by Elaine Arthur

Created on: November 22, 2009

Witnessing the domestic train wreck formerly known as "Jon and Kate Plus Eight," or watching the fake drama unfold as Falcon Heene was reported missing by his publicity-hungry parents, it is easy to quickly conclude that children below a certain age should not be placed in front of a camera so that the rest of the world can have a glimpse of life inside someone else's home.

There is certainly no shortage of such "reality-TV" offerings. Supernanny, Wife Swap, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, and MTV's The World's Strictest Parents, to name but a few, all owe their ratings success to the inclusion of children. The kids are offered as a caution to us adults: You think you've got problems, but don't forget, there are kids involved, too! Certainly, most of these shows would be a lot more forgettable if they only concentrated on the parents.

Supernanny is an interesting example. Jo Frost's weekly mission is to visit a home wherein the parents have acknowledged their failure to raise well-adjusted, disciplined children. Video footage shows children from toddlers to teens, running amok. They scream, they punch their parents and siblings, run out of the house into traffic, throw food and significantly lower the home's property value by breaking windows and gouging holes in the drywall. Typically, the parents are either misguided or indifferent. The mother looks on in bewilderment at her children's psycho behavior, while the father stays at the office as late as he possibly can, and then slinks through the house, bound for the safety of den or bathroom, while the kids scream for his attention.

Nanny Jo tells the parents where she thinks they're going wrong, then posts a list of rules, then installs a Naughty Chair and proceeds to demonstrate the proper techniques for time-out. Invariably, the child misbehaves, disregards a warning, and is placed in the chair, with the objective of obtaining an apology for the infraction before being allowed back among the other family members. On each show, the child decides not to give in and leaves the chair, running through the house until captured and brought back. The parents are unfailingly skeptical and resistant. "He'll never sit still for that," says Mom. "How long are we expected to keep this up?" asks Dad. But Jo stands firm against the parents until they stand firm against the child. Eventually they wear the tyke down; hugs and apologies are exchanged, and Jo racks up yet another successful intervention.

I think the producers

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