The Parent Test

How can you conduct a study/ test when all families are not conducting the same test. There is a huge difference between jump off a high dive with no safety harness vs climbing a rock wall with safety gear. The test has no control to accurately compare. Both tests has a fear of heights but one has to do more with physical ability vs taking a leap of trust. I feel the producers did different test for half the parents because they were afraid to lose ratings then actually conduct a test to compare the different parent techniques. So how can viewers see / difference in talking a kid to jump versus talking a kid to climb a wall?

Parents and their children are put into scenarios strictly designed for the greatest TV shock value that have little to nothing to do with actual parenting. They're not even real life scenarios that would ever actually happen and don't shown anything except kids acting like kids. Big surprise, they do stupid things and make bad decisions because... they're kids.

But that's not even the bad part. It's the overly judgmental panel of other parents they put together, who sit there taking notes on the absurd videos as they're shown, and then cast judgement on the other parents for how their kids acted in these stupid situations that don't actually mean anything. It's just horrible, judgmental, hypercritical, nosy, degrading, toxic, disgusting human behavior put on display. The show has nothing to do with kids or parenting. It's all about making people feel like they're in a position of authority and then watching them rip into other people and cut emotional holes in them until they cry, to the tune of dramatic music and editing. I couldn't even finish two episodes because it just made me feel dirty. What kind of psychopaths find that entertaining?

I rarely watch reality TV shows because of their often scripted and formulaic structure, but this show had me hooked from episode one! While it does incorporate some of the annoying reality TV elements - conversely, the participants, situations, and discussions feel refreshingly genuine and candid. I love how they've included a very diverse cross-section of American families of different races and ethnicities, lifestyles, marital status, faith traditions, economic status, and of course, parenting styles. I also love how the show and participants are generally balanced and respectful in discussing the positive and negative aspects of different parenting approaches. I think the main design flaw was making the show a competition. This just feels awkward and unrealistic most of the time. We all know there is no one perfect parenting style that works in every situation with every kid. The show itself has already demonstrated that. Why not just compare and discuss how different strategies play out in different situations between different parents and kids? Also, despite their individual styles, all of these parents seem to be some of the best America has to offer, so why artificially pit them against each other? Imagine what our nation would be like if every child grew up in a family like these!

Your blowing it Dr. Brown. Parenting like love is not competitive it is creative. This show uses well intended dedicated parents, for the growth of no one. Most offensive is the premise that trust is only for the immediate nuclear family, that the world is full of predators (Dr. Browns words)and children who trust huggable neighbors have somehow failed. That is an insult to the whole process. Well intended or not, this show is folly. Parenting is collaborative, parents don't compete they share and grow. They all desire the best outcome. I learned in facilitating hundreds of parent seminars that the wisdom in the room is collective not at a podium. Likely this show is in the can already. I challenge you to set aside the ego and bring your A game with a better formatted approach. Anything but a win win process fails children in play. For their sample do better. Please.

It feels exploitive for the kids. I'm all for these parents and/or families going on a parenting retreat together or having a group session. But to make it a game show on national tv just feels like cheap voyeurism. Oh ok, not enough characters for this review. There were so many opportunities for candid parental critiques which got passed over to seemingly protect the feelings of the parent. Thankfully the bullying scene was a reenactment. One benefit I could see, maybe it helps some parents realize that reflecting on your parenting style is a good thing. If it hadn't been sold as a game show...I guess it'd be a different show.