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Rachael Ray Show

Rachael Ray: Rachael's Daytime Talkshow

The Supernanny Is Back!

The Supernanny Is Back!
Aired on: January 14, 2008

Usually Jo Frost puts naughty kids in their place on her hit show Supernanny, but this time around Rachael turns the tables and the kids are in charge! No question is off limits for the children, who want to know about sex, God, death and divorce. So how do you talk to your kids about these topics? Jo offers some advice:

"How can Jamie Lynn [Spears] have a baby if she's on a kids show?" asks a 6-year-old, leaving his parents at a loss for words.

Jo says parents should decide what they are comfortable telling their kids and don't need to share every detail about sex, and then find a way to make themselves at ease for the discussion. "It's about choosing a place which is very informal, it's about putting in a sprinkle of humor," Jo suggests. "It's making sure that it's on a need to know basis. So he's asked one question, but don't give him the whole book."

"Are you ever going to die and leave me?" asks another child of his mother. Jo says that with a question like this, the child already recognizes that death is final. "And he's dealing with the 'now' -- is it going to happen today? Is it going to happen tomorrow?" she says. "Make sure that you have that foundation for your child that they recognize there is stability there. That you are there for them is important."

"Why does God let bad things happen?" asks 11-year-old Jamie.

"That's something you ask yourself your whole life," Rachael commiserates. Jo says when tackling questions like this, body language is very important to reassure a child. Sit next to them and remind them everything is going to be OK. Rachael agrees and adds, "There is an instant emotional reaction when she does that, being next to someone rather than looking at someone breaks down those barriers and gets that person to relax."

"When mom and dad fight, does that mean that they're going to get a divorce?" asks 10-year-old Max. The question reminds Jo of a family she met for her series. "They were faced with having to deal with the reality of, 'are we going to keep doing this as parents and drag our kids through this, or are we going to sort something out and work something out one way or another?'" she says. And, as parents work out their own disagreements there's also an opportunity to teach kids a valuable lesson by showing them how to resolve conflicts. "Your children are learning how to communicate with people in the same way."



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