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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Jo Frost should be compulsory watching.

188 replies

Poshbaggirl · 09/08/2011 07:28

I love this woman. She is to parenting what Jamie is to school dinners. No, shes better than that! So straightforward, everyone should watch and learn.

OP posts:
SilveryMoon · 09/08/2011 07:29

She is good, but I don't agree with everything she does, and not everything works with my children.
I do like her though

downtothesea · 09/08/2011 07:34

She's ace - should be in government helping form policy on parenting and education - so many parents don't have the very basics and she's able to teach.

catgirl1976 · 09/08/2011 07:36

I like her. My DC isn't quiet here yet so can't comment on how effective her methods are but they seem sensible.

Tortoiseonthehalfshell · 09/08/2011 07:37

Some of us are perfectly capable of both parenting and feeding our children without 'expert' help, though.

I don't have an issue one way or the other with JF, but it's utter nonsense to say that any one person has the Answer To Parenting.

devientenigma · 09/08/2011 07:37

I agree, she is great. A lot of it is common sense though. The thing I would like to see is her work with disabled children and special needs in particular those with severe learning disabilities and severe challenging behaviour etc.

youarekidding · 09/08/2011 07:38

I love her no nonsense techniques because everyone knows where they stand, parents and children.

Can't say I agree with all her principles but downs right she can teach the basics.

HoneyPablo · 09/08/2011 07:39

It's always easier when they are someone else's children. It's all common sense.

littleducks · 09/08/2011 07:40

Really? I find her a bit patronising....and I do use some of her techniques, like the naughty step.....which I remember my mum using with me when I was about 4!

BertieBotts · 09/08/2011 07:41

Don't agree. I find some of her methods ridiculous and cruel. I haven't watched the programme for years though so some of the principles might be sound - but generally I would not want to parent like the image she portrays.

downtothesea · 09/08/2011 07:43

If you can imbue a child with positive behavioural patterns - which is what Jo Frost does - from a very early age, then you will have gone a long way to nipping potential future problems in the bud. Your child will learn, and just as important, you will have learned.

CosmicMouse · 09/08/2011 07:47

Don't agree either.

Can't stand her and her patronising ways. I don't agree with her "parenting" style at all. I find it dismissive & very disrespectful to children.

Yes she appears to get results, but at what cost?

BoysintheHood · 09/08/2011 07:55

I agree with Devien, I'd love to see her try and manage my DS1's behaviour. He has severe SN and can be extremely challenging at times. Wonder if she could succeed where many others have failed.

Generally, I could take her or leave her.

Claw3 · 09/08/2011 07:59

Deviantenigma, i will second that, i recently read her advice on 'time out' for children with special needs (it seemed quite sensible) but i would like to see her try!

MrsPresley · 09/08/2011 07:59

I dont think she really does anything that some parents havn't been doing for years.

Im almost 48 and my dad used to bribe encourage me with treats, except he just wrote it a notebook rather than use a chart.

Chores were just a way of life. If I had a tantrum then I would be sent to sit in the hall, Jo Frost uses a naughty step/mat but the same thing really and I had to apologise for my behaviour.

One of older girls was terrible for not going to bed, I just kept putting her back, didn't speak to her and within a few days she wasn't getting up at night (dad's advice).

As I say, she doesnt do much that's different than other people.

I do agree though, that some people genuinely need advice/help and it's not always down to being a lazy/bad parent (although some of the shows I've watched have me screaming at the parents) and if Jo Frost or anyone else can help then it's good thing.

devientenigma · 09/08/2011 08:04

oh Claw is there any chance of a link so I can see that.

Mrs presley the correct term isn't encourage or bribe........it's redirection, I mean really who cares what it's called if it works it's good right. I agree with what you have said.

There's a lot of what Jo Frost does that doesn't work on children with special needs and severe problems.

devientenigma · 09/08/2011 08:07

She was on an online chat a few year back and all questions regards special needs were unanswered??

exoticfruits · 09/08/2011 08:10

It is largely common sense, parents are usually too close to see what is happening and where they are going wrong, they are also too emotionally involved. It is easier as a stranger. I often wonder what happens a month, year, 2 yrs after she has been.
I'm not very happy about the DCs being exposed on TV.
Parenting classes, where the parents did it themselves would be better.
She is very good at pinpointing where the parents are going wrong-and telling them.

Callisto · 09/08/2011 08:11

YABU - not everyone is incapable of parenting effectively. But she seems to give people confidence and helps so I have nothing against her.

exoticfruits · 09/08/2011 08:11

I don't think that she has any answers for special needs. She has the answers for perfectly normal DC where they are out of control and have got into set patterns of behaviour that need to be broken.

BerryLellow · 09/08/2011 08:12

I think some of her methods are ok, but nothing new or ground breaking.

BertieBotts · 09/08/2011 08:13

I don't think reward charts/treats are redirection, redirection is showing the child another way to manage that particular situation, I do it a lot with DS, "No you cannot hit mummy, but you can go and hit the sofa cushions" "Don't throw that, it's hard, go and throw your ball outside" "We draw on paper, not walls" etc etc.

exoticfruits · 09/08/2011 08:14

She does give people confidence-I have nothing against her-except that I don't think the DCs should be on TV. She could run parenting classes and use the films to help the parents see themselves-and help others in a similar situation.

exoticfruits · 09/08/2011 08:16

I don't think that her methods are necessary for most people-but they are necessary for the DCs who are way, way, out of control by the time she sees them. If they never get out of control in the first place, then you don't need them.

devientenigma · 09/08/2011 08:16

Redirection here is the term used for a bribe/encouragement. Reward charts were not mentioned.

Claw3 · 09/08/2011 08:17

Devient, i dont have it bookmarked unfortunately, i was googling something else at the time and came across it. She did acknowledge that children with sn's could be more resistant! I will have a quick google and see if it pops up again.