The Woods Family

The Woods Family^[1] is the first episode of series 1 of the British Supernanny TV show.

Synopsis[]

"The Woods family from Grantham call upon Jo for her expert advice and no-nonsense approach to child rearing. Their youngest child, two-year-old Charlie, is destroying and dominating family life." - Channel 4 Website

Recap[]

Submission Tape[]

When Lucy brought her two children twelve-year-old Caitlin and Billy ten into a new life with firefighter Steve Woods, the family couldn’t have expected a happier ending. However, things turned sour when they wanted a child of their own. 2 ½-year-old Charlie controls his family by showing aggression and throwing violent temper tantrums. Lucy, in particular, doesn’t make things better. She gives him choices in hopes of giving him what he wants, Steve often goes along with it. They even let him sit in the dark if that’s what he wants.

He won’t eat, won’t sleep, won’t get dressed, or take a bath without throwing countless temper tantrums beforehand. His parents find it amusing and give into his every demand. However, that’s not the case for Caitlin and Billy. If they do something their parents don’t want them to do, they get punished, Charlie rarely does. Billy can’t even do his homework with his Mom because he snatches his book and pen and writes on it. Neither child is allowed to watch what they want on TV because Charlie will turn it off. Even though Lucy knows they’re missing out, she refuses to change.

Observation[]

Jo arrives at dinner time which is normally an all-out war for the family. While the rest of his family eats, Charlie plays around and isn’t told off. Lucy reveals to their visitor that most times he refuses to sit with them. Sure enough, ten minutes later, Charlie did not even touch his meal and helped himself to candy. While the family clears up, Caitlin and Billy are left to deal with an explosive tantrum after Billy wants to watch TV but Charlie keeps switching it off. Caitlin tries to help but even her efforts to pull him away aren’t helping. Billy gets frustrated because his parents aren’t stepping in to help so he yells at him. When Steve hears this, he blames his step-kids for not playing well with him. Jo finds this unbelievable.

After a troublesome bath, Lucy tells Jo that Steve’s making him toast because he’s still hungry after his candy. She cuddles him in a towel as he whines about not wanting to get dressed. Luckily for him, he gets another snack and he gets to decide when he wants to get ready for bed, despite it being his bedtime already. Finally, when he finishes his food, he whines for his brother to put his nappy on and get him ready for bed. Because he’s the king of the castle, Billy is forced to do it.

When Jo arrives for day two, it’s time for Billy to go to school. That also means it’s time to get Charlie dressed. With no snacks to bribe him, he has an all-out fit and does whatever he can to make sure his frustrated Mom still does exactly as he asks. As always, she gets him a sippy cup and lets him make the whole family late. When Jo finds out that Charlie dictates what time they leave as well, she’s astonished. Once he finishes his drink, Charlie desperately needs to get dressed but he’s still resisting. Luckily, Steve returns to calm the family down by taking Billy himself leaving his exhausted wife with his son.

Parent Meeting[]

Jo tells Lucy and Steve about how she’s never seen a toddler control his whole family like she is with Charlie. She confronts Lucy for giving him choices and tells her just how damaging it is for a boy his age. She also confronts Steve for going along with it and panicking at the first sign of trouble rather than dealing with him.

Teaching[]

With the whole family awake, now it’s time for the family to get their very own routine detailing the time the family needs to get up and what time they need to go to bed. There’s even special one-on-one time for Billy and Caitlin with their parents involved. She even gives them rules that Charlie has to abide by. There’s barely any time before Charlie tests his parents by refusing to turn the TV on when Caitlin wants it. Jo teaches Lucy how to take care of him and she follows her instructions so well that Charlie only needs a warning to stop acting out and Caitlin gets her alone time. However, that doesn’t mean Charlie won’t test the family. It’s important that Lucy and Steve are prepared. To do so, they need the naughty step.

By dinner time, trouble is sure to be brewing in the distance. That comes when Charlie decides he wants to throw his pasta on the counter during a tantrum. At first, Lucy ignores it but Jo corrects her and tells Charlie just how bad he’s being. He begins to start whining again for something none of the adults can understand. Eventually, when Jo finds out he wants juice, he’s given his drink but told to stop being naughty and sit at the table. However, Lucy feels bad for what she’s done to him. With Jo’s help, she realizes she needs to discipline his bad behavior.

Lucy goes back to her old ways briefly when she asks Charlie if he wants his dinner. Jo corrects her once again. With her guidance, she makes it clear to her young son that he won’t be allowed to act out any longer. However, he tests her once again when he throws his silverware on the floor. He’s given a warning but continues and is sent away from the family. Seeing his family eat happily, Charlie considers joining his family before agreeing and eating his meal for the first time in months. His siblings and parents praise him.

However, that doesn’t mean he’s been dealt with yet. Over the next couple of days, Jo wants to work on discipline until both parents have it down. The family has tons of practice as Charlie gets used to the step and his discipline. One person who isn’t though, is Lucy. Even though Steve’s nailing it, she still thinks of him as her baby. That’s a problem Jo seems well aware of. When she confronts her, Lucy becomes defensive and believes that the longer he can be a baby, the better, however, she accepts the technique and is willing to work on it. To her surprise, Charlie is a pro at being a big boy.

The next day, since Charlie is progressing so well, Jo turns her focus to Caitlin and Billy. Even though Billy is struggling, Jo notices that Caitlin is struggling more because of her strained relationship with her Mom. She sees this and in order to test that theory, she brushes her hair and calls her beautiful to get her reaction. Even though she’s hesitant, she admits she’s given up on spending time with her now that Charlie’s taking up her positive attention. Whenever she isn’t with Charlie, Lucy sleeps because she works a night shift.

Jo speaks to Lucy and Steve about the older two since they’re too scared. She reminds them they were the ones who chose to have three children. Even though they’re not biologically Steve’s, he has stepped in as their step-father. He agrees with her, however, Lucy is defensive and cold to her. She tells her it’s different for her and Steve since they’re their parents and she’s not. She becomes jealous that Caitlin opened up to Jo and not to her. Even though Jo understands, she believes it’s bad parenting if she can’t even get Billy to school on time or be involved in either child’s life. She believes that he has given up on asking her for help with homework and that because of that, she’s ruined her kid's self-esteem. Lucy, however, still believes that Jo’s gone over the top and she shouldn’t be associating herself with things she and Steve should be doing.

To ensure that Billy and Caitlin get the time they need from their parents, Charlie needs to stop dictating what time he goes to bed. With his behavior improved, Charlie now acts much calmer during bathtime. When it’s time to get out, he gets excited about his story and gets his pajamas on. With the constant reminder of what is to come next, he’s now well aware of when he needs to be sleeping. To their surprise, after his story, he falls asleep quickly. Not only do the couple have an evening but that also means the older kids can now have their Mom’s full attention when it comes time to homework. Before Jo leaves for the week though, she instructs the parents to go on a date night. With her promise in tow, she leaves the Woods planning to return one week later to see if they have kept up.

Family Test Run[]

The week starts out with Charlie throwing his usual tantrum over having to get dressed. However, Lucy executes the naughty step perfectly and he returns ready to get ready. However, she is still getting him dressed, something she realizes now and is willing to change. Throughout the first couple of days, Charlie behavies spelendidly, at dinner time, bath time, and even bed time. Lucy’s impressed and believes she’s cracked the routine. Charlie even plays in the snow by himself being a good boy instead of for her.

However, the same can’t be said for Steve who messes the routine up by giving Charlie a later bedtime. Now, Charlie’s back in control and is demanding for snack after snack. Lucy’s not impressed. She and Steve argue about the story. Lucy thinks Charlie’s earned it but Steve knows it’s too late. Nevertheless, Steve gives in and gives him a story anyway.

Not getting enough sleep, Charlie’s back to running rings around his parents. When he cries for cake, Steve tries everything not to give in. He’s put on the step but he doesn’t have a warning or exclamation. The two are so busy being frustrated with each other that they allow Charlie to wander off. His tantrum continues as he begs his Mom for cake despite his Dad telling him no. Lucy sticks to her guns and tells him no but that only esculates his tantrum. She also givs him a choice about sitting on the stairs. He keeps whining and his Mom keeps ignoring him. Charlie, knowing Jo’s rules, sits on the step without being told. When he’s told he doesn’t have to, he continues whining.

Steve and Lucy are exhausted. Lucy isn’t getting sleep at night because she works the night shifts. Charlie hears this and distracts his parents by throwing toys at his Dad. Steve chases him and takes him to the corner. When his wife gives him advice, he angrily shoves him down which makes his son more upset. Steve tries to fight back but Charlie still has a belief that he runs the house. He continuously runs around the house not doing as he was told. Once again, he’s told to explain to him but that’s not the next step. Steve goes back and forth negotiating with him to sit. Lucy laughs at her husbands failure which causes Steve to become increasingly frustrated as he looks under the couch for his son. Instead of grabbing him, he shouts at him to get out causing him to scream. When he does get him out, Steve decides his timeout is over despite him not even sitting still for a minute.

With Lucy and Steve refusing to fix things, Caitlin still feels like she’s not getting her Mom’s attention. Lucy has done great with fixing things with Billy but her daughter is still pleading for her attention. She’s resorted to not even telling her Mom how she feels because she knows she’ll blame her for not spending time with her. In order to avoid a fight, she’s given up. Lucy’s found herself exhausted which she thinks is the reason Caitlin isn’t getting her time. Steve tries telling her to go to bed but she tells him she can’t do that. Steve thinks she’s blaming her exhaustion on him and they continue to argue. He feels like she’s giving up on her son because she wants to sleep. Lucy finds it hard to juggle having a job and her family.

After arguing nonstop over the past couple days, Steve and Lucy decide to fix that and go on a date like Jo suggested. Despite the fact that they’re both nervous, the nerves go away and they have a fantastic evening out. Their chemistry has been rebuilt. Having been watched by Caitlin, Charlie has started a tantrum because he doesn’t want to go to bed. Once his parents return, they give in and let him sleep with them. He doesn’t go back to bed and starts causing trouble early in the morning waking his parents. His Mom spanks him and his Dad lectures him about being a good boy and lying down in bed until it’s time to get up. Even though Lucy’s exhausted, she takes her son downstairs anyway undermining Steve’s attempts to discipline. He even gets a midnight snack and is even allowed to loudly talk and play in the middle of the night.

Having spent the last couple of days getting whatever he’s wanted, Charlie has officially regained control and the bathtime tantrums continue. He has a full-on meltdown by screaming his head off in his Mom’s face when she tells him no. He even goes back to hurting his Mom which causes her to scream at him only for him to cry more. When Lucy tries finally putting him on the naughty step, he has learned that the naughty step is a joke and that she’ll just give in. He runs up steps, screams his head off, and refuses to listen, all while not even getting dressed. To make things worse, he throws an hour long fit because of it throwing toys, slamming doors, and still screaming his head off. He even continues switching off the TV when Billy tries switching it on. Lucy’s distraught and Billy has once again become frustrated and has stormed away in anger.

Video Meeting[]

Finally, Jo’s back and she isn’t amused with what she’s seen. She tells them their whole family has slipped. She starts by showing them the video of Steve not doing the naughty step correctly. He looks on embarrassed as she lectures him about maintaining his authority and showing Charlie whos in charge instead of getting immediately frustrated with him. Steve excuses they were tired but Jo’s not taking any of it. She tells him that now because of him, he’s messed up everything his toddlers ever known about the step.

Once she finishes with critasising Steve, she continues by moving onto the bathtime fight that ended with an explosion in the Woods. Jo reminds her she should’ve been reminding him throughout. She sees that she’s gone back to her old ways by letting Charlie choose the towels. She reminds her again not to give him choices to distract him from fits. He keeps changing his mind. Eventually, Lucy gives and gets the other one ushering him out. Jo agrees Lucy and Steve definitely still need help so she agrees to help them with the last week she has left.

Reinforcement[]

When Steve gets Charlie inside, he refuses to get his coat off so Steve gives him a warning. When he refuses, he carries him to the naughty step leaving Jo pleased. However, he still struggles with explaining so Jo shows him how to do just that. Seeing that his Dad means business, Charlie tears up on the steps rather than running upstairs or to his parents. After a successful day, Lucy now has to deal with the difficult task of getting Charlie dressed. When he says he needs to use the bathroom, he messes around with the toilet paper causing Lucy and Jo to lecture him. Jo tells her to give him an exclamation on why it needs to go back in the toilet. He begins to throw a fit. He cries that he wants it back as his Mom flushes it and tries to convince him to clean his hands. However, as she does this, he continues a fit. He cries that he wants tissue paper so Jo rexplains to him. He screams and fights with his Mom as she turns him around to discipline him. After a warning, he calms down and hugs his Mom.

Once Charlie’s with Steve, Jo wants Lucy and Caitlin to sit down and talk to each other so that Lucy can see Jo’s point about her daughter. With some convincing from Jo, Caitlin opens up to her Mom. Lucy tells her that she’s done that but she’s told she did two years ago. Caitlin reminds her of the promises she’s made to her that she’s broken because of Charlie. Lucy turns it into more of an argument when she reminds her that she doesn’t want to do things with her either. Jo watches on as Caitlin tries everything to express herself. Lucy thinks of family time as spending time with her daughter. Jo reminds her that she’s the only other girl in the house her daughter can come to when she needs something. Both agree they want to not argue and Lucy realizes her daughter is moving from a kid to a teen and needs her more than anything. Just because she’s started spending time with Billy doesn’t change things.

By the end of the week, Caitlin and Lucy have come together to go on a girly date together and Charlie majorly improves his behaviour. He even gives Jo flowers and a card when she’s about to leave. She leaves the family hoping that everything will change for them.

Family Update[]

One month later, Charlie is improving and is becoming more of a big boy getting involved in soccer with his family, and reading with his parents. Bath time, meal times, and bed times are no longer a fuss and Steve’s even started teaching him to wash himself and Lucy’s been teaching him how he can help when he’s making pancakes so he’s distracted but not throwing a fit in the end. Steve and Lucy are impressed with his progress. He still throws fits like any toddler but he doesn’t get to extreme lengths anymore. Billy isn’t the forgotten middle child anymore and Caitlin gets more time with her Mom. They even go shopping and Caitlin gives her her perspective on outfits. The parents agree they have a better life and all together, a personal life.

People[]

Person	Age	Relation to Family
Steven "Steve" Woods	42 (born 1961-1962)	Father/Stepfather to Caitlin and Billy
Lucille "Lucy" Woods	37 (born 1967-1968)	Mother
Caitlin	12 (born 1991)	Daughter (Maternal)
William "Billy"	10 (born 1993)	Son (Maternal)
Charles "Charlie"	2 (born 2001)	Son

The child was disciplined via one of Jo Frost's techniques.

Gallery[]

Behind The Scenes[]

This episode was filmed in January 2004.

Trivia/Events Post-Episode[]

This was one of the only episodes to have the only biological child to both parents – which is Charlie. The other two kids are from Lucy and her previous relationships.
This was the very first episode of the series and the first episode to have Anthony Green Narrated for 3 episodes of the Supernanny UK series 1.
Charlie is seen by fans as one of the most annoying kids on the show, and Lucy and Steve, Lucy in particular, are heavily hated upon for letting him get his way. However, Caitlin and Billy were praised for being good kids and were also part of another reason Lucy was severely hated. She also had severe resentment issues when Caitlin opened up to Jo and not her. Steve was hated for giving into his wife and sons demands at countless times. However, he seemed more cooperative to the process than his wife
Lucy and Steve divorced
Steve remarried and sadly passed away a few years ago.
As of 2025, Lucy is now 57, Caitlin is now 34, Billy is now 32, and Charlie is now 24.

Pop Culture[]

Charlie is seen wearing Thomas pyjamas while bothering Lucy and Steve in bed after they return from their date.
Charlie is also seen wearing Bob The Builder pyjamas before going to bed while Lucy and Steve go out on their date.
Billy is seen watching the Disney Channel when Jo speaks to Caitlin about her relationship with her Mom. Although the show is blurred out, it could very possibly be Recess.

References[]

↑ Episode title on channel4.com

External Links[]

Series 1
The Woods Family • The Steer Family • The Charles Family

[1] Episode title on channel4.com

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