06x05 - The McGrath Family

[bunniefuu]

Tonight on "supernanny," jo's in new york state

To visit the mcgrath family...

Aiden, come get a sh*t real quick.

Whose -year-old son has a serious illness.

Aiden was diagnosed with type diabetes

Eight months ago. It's a crushing blow for mom...

I watched my father die of diabetes.

And young aiden's condition has affected the entire house.

You don't say "I hate you," "I'm stupid"

And "I'm a [bleep]." Sit.

It's literally a question of life or death,

As aiden refuses to eat.

Do you want to get sick? Can jo teach mom and dad the strength

To live a better life... The fact is, your whole family are gonna pay the price

If you guys don't start talking.

And help this sick little boy...

Stop giving him the control,

Because this is where you've got yourself into this pickle.

Before this family loses all hope?

It's really all I ever feared as a mother

Is to have one of my children be diagnosed with diabetes.

♪♪♪

I'm in hamlin, new york,

Because there's a family who have a unique situation,

And they say they need my help. So let's take a look.

[Both] hi, we're the mcgrath family.

I'm tammy. And I'm bill.

And we have kids. Paige, who's .

Aiden is . And liam is .

Aiden, come get a sh*t real quick,

And then we can play, okay?

Aiden was diagnosed with type diabetes

Eight months ago. These are low-carb, buddy.

It's something no mother wants to hear.

I happened to have a father who d*ed of diabetes at age ,

So it's really all I ever feared as a mother

Is to have one of my children, um, be diagnosed with diabetes.

Didn't I do that one? It's completely life-altering.

[Lancet clicks] we have to prick his finger four, five times per day

To find out if his sugar's high or low.

You're low. Let's get something to eat.

[Bill] we calculate how many carbs he ingested...

[Bill] hey, tam, how many carbs in that pizza? [Tammy] at the most.

[Bill] and then we figure out how much insulin to give him.

He's getting units.

Look at that little chappie--

Very courageous.

It's just very scary, 'cause it's life-threatening.

I already checked your sugar. We have to go eat.

Please, let's go eat.

Do you want to get sick? You need to eat.

Your body needs to eat.

He knows that his parents

Are worried about him needing to eat,

And now he's holding food to ransom.

You do not hit.

Do you hear-- don't throw toys.

Liam is an instigator.

You don't say "I hate you," "I'm stupid"

And "I'm a [bleep]." Sit.

Liam knows how to push buttons in people.

I just hate this family.

Don't hit me. Do not hit me.

Stop. Aiden is very sensitive.

Let go of me! [Crying]

As soon as you stand up.

If you tell him to do something,

He pretty much has a meltdown.

[Crying]

Yeah. Aiden gets very frustrated

And very upset over the diabetes.

You'd better not spit on my floor. [Spits]

I know mom and dad are struggling with the diabetes,

But that's no excuse for not disciplining their children.

Liam and aiden pretty much go toe-to-toe.

[Crying] they do a lot of fighting, and I do a lot

Of the breaking up the fighting.

It just seems like all day is just a screaming match.

This is going in the garbage. Want me to call dad?

Now you're here for the rest of the day.

I'm hoping that we can find one form of discipline that works.

You take a time-out. You really want to hit me?

I didn't hit you. You hit me in the head, bud.

No. Yeah.

No. Yeah.

No. Yeah.

Oh, my word,

What a pathetic excuse for a time-out.

'Cause you have all these, and I only have that.

No. Yes.

[Tammy] I feel paige is really frustrated.

We ask a lot of her,

And I think she has a lot on her shoulders,

A lot of responsibility that a year old shouldn't have.

Stop following me, liam!

[Tammy] can't you play together?

She is suffering in ways that we probably don't know.

I'm gonna have to do something about that.

We have to parent together. We have to be on the same team.

How was work? It was work.

We're not really fighting. We don't--we just don't talk. We're not really fighting.

We--like, our communication is, like, zero.

You can't parent if you're not prepared to talk to one another.

[Crying] you're stupid!

Why are you acting like this?

You're in time-out, and I mean it. Sit.

[Crying] [tammy] aiden's diabetes has really taken a toll

On our family. Sit. I've had it.

I just want so much for this to be better.

Why are you being so difficult?

Supernanny, we really are desperate for your help.

'Cause we're fightin' a losing battle.

Please hurry and get here and help this family.

Mom and dad, I know things seem hopeless, but they're not.

Hope's on its way. I'll be there soon.

♪♪♪

[Doorbell rings]

Hi. Hi, pleased to meet you. Jo frost.

Hi, bill mcgrath. Nice to meet you. [Jo] I was greeted by bill.

He welcomed me into his home.

Hi. Hi, how are you?

Pleased to meet you. Jo. This is my wife tammy.

Thank you for coming. [Tammy] when jo first came, I kind of had mixed emotions.

I wasn't really sure how it was gonna go.

[Bill] this is liam. Say hi. [Jo] hello.

Don't be shy. And this is aiden.

And this is-- hi, aiden.

Can you say hi? Pleased to meet you.

And then this is paige. Hi, paige, pleased to meet you.

You, too. How are you?

Good.good.

How about doing what you're told like a good boy,

Eating your lunch that's there right now,

And maybe a sandwich will be in your future.

It was lunchtime, and liam didn't want to eat.

I'm gonna ask you one more time.

If you don't, you're going to sit in time-out.

Oh, let's go. Don't hit. We don't hit.

I saw mom get him up from the table

And place him into a time-out.

And when you're done,

You can come eat with your brother and sister. [Liam] no.

Liam, stay.

You only have to be here for four minutes. Mnh-mnh.

Sit. And then dad got involved.

Do me a favor, eat half of the spaghetti,

And maybe I'll get you a half a sandwich. All right?

[Whispering] negotiating during a time-out?

[Normal voice] dad was undermining mom's time-out,

And I could see she was getting upset.

What are you thinking?[Scoffs]

Tammy?um...

That we're just on different pages.

Mom was clearly upset with dad's interference,

So I took her outside, and she started to open up more.

Have you sat down and actually spoke about this?

Um... That you're frustrated,

But have you ever actually sat down with bill and said,

"We need to talk. I'm frustrated"?

He's not--he listens, but there's no--

He doesn't really listen, you know?

He stands there and listens with the remote

Or the tv on or something, you know, but...

I-i don't think he hears me.

We have horrible communi--

Like, we've just kind of both shut down.

Like, there's no team-playing going on here.

When you've got two parents

Who are not communicating with one another,

That's going to have an impact on how they parent together

Because they're not going to be committed together

In how they raise their children.

After lunch, mom and dad gave /-year-old aiden

His insulin.

In america alone,

There are roughly , children

Under the age of

That have type diabetes.

[Bill] aiden, come here, bub. We need your sh*t.

So as you can imagine, for those parents,

It's quite a complex routine.

[Aiden] here, dad. Where's your plate? I need to know how much you ate

So I can adjust for your sh*t.

What's that you're doing now, bill?

I'm figuring out the equation for his insulin,

How much he has to get.

Insulin is a hormone that's produced in the pancreas

That helps the body process sugar in food.

If you have type diabetes,

You can't produce your own insulin.

So, uh, what's-- [bill] I add up the carbs.

Right. Each--each, um, product that contains carbs,

We have to allot--we have to add all those together

And get a total number, and then we have to--

There's a process where we have to divide a certain number

Minus a certain number. They have to calculate so much.

They have to work out aiden's calorie intake, really,

With regards to his carbs.

That's a big responsibility.

Don't tense up. No.

Relax your leg. Relax your m--

There we go. Okay. Managing this medical condition

Is extremely difficult for this family, understandably,

And it's taking its emotional toll.

Every day is just such a challenge,

And it's so different, and I think aiden's truly angry.

As a parent, what information have you given him... Um...

'Cause, you know... We have books. Like, they've given us books.

Yeah.and we've read books together...

Yeah.and, um, I don't think he understands, you know,

What his pancreas is, or... Yep.

But he knows that the sh*ts, um, do help him survive.

And I mean, the seriousness of it we've tried to teach him,

But in a positive way. [Tammy] I knew diabetes was a death sentence.

It meant death to me

Because I watched my father die of diabetes.

Diabetes doesn't need to be seen as a death sentence.

Aiden is years old, and he's got his whole life ahead of him.

So what I'm going to do

Is to help his mom and dad manage this.

I mean, did that leave you

In a place of feeling very fearful,

Because your family member had passed away? Yeah.

Right, okay. Absolutely.

I mean, emotionally,

That was absolutely horrendous.

Yep. Eight months, nine months have gone past...

Yep. And--and you're where now with that?

I'm still really, really scared.

His numbers are all over the place,

And I blame everything on the diabetes.

I know mom is very distraught

In accepting the fact that aiden has diabetes,

But as a parent, she also needs to learn

How to be able to discipline her son, as well.

Coming up on "supernanny,"

When aiden refuses to eat...

[Tammy] try this, buddy, right here.

It's a little baby broccoli. No.

Jo learns it's a matter of life and death...

He hasn't consumed the amount of carb necessary.

No, yeah. No, yeah.

When "supernanny" returns.

♪♪♪

[Tammy] no! [Liam hits aiden]

Stop it!

Later on in the day,

Aiden and liam started to argue with one another,

And mom put them both in her version

Of time-out.

Why were you hitting on aiden?

What were you fighting over,

The magazine or your puppy?

Aiden, come say you're sorry to your brother,

And you can get out of time-out. [Aiden] sorry.

No, come say it to your brother like you mean it.

[Jo] for time-out,

There was an awful lot of talking going on.

I'm more curious as to how mom came across

This version of my technique.

And was that something you were taught or you read or...

I think it's almost something that I kind of self-taught.

Are you confident with it? No.

You're not. It doesn't seem to work,

Doesn't faze him.

And dad wasn't kidding, because mom's version of time-out

Didn't bother aiden in the slightest.

Oh, I told you you could get out of time-out.

Why are you still over here? It's not a joke.

Why?

Because you like it?

Clearly, discipline is something that I need to work on

With both these parents.[Laughs]

I hadn't seen paige, the oldest daughter, for quite a bit,

So I went upstairs to check on her.

[Knocks on door]

Hello? The door's locked.

Paige let me in,

But she told me the reason for the high security.

You have to have a key to physically lock your room,

'Cause the boys go in.

Why not just tell the boys, "stay out of my room, please"?

I do, but they don't listen.

How does that make you feel then? It makes me feel mad,

Because I always have to clean up after them.

Kids shouldn't have to lock their doors

Under any circumstances. I'm gonna have to work on this.

Hot stuff, guys-- don't touch.

Later on in the evening,

I watched mom serve dinner.

-Year-old aiden wasn't prepared to sit down and eat the food

That was before him.

The parents felt held to ransom, because they know

That their son needs to eat

In order to control his diabetes.

[Tammy] try this buddy, right here.

It's a little baby broccoli. Just try it.

That one piece. No.

You want some butter on your potatoes? No.

No?

At the same time, aiden's using that against them.

Do you want to stay here the rest of the night? No. [Laughs]

Well, then start eating. No, yeah. No, yeah.

You're not getting anything later. Yes, I am.

No, you're not. Uh-huh.

I'm telling you right now.

If he hasn't eaten his dinner,

Then he hasn't consumed the amount of carb necessary.

Mm-hmm. [Tammy] or we'll make him--

We'd have to give him, uh, s--

Make him something that he'll it.

Yeah. So what he's saying, that statement, is a fact.

He could get food later.

Mm-hmm. I don't think that it's any coincidence

That this little boy's sitting at the head of the table,

Do you?

Aiden's got far too much say in this house.

His parents need to learn how to manage his diabetes,

And at the same time, not give him all the control,

Because at the end of the day, his health is at stake.

[Jo] I've had a good day

Just being able to watch the children.

So there is stuff that I would love to talk to you about

Tomorrow morning in a family meeting

So that we can really just get to the bottom of all of this.

Type diabetes has rose

Over the last years by .%.

And I know that it's been very, very difficult

For the mcgrath family,

But that doesn't mean I'm gonna hold back

On letting them know what's necessary.

I really hope that jo can help us.

[Bill] I know what to expect. I'm ready for it,

And I know I'm ready for it

Because I want to make this better.

♪♪♪

[Birds chirping]

There's been some major disruption,

Because one of your children

Has a serious medical condition.

So why don't we get to the heart of those points?

How much does aiden know about his diabetes?

He knows that he has to eat,

Or his sugar will drop low.

[Tammy] he knows that he has to have the sh*t.

He knows that he has to have the sh*ts and finger pricks

Every day for the rest of his life.

All right, we're gonna work on something that allows aiden

To become more aware of what he's got,

Explaining it in a much simpler way

So that he can understand the concept of that.

He sees that "you have to eat that food,"

As if you're dictating, "you have to have that."

I think it would be a wonderful idea

If what we saw was more incentive,

Almost a reward system in place,

So that food for him

Didn't become something that he wanted to control.

Mm-hmm.

I want to talk about the communication

Between the pair of you.

You haven't come to a place in recognizing

The importance of talking to one another

And making sure that you continue to do that.

Now why do you feel

That you've got yourself in that place?

Easier than arguing, I guess.

What's been easier? Not arguing. Walking away.

But the fact is, your whole family are gonna pay the price

If you guys don't start talking. [Both] right.

And you know that if you guys don't make that a priority,

Then everything's gonna start to crumble anyway.

Let's talk about discipline and boundaries.

Aiden's a -year-old little boy who likes to have his own way.

And there's been no discipline in place

Because he's had this medical condition...

Right. Because that word "diabetes" for you means death,

Because your father d*ed of it.

His rude attitude and the way he behaves

Has got nothing to do

With the fact that he's got diabetes.

But he needs to realize that you guys have got the upper hand,

And show him that you have the authority,

That you are the disciplinarian,

That he's to do as he's told, full-stop.

The discipline that you are doing is not working.

That's very true.

It has no weight. It's got no clout.

It means nothing. It's empty.

So we're gonna learn how to do discipline properly. Right.

So are we ready?

Are we truly ready to just start changing things now?

Because, you know, I think--

I think it's certainly been long enough.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

Yeah. Dive in headfirst.

Yeah? Good. So let's just jump in the deep end and go for it.

Thank you. All right.

Coming up on "supernanny,"

Aiden won't stomach jo's new rules.

Just swallow it.

And later, can jo teach mom

To follow through with discipline?

It's time-out. Nope. Nope. [Screaming]

When "supernanny" returns.

♪♪♪

How about this little pinkie finger?

[Jo] aiden knows that he's got diabetes.

He's not quite sure what it is. He knows that he needs

To take insulin sh*ts, and he has to be tested,

But he doesn't really understand the mechanics behind it.

So what I've brought in is some finger puppets

For both bill and tammy

And a little story that they're going to read.

The whole purpose is to explain in a story

About the importance of balancing carb and insulin.

Carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels,

And that was represented with a puppet

That had "c" on it.

And for the insulin, there were puppets that had "i" on them.

It's a serious issue,

But it doesn't mean it can't be fun when you're explaining it.

"There once was a seesaw named sam.

"He was a happy chappie who had lots of friends.

He has friends that have a cool 'c' on their shirts."

Hi.

"And he also has friends

"Who wear a cool 'i' on their shirt.

"Sam has lots of fun, and is happy

"As long as he is balancing,

And his friends are on both sides of the seesaw."

Aiden just had a smile on his face the whole time.

And it was really good for him, and it's gonna help him

Take ownership with his diabetes.

"When sam is out of balance,

"He has too many friends on one side,

"He feels irritated,

Even angry sometimes."

[Growling]

I don't like you.

I don't think we've ever talked

To aiden about diabetes laughing.

And today, that proved that it-- it could be done.

Take a bow. [Applause]

[Aiden] take a bow. [Jo] mommy, daddy,

What's the story really talking about?

Carbs and insulin balancing each other.

We know that we can balance each other, right?

It's been kinda hard to laugh and have fun

With diabetes and my brother.

Aw. [Tammy] he's my insulin friend.

[Bill] looking at him and seeing him smile

And--and interacting with his brother and sister--

And they were smiling, as well, it was great. It was wonderful.

[Bill] the letter "i." Look--look at the letter "i" on the shirt.

[Tammy] he knew we were talking about carbs,

And he knew we were talking about insulin.

He understood, and I could tell he understood.

These go together. They do go together.

They go like this. That's right.

Aiden's recognized that when his mom and dad panic

About him eating food,

That really, he has an enormous amount of power

And control over them.

So what I'm going to do is to bring in some dinner plates

As a real incentive for aiden to turn this around.

You've got sunday, monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday,

Friday and saturday.

There are six sections to a plate,

Because he's having those meals and snacks. Mm-hmm.

And when he shows you how well he behaves in sitting down

As well as eating the food that's been prepared for him,

You'll place one of these stars

Into that section.

Once aiden had got a star in each section of his plate,

And all of those plates were full,

He would then be rewarded by his parents.

Check this out. Come on in here.

On each plate, there are six sections--

Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack,

Dinner and then your bedtime snack.

And every time you do a good job, you get a star.

Once you do that whole-- every single plate,

You get something special.

[Tammy] aiden's reaction was very positive.

I think that it gives him something to strive for.

Do you think it would be fair

If when he filled all the plates,

That we got to go

To the train store and pick out a small train?

[Bill gasps] yes.

We didn't have to wait long to test the technique.

All right, mom and dad, let's sit down at the table

And have a nice lunch.

The technique was used to give aiden

Real positive encouragement and focus on eating.

Come on. Stop messing around.

How many carrots have you had?

Don't mess around, please. That's five.

[Aiden] I'm just getting started.

That's a lot. That's awesome.

You are doing fabulous.

You're doing extremely well. And you see that plate up there?

It's gonna get a nice star, isn't it?

[Jo] but then aiden decided he didn't want to eat any more,

And it was really important

That he finish the food on his plate

To keep his blood sugar level at the right range.

So I had his mom sit down with him and persevere.

Don't spit it out.

I'm not seeing you swallow.

Just swallow it.

Yeah, he's just chewing it and not swallowing it.

Aiden's move was a pure power play,

And I didn't want mom to panic, but be in control of this,

So I sent her into the kitchen to deal with the dishes.

I'll be back. Let me know when you're done chewing.

I'll be back.

We're gonna throw a couple dishes in the dishwasher.

We must've sat there for about an hour,

But at the end of the day, he did as he was told.

He finished his food.

It's all gone, isn't it?

Yay! [Kisses aiden] [laughs]

He's never sat at the table that long, you know,

For over an hour, chewing on food.

Usually he would just, you know, melt down, and he didn't,

And that is because he was striving towards something

And he didn't have control.

You did extremely... Well. Mm.

Extremely well--you've got the hang of it, right?

Yeah.so you know what you need to do.

Mom recognized when you're patient,

When you follow through, and when you recognize

That actually you're gonna deal with this

And you're not gonna give him the power,

Things happen, and you get the results.

Keep building on that,

Because you'll see the time shorten, all right? Mm-hmm.

From an hour, you'll start to see that

Become quicker and quicker. But you did very good. Okay.

You just persevered with it-- a little star. Thank you.

Green star.

Coming up on "supernanny,"

Aiden tries to push the boundaries.

You need to look both ways.

No, you didn't.can jo get mom to push back?

Stop giving him the control,

Because this is where you've got yourself into this pickle.

When "supernanny" returns.

♪♪♪

[Jo] aiden does understand his diabetes

A lot better than what he did, but at the end of the day,

If his parents don't get discipline under control,

Then he's going to use his food as control.

And let's face it, the stakes are too high

When it comes to this boy's health.

So I'm gonna teach mom and dad a discipline technique,

Diabetes or no diabetes,

For whenever any of these kids misbehave, the naughty spot.

Step --a warning.

The warning gives the kids a clear message

By the tone and by your eye contact.

The second--you will then take them to the naughty spot,

And you will explain

Why they're now in the naughty spot.

Having jo list, um, the steps

In the naughty spot was genius,

Because even though we thought we knew how to do a time-out,

We weren't doing it correctly.

[Jo] the family and I went for a walk,

And mom and dad got to see exactly the consequences

That happen when you don't put discipline in place.

Car coming. You need to look both ways.

No, you didn't.

I know you know how to do it. Same thing--ah!

This is--this--

No, you didn't.

Look both ways. I'll look with you.i'm not looking.

Come on, look.aiden became very obstinate.

He--and defiant--he didn't want to listen to mom.

If you don't stop messing around

And don't want to follow the rules,

Then we'll go home, and we'll sit in a time-out. Are you--

Are you giving him a choice? What--what are you doing there?

Let him know. Stop giving him the control,

Because this is where you've got yourself into this pickle.

Right. You gave him the control. "Do as you're told."

You know what, aiden? You're going in a time-out.

Mom can't give aiden a choice,

Because there's too much at stake.

So when he decides that he doesn't want to,

Mom's got to persevere.

You weren't listening, so we'll go take our time-out.

In five minutes, you can come out.

And what's gonna be important is that mom follows through,

So he realizes that she's gonna put her foot down

And make those changes,

And that he's not gonna be able to have that control.

♪♪♪

[Timer beeping] there you go. Remember your voice, okay, tammy?

Remember--firm voice.

Your timer went off. Time's up.

You were in time-out because you didn't listen,

And you broke the rules, okay? Now give me a hug. [Jo] now look at the steps.

I need you to apologize,

'Cause breaking the rules is not okay. Stand up.

Can you apologize? You need to apologize.

Give me a hug.

The way aiden responded today does prove to me

That you don't have to worry

About your kids not loving you by disciplining them.

It's okay to be stern. It's okay to be the mom.

It's okay to be in--in control, so it was really nice.

All right, that was better.

So the steps--key, okay?

That's about you having ownership here of it, okay? Right.

[Jo] my dealing with all of this diabetes wasn't enough.

I had noticed that mom and dad's communication

Was certainly slacking,

And I wanted to improve that,

So I brought in a technique

That I felt would really help them to become much closer.

What you're going to do throughout the day

Is when there is something that you need

To talk to each other about, you're gonna write it

And then put it into the box.

And then you're gonna create that time in your day,

And you're going to pull a couple of things

Out of that box and discuss it.

So let's start off with writing a few things

To put in the box.

[Bill] it was very hard at first to write the questions

That we had on paper.

It forced us to look at ourselves

And look at each other

And ask those poignant questions.

Okay, he wrote, "what can I do

To show you I truly do care?"

Communication is so big with me.

I need you to look at me when I talk to you

And act like you want to talk to me.

Could you do that? Mm-hmm.

Yes, I can.

"When will you take time out

To think about and answer one of my questions?"

Well, I'll have to make time.

Right. And are you gonna help make that time? Absolutely.

When we put the kids to bed,

As soon as they go to bed, that'll be our time.

:. : It is.

The talking box gave them both an opportunity

To clean the slate.

It's not just about us. It's actually about parenting.

We are absolutely going to use this box

As long as we need to,

Until the communication just comes by itself.

We have committed to that.

[Tammy] I love you. [Bill] I love you.

[Jo] the last member of the family

Who needed my help was paige.

She didn't want the boys coming in her room all the time,

So I simply gave her a sign that said, "do not enter."

And I left it up to her to explain to her younger brothers

What that was all about.

If you see this green up facing this way,

That means you can come in.

But if you see it this way and it's red,

You can't come in. I'm doing something, okay? Okay.

[Bill] now do you know what happens if you disobey?

Warning. You get a warning.

[Bill] I get a sense that paige feels great about it.

It gives her time to just relax and be a little -year-old girl

And not worry about having her brothers coming in.

So what side--what color

Do you want to put up right now, paige?

Red.

Does that mean we all have to get out?

Yeah. [Tammy chuckles] yeah.

Yeah, well, there you go-- the finger's pointin'

To the door. We all have to leave. Okay, boys.

I think it's very important that she has that space,

And it's to call her own. It's hers. It's no one else's.

[Jo] I am going away for three days.

Aiden, when I come back,

The first thing I want to see

Are stars on your dinner plate, okay?

Jo will be back in three days,

And she will, uh, bring the cannons with her

And, you know, all g*ns blazing,

So we'd better hold up our end.

What I'm really hoping is going to happen

Is this family is going to grasp all the techniques

They've been taught and just keep moving

And making progress forward,

Because there's too much at stake.

Coming up on "supernanny,"

The mealtime battle rages on.

If I look over again and you're not eating,

Then you will go to time-out. And...

Mom's apologies won't wash with jo.

I feel bad. You feel sorry that you have to give him a discipline,

Because he made a choice to not listen and do as he was told.

When "supernanny" returns.

And now ask supernanny.

How do you choose the right pediatrician

For your baby?

"A"--interview the doctors yourself,

"B"--pick the top-rated doctor in your area,

"C"--go by the recommendations of friends.

Find out the answer when we return.

And now ask supernanny.

How do you choose the right pediatrician

For your baby?

"A"--interview the doctors yourself,

"B"--pick the top-rated doctor in your area,

"C"--go by the recommendations of friends.

The answer is "a."

Go for a doctor that works best for you and your family.

Know their office hours, credentials

And hospital affiliations.

And remember, trust your instincts on this one.

It's been three days since I've been gone.

I really hope this family have kept themselves on track.

Let's take a look at exactly how well you did

And what we need to learn today.

I'm actually going to start with aiden's eating.

We're gonna have lunch in about an hour. I-i--

I won't be hungry at lunch. [Paige] daddy, daddy...

I know. He's gotta act better if he's gonna get a star.

We're gonna have lunch in an hour--end of discussion.

I'll just stop that there. It's not his behavior

That warrants the star.

It's about his eating the right amount, all right?

So just be very careful.

If I look over again and you're not eating,

Here's your warning-- you will go to time-out.

Start eating.

[Liam] I like corn on the cob.

You've gotta find that balance.

Carbs and the who? Insulin.

[Aiden giggles]

Are they balanced out now? Yep.

Now you can reach 'em. There's--right there.

Very smart, very smart.

What did he do that was a smart move?

The puppets. Yeah. Yeah.

He made it fun.

And what he did was distract.

He took the focus off of that negativity again... Yeah.

With that power play.

Okay, time-out with liam.

Liam, you did help make the mess,

And I want you to help clean it up.

That's your warning. Either you walk over here

And start cleaning up,

Or you're going to the time-out.

I gave you enough warnings. You're done now.

Okay, I will! Okay, sit. No, it's too late.

[Timer beeping] [bill] do you need me to do anything?

[Tammy] where's liam? [Aiden] I don't know.

Don't say nothing. Just go get him... All right, honey.

And bring him back.

Don't say-- don't even... [Scoffs]

Say anything. Thank you.

I'm just trying to help you.

I know, and I said thank you. That's enough.

Mm.

What were you receiving there, bill?

"Why are you questioning me?" More or less.

I certainly feel there's more room

For receiving

Objective, constructive criticism

About techniques.

You're on the same team,

All right? Mm-hmm.

What do you think you're doing?

It's time-out. Nope. Nope.

[Screaming] I don't--

Do not hit. [Liam kicks tammy]

Ow. All right, I'm-- [crying]

Can you tell me what was going wrong there

With the naughty spot?

I feel bad that it turns into that.

Like, I feel sorry for him. I just said I'm sorry.

I know. Why? I'm heading him to time-out saying I'm sorry. I don't know.

You feel sorry that you have to give him a discipline

Because he made a choice to kick you and not listen

And do as he was told. Right.

[Sniffles] it's part of parenting,

Because that's how they learn to grow up

To be the young adults that you want them to be.

Let's take a look at aiden's diabetes.

[Tammy] yeah, that's right.

[Aiden] so you don't have to worry about it.

I don't? That's comforting words.

No, I'm just saying you don't have to

If you don't want to. Really?

I really don't have to worry? It's gonna be okay, isn't it?yes.

Those are comforting words coming from you.

I think I went somewhere and hid and cried for a little while.

That was really-- that was really good stuff

To hear him say that.

[Whispering] wow.

And he's right.

He's feeling really good about it,

So, hey, mom, don't-- don't worry.

It's all good.

So take heed from your son's words. [Normal voice] yeah.

Okay? [Clears throat]

So we are feeling so much more confident

About living with diabetes.

There is still some more work to do

With regards to the discipline.

It's a little bit apologetic there when it comes to that.

Let's move on.

Coming up on "supernanny,"

Mom's authority is challenged by an unusual suspect.

What are you doing?

And aiden gets a special message...

Hi, aiden.

When "supernanny" returns.

♪♪♪

I saw on the dvd that mom's still a bit shaky

When it comes to giving time-outs...

I gave you enough warnings. You're done now.

And very touchy when it comes to listening

To constructive criticism from dad.

Just trying to help you. I know, and I said thank you. That's enough.

If mom's not going to receive any help from dad

When it comes to disciplining the boys,

Then really how are they gonna communicate with one another

In dealing with a much bigger issue,

Which is aiden's diabetes?

I thought it was time to give mom a little exercise,

And so as paige has been so considerate

Throughout this whole process,

I gave her the starring role of being a naughty child.

And guess what? She jumped at the chance.

You're gonna drop something on the floor like this. [Thud]

And then mom--she's gonna give you a warning.

And you know what the warning's gonna be all about, right?

What you're gonna do then, bill,

Is step in

And go over the steps with her.

[Paige] okay. All right? Okay.

I want the...

[Tammy] what's up,chica? Um...

Hey! I want the-- [crying]paige,

What are you doing? Stop.

Paige absolutely loved

Playing the naughty child, but mom took it serious, too.

What are you doing?

[Giggles] give her a warning.

[Bill] follow the steps.

Paige, this is your warning.

We don't act like that.

Go sit down, please.

Are you gonna set the timer? Oh, yeah.

What are-- what are you doing?

I didn't talk to her. I said, "paige."

When I tried to help her, uh, she got a little testy.

I don't...

Yeah, me, neither. Sit.

Don't talk to her. Just put her back. Remember the steps.

Just walk her back and walk away.

Bill kept telling me, uh,

"Don't talk to her. Don't talk to her."

And I wasn't, like, having a conversation,

But I was, like, uh, getting all defensive.

Well, I thought this exercise has gone far enough,

And now I wanted to know exactly what she'd learned from this.

Number one--that she could be in a time-out.

[Jo] all right. Number two--not to talk to them when they get out of time-out,

Just to put 'em back...yeah.

Reset the timer and walk away.

All right, and three...

I did realize that we are a team,

And it's not gonna get accomplished alone.

We have to do it together.

Mom has learnt a lot from this exercise.

And so when it comes to disciplining,

She's going to remember this, and, uh,

I know for a fact that paige certainly loved helping her mom.

It is important to recognize

That going through those steps and receiving the support

Is what gets you the results at the end of the day.

Paige gave her mom a big squeeze,

And it was a very sweet, tender moment.

[Chirps]

Before I leave this family,

I want to share some information that allows them to accept

That diabetes is a medical condition

That they will live alongside,

And that it never has to restrict aiden

And what he chooses to do in his life.

Aiden, you see this list?

It's a whole list

Of people who have

And live with diabetes--

Type , like you.

I want to remind this family

That there are people

That are very well-known in society

Who have type diabetes

And who are living fruitful lives.

[Bill] "halle berry."

Mary tyler moore is an actress.

"Nick jonas."

[Giggles] that was really cool to know

That a lot of people live with it--famous people.

"Jay cutler." It never stops them from anything,

And it just helps encourage, um,

Being able to live alongside diabetes. "Sean busby."

Last but not least, sean busby,

Professional snowboarder,

Years old,

And who has sent a very special message for aiden.

Hi, aiden. My name is sean busby,

And I'm a professional snowboarder.

You and I have a lot in common, aiden.

We're both pretty adventurous, we both love sports,

And we both have type diabetes.

[Bill] I looked at aiden. He was just beside himself.

And he goes, "daddy, he's talking about me."

Check this out--it's a special snowboard that I ride.

I run snowboarding camps every year

For diabetic children.

At each of these camps, I have the kids sign this board.

And if you haven't noticed,

I've even signed your name

Right over here on the front of my board.

So every time that I look down while I'm racing down a slope,

I'll remember you and everyone else.

So welcome to the team, aiden. Keep up the good work.

Did you see your name on that snowboard?

That was cool, right?

I think aiden absolutely got the message

That it was okay that he had diabetes.

And he told me that. He said, "mom, it's okay."

Just a reminder, really, for all of you as a family--

This shouldn't be a major hurdle that is used an excuse

To set him back from anything that he wants to do in his life.

[Aiden yells]

[Yelling, laughing]

[Screams] wow, this family have come a really long way.

Whee! [Groans]

We have parents who are confident

And have accepted that they are a proud family

Who will be living with diabetes.

All right, I really am going now, though.bye-bye!

[Paige] our family is doing much more better now. Bye-bye.

And thanks, jo,

For straightening out my mom and dad.

Hey, give me a hug, you. Thank you.

Thank you. Listen, you're welcome. Keep up your work, okay,

That talking box. Absolutely.

Family-- it's all about family.

It's definitely a happier family. Liam, you're gonna

Have to save me, because they're just getting-- the kids are more secure.

Tammy's more secure. And we're just having fun.

I have an opportunity of a lifetime

To have jo come into my home and--and give me

All these tools I need...

This is the beginning of you. It's not the end.

To make this all work.

And i-i'm gonna be a new tammy.

I will never give up.

Mwah! Bye-bye, sweetie. Bye.

Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Mwah! Bye!

Take care. Bye-bye, darlings.

[Jo] they've done extremely well,

And the future is incredibly bright

For this family. It really is.

♪♪♪