The Swanson Family is the fourth episode of Season 3 of the American Supernanny show.
Episode summary[]
Jo visits The Swanson Family in Ellensburg, Washington, where parents Ken (32) and Vania (29) are a blended family their are five sons: 9-year-old Alex, and 8-year-old Dawson, 5-year-old Myca (from Vania's previous relationships). 4-year-old Brendon and 3-year-old Christian (Ken and Vania's boys together).
Both parents own a taxi service, they work different shifts due to different parenting styles. When they're not working they argue about how to raise the kids. In the midst of this drama the boys are acting out violently and damaging each other's toys to draw attention to themselves. Ken has issues with the two eldest boys, mainly Alex, they often clash and don't get along. Alex and Ken's and the conflicting parenting styles are bringing the marriage to breaking point.
Supernanny is faced with her toughest mission yet, Can she bring love and resolution back into this family? Or will they be in divorce court.
Family Members[]
| Person | Age (2006) | Age (2024) | Relation to Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth "Ken" Swanson | 32 (Born February 23, 1974) | 50 | Father |
| Vania Swanson | 29 (Born February 1, 1977) | 47 | Mother |
| Alexander "Alex" | 9 (Born January 17, 1997) | 27 | Son |
| Dawson | 8 (Born March 24, 1998) | 26 | |
| Myca | 5 (Born August 14, 2001) | 23 | |
| Brenden | 4 (Born November 24, 2002) | 22 | |
| Christian | 3 (Born July 1, 2003) | 21 |
| The child was supposed to be disciplined via one of Jo Frost's techniques, but was never used on them. |
Behind The Scenes[]
This was filmed in September 2006.
Trivia[]
- This episode had been criticized a little bit due to Ken acting a bit too harsh to his older sons.
- Despite this, Ken was also liked by fans because of how much time he spent with the boys whilst Jo was with them.
- This episode was also loved for Jo saving their marriage.
- Brenden's name was misspelled as Brendon. This makes him the first kid on Supernanny to have their name misspelled. The second was Marlie from The Prescott Family, the third was Camryn from The Moy Family, and the fourth was Kristin from The Baulisch Family.
- This is the first family in the US to have 5 children all the same sex. The second was The Atkinson Family and The third was The George Family.
- Depending on your view, This can be considered as a No-Discipline episode due to Jo not implementing any discipline techniques in this episode. It was focused on bringing the family together.
- This is the first time to take place in Washington.
Pop Culture[]
- When the Boys were cleaning up, Brenden could be seen finding a Plush of Zumbah from the PBS Series, "Boohbah".
- When we see Brenden for the first time in the submission reel. He can be seen with a Happy Meal toy of a hammer. Said hammer comes from the Super Mario spin-off game, Mario Power Tennis, in which the hammer acts as Mario’s power shot. The games logo was censored to avoid any copyright issues with Nintendo.
- The board game, "Candy Land," can be seen during the submission reel.
- Dawson can be seen playing on a PlayStation 2 during the observation.
Events Post-Episode[]
- In 2013, Ken adopted Alexander, Dawson, and Myca.
- Vania gave birth to a 6th son named Preston
Fan Reception[]
This episode got mixed opinions from fans. Critics have criticized Ken for acting a bit too harsh to his stepsons. People have also believed that because of the divorce pending, the boys were acting up as a result. Despite this, Ken was also liked by fans because of how much time he spent with the boys whilst Jo was with them and for Jo saving their marriage.
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- Episode summary on supernanny.co.uk
- Supernanny Saves Couple from Divorce - Darn Divorce blog, 1/9/2007. Interview with Vania and Ken about Supernanny's visit and the results. We learn that Vania filed divorce papers in March 2006 and six months later the couple were being filmed Supernanny. She credits being on the program with saving her marriage. Ken is the one who wrote in for help.
- ‘Supernanny' saves local couple's marriage - Ellensburg Daily Record, 1/8/2007
- Full Episode on YouTube
- Full Episode (Complete) on archive.org
- Alex's Instagram (Private)
- Dawson's Instagram
- Myca's Instagram
- Brenden's Instagram
- Christian's Instagram
| Season 3 |
|---|
| The Bowersock Family • The Weinstein Family • The Fager Family • The Swanson Family • The Mihalik Family • The Smith Family • The Haines Family • The Nitti Family • The Bruno Family • The McAfee Family • The Goins Family • The Williams Family • The Walker Family • The Cantoni Family • The Amouri Family |