How was work

Jo: Hello lock the door you forgot. Now he's running out of the house wake up this is dangerous

Jen: Blake what did i just talk about what did i just say about not leaving. Blake look at me didn't i just say don't leave. Look at me

Jo: Why are you grabbing him by the face

Jen: You do not walk out the front door without me

Jo: You are imitation him get down to his leval

Jen: You hold on to stroller while were in the parking lot just like that perfect

Jo: Oh this is good mom's taking the kids to the mall again like i asked her to let's see how she get's on with the roaming technque

Jen: You guys you can stand next to the stroller would you please stop that

Jen: (Interview) It is a huge deal going to the mall by myself without Jo it's horrifing to me

Jo: Blake's running off

Jen: Stop Blake stop

Jo: Mom he's not listening to you. Get him back and make him hold on to the stroller

Jen: (Interview) And Blake's behavior in the mall frustrates me to no end and i'm just constantly anxious constantly stress out and scared

Jo: You're never gonna to be able to go out in public. I've got to back to your house now.