Does anyone remember this cutting edge documentary on parenting?

[SweetMystery]

Watched it again recently and feel just as upset as I felt all those years ago.
I’d love to know how Georgina and her family are now 18 years later.

Does anyone know?

Here’s the MN discussion from the time:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/other_subjects/10079-cutting-edge-tonight

Must be difficult for her, she didnt choose to be on the programme her parents did, but if they hadnt have done then her life might have turned out very differently, she may have ended up in residential care for example. Although I suppose we dont know if she did or not.

I am not monstering the Mum btw.

Ah, I hear what you are saying Justkidding, so I shan't comment further, thank you for the information.

Bellac11 she didn’t go into care, the show did work and help turn her around from
what I’ve heard her say on YouTube. I think they were just All really struggling. She seems to be happy and doing well and I beleive she went to university :-) she also looks exactly the same as she did at that age which is sweet 😂

That's really good news then!!

Miracles do happen.

Thats fantastic. I bet if that work hadnt been done, she would have ended up in either care or youth detention, with god knows how many labels.

I just watched it and I think it’s clear the mum was really struggling with trauma from her own childhood. When she mentions being the child with no friends, that was very telling. And she never mentions her own parents or whether she got affection from them - which would explain why she felt so uncomfortable with it. I thought it was lovely how hard they worked and how much effort the parents put in to the relationship at the end - yes in an ideal world they would have always done it but they realised their mistakes and worked on it. An excellent message if you ask me.

I remember watching this at the time and it was awful. I can't face watching it again.

You need to watch the full documentary. Very little indication of PDA at the end.

The problem was with the mum, who I think had some very difficult childhood experiences herself and couldn't attach emotionally to her daughter. I think they did turn that around in the end.

Is this the one where the child has a stack of pennies to earn (or lose?) by
behaviour?

And dad blew it all one day by failing to have the right change and just giving her a random amount?

There was a thread on here the other day which was about ASD, not a very helpful OP who was dismissive of the condition but it turned int the usual bun fight and was taken down I think. But there was not enough acknowledgement of the role in parenting and attachment in whether some conditions like ASD or PDA could be misdiagnosed when in fact it was more to do with attachment difficulties

This programme made such an impression on me about that in those days.

I just watched a few minutes but was really struck by the mum saying (about her newborn premature daughter): 'I was used to dealing with computers, papers & files ... I didn't know how a baby worked'
So sad. The mum clearly has challenges herself, & was unable to emotionally engage or relate.

It's good to hear there was a positive outcome eventually.

Earrings you should watch it all, her analysis of her own behaviour throughout (especially when looking back when Georgina was four) and her willingness to be honest and try and change showed so clearly how much she loved her daughter. She took and dealt with criticism and her delight at seeing that Georgina possessed traits she didn't (the dolls, loved and put in bed) further showed her love.

I hope the posts are true that they are happy.

That's good to hear MrsRobinson I doubt I'll watch more (no time) but wasn't judging her, just a note that she originally wasn't equipped for motherhood but it's great to hear she got the support she needed

I just watched it. I think the mum was actually very brave, and would also be very interested in any kind of update.

very difficult viewing in the beginning of the episode though

@Justkidding55 do you have a link to the girl on YouTube now?

So moving.

Wow, the power of a mother's love. Makes you wonder how many kids get labelled with learning difficulties when it might actually be love and affection that's missing from their lives. My daughter sometimes acts terribly, this doc has made me realise I need to try and show a bit more love when she's having a tough moment, even when it's hard to do so.

That scene from the camcorder footage of her being 4yo and upset and clawing for her mum and her mum just ignoring her was heartbreaking. It was so obvious what the child needed and she was being ignored.

I've also seen online that she is doing well and they are still a family unit.

Wow. I have just watched it. So sad. But equally so brave of the mother to be that honest and participate. I do hope that they're all doing well.

Funnily enough I was also wondering about a girl featured on another documentary yesterday and tried to look her up to no avail. She was 21 and was been addicted to heroin. Her mother was an interior designer. They lived in Brighton. Her name was Hannah Mayne, I think. 2007 documentary. In the end she was being sent to S.Africa or somewhere for rehab and had to split with her addicted boyfriend. It was so harrowing watching such a young life go down the pan. She had overdosed so many time. I really hope that she made it and is doing well.

Just placemarking really, until I have time to watch this. Perhaps it'll be easier to watch now I know things were OK in the end.

From memory there was no blame of mum, she was being supported to make the changes that she could. Im not sure how it could be interpreted that way?

I agree. I also thought that she was supported.
It was obvious that she wanted to be a caring Mum and didn't know how.
The psychologist was careful not to blame anyone. Everyone needed to be given a new perspective and to be shown how to communicate with/ care for one another more effectively.

Although I cringed at the part near the end where the husband was saying "now how can I train mum?" And the psychologist laughed and said "you've already strayed" or something similar.
Mum just looked mortified and I felt awful for her.

I had an emotionally abusive childhood, the woman here was how my mum was with me and I found myself initially doing the same with DD. It was a shock to realise I was turning into my mum, emotionally unavailable, always angry. You don’t always realise you are repeating patterns. I had to go to gentle parenting to be able to reconnect with my DD properly, I had to learn how to love her if that makes sense. Some of us don’t have backgrounds which give us a blueprint on how to be something as simple as a loving parent. Having said that not once did I blame DD (unlike my mum) for my shortcomings. Her behaviour has improved dramatically since I started working on being a better parent. It wasn’t her it was me. I applaud her parents though for trying to get it right, it’s hard to break cycles that you may not even know you are in.

I think there are probably a fair few kids out there who have been given a label which is inappropriate.