To think Super Nanny Jo Frost has lost the plot?

[Pekoe78]

Assuming she sanctions the views on her social media page. Jo Frost has shared this bizarre scary post claiming that an unclean home is the “number one sign” of child abuse. How is she getting away with such inaccurate information? Surely she knows the difference between abuse and neglect and that actual abuse can happen in any home. If a child is actually suffering from real neglect, simply telling the parents “clean your house” is not going to help a complex situation. So what is she trying to achieve apart from making parents terrified of being accused of something because they are behind with cleaning?!

i’m presuming whilst all homes can have abuse, maybe the stats support what she says
there are always exceptions but perhaps the facts are what she said

she’s not talking about a messy or untidy house

she’s talking about dirty

i imagine that’s true

Maybe there is a high correlation of dirty house and neglect.

I think she is talking about squalor, in which case that is neglect which is abusive.

Maybe it’s the blunt encouragement I some people need.

It’s become too fashionable to hate her.

It’s clumsily worded. To me, it reads like “if you’re abusive make sure to clean your house to cover your tracks”

I don’t think she’s lost the plot to that extent though!

I cannot believe the replies to this thread.. What a load of balls. I think some of her methods are fine but this claim is obvious nonsense.

It's a weird post.

There may be a correlation but dirt is not a cause of abuse. So cleaning your house does not stop abuse.

Stopping abuse stops abuse.

So it's unclear exactly who she is talking to with this post: parents who do not abuse their children but are at risk of being accused of it? They have to clean the house so they are not falsely accused?

Or parents who do abuse their children that are going to magically stop when they clean their house?

Neglect is a type of abuse.
Abuse doesn't just mean physical or sexual.
If I did a home visit and the house was filthy, and I have seen some absolutely disgusting houses, it would flag up a potentially abusive situation.
I don't agree that it's the number one sign but it is certainly going to get you on the radar as a potential puzzle piece.

YABU. I don't think she is wrong. Neglect is abuse, and it says dirty, not messy. In school, we were given training and children with poor personal hygiene and dirty clothes/lunch things were top of the list.

We had a number of children living in hotels and.otber temporary accommodation, with no washing or kitchen facilities who were much cleaner than some of our other families. They also tended to reek of cannabis/cigarettes, look tired and haunted, be collected late regularly.

She’s not talking about it being untidy. She’s talking about it being unclean. Which in extreme circumstances very much does equal neglect.

She's not talking about a few crumbs or dishes not done though - we've all had a bad week and got behind on cleaning. She means proper dirty - as in, weeks without cleaning, genuine squalor. Which is bloody awful for a child to have to live in. Or people who have so much crap around that it's impossible to ever clean properly.

Well I imagine those who are living chaotic lives usually with dependency issues are the most likely people to be both neglecting their children and not putting the hoover around.

A dirty house is indicative of other issues at home, which could indicate neglect. Abuse can happen in any house.

The statement is pointless though. If the house is that dirty then either there are other problems going on such as mental health and just saying ‘clean it’ like it’s the easiest thing in the world, doesn’t actually help someone feel better and be in a position to clean it. If the house is dirty due to addiction issues then the parents aren’t going to read it and take note. Those who are abusive in a clean and tidy home, will just reinforce they can’t let their standards slip as they’ll be abusive and probably won’t see their behaviour as abusive.

I don't think she is telling abusees to cover their tracks either. I think it's a wake up call for parents sliding towards squalor to give their heads a wobble and stop making excuses

I have seen some horrors in my time. I think unless your work involves supporting vulnerable children, you really can't grasp what is out there.

I will add to my previous comment.

This doesn't mean the vacuuming hasn't been done or there are dirty dishes in the sink.
This level of dirty is something most of us wouldn't imagine people live in. I have visited houses with urine covered mattresses on the floor for children to sleep on, dog mess on the floors etc.

But if she’s telling potentially abusive parents with dirty houses to clean as it’s a marker for the abuse they’re carrying out then that puzzle piece will be gone, surely?

Weird post from her.

I think what she means is dog shit on the carpets, three weeks of dishes in the sink, dirty nappies lying round. The stuff you see when you have a job that requires you to go into other people's houses.

It's clumsily worded.

It's very oddly worded.

I suspect it's trying to say that living in squalor or extreme filth is the number one reason children are taken away from their parents for abuse and neglect.

Neglect is abuse, and if your house is actually dirty (as in completely unhygienic, not just a bit dusty) then I'd count that as a major red flag.

Dirty, neglected children stand out though, and they stand out to predators so they are more at risk of physical and sexual abuse

I know so many people who deny having ever done anything wrong, they loved their kids they did,.never laid a finger on them, had them removed for no reason. Entire communities.on 'their' side. Meanwhile, look at the case file and you see something altogether different. This is perhaps a helpful reminder for.others too.

People who live in houses so dirty they are unsanitary always, always have other issues going on and this does mean that the children are almost certainly experiencing neglect and usually emotional harm. She's not wrong. The idea that this will make abusers tidy up to cover their tracks has missed the point. She's not making a correlation between sexual/physical abuse and a dirty house. A person whose house is unsanitary isn't going to be able to just 'clean up' to cover their tracks. She's saying that having a dirty house is in itself harmful to children. And it is - because it impacts their development, socialisation, safety, and also because it's a sign of other issues such as mental ill health or addiction.

@RoboticHamster is right. I wonder how
Many here have been in truly dirty houses. And I mean...
Unwashed clothes and sheets for weeks on end.
The smell of dirt.
Fag butts everywhere and children smelling of weed.
Not bathing/ doing teeth/ washing at all.
Unfed.
Animal crap ingrained in carpet.
Fleas.
Fat up walls in kitchen.
Clean.... nothing.
Never hoovered.
Anything at windows yellow.

I have been in houses that the smell, God the smell was awful. You had to try not to breathe. It absolutely is worrying to me and indicates abuse.

Reads to me as ‘this is awful for your children, stop doing it’. Of course she’s not trying to help abusers cover their tracks.