Jo Frost, "Supernanny from the hit ABC show, just answered Washington Post reader questions on everything from potty-training to discipline. Here is a sample:

Minneapolis, Minn.: Hi Jo -

I have a just-over-three-year-old boy who is not yet potty trained. I have tried everything I have read about in books ('potty prizes', encouragement, positive rewards, special underpants, praise, stickers...) to encourage him to use the potty but he is just not interested! I feel like he is ready and capable of using the potty - and we had a streak over Christmas when he actually was using it, but then stopped. Should we keep trying (and if so, what do we do next?) or should we back off for awhile?

Jo Frost: He's more than capable of being potty trained. However you have played and toyed with the idea and he has half-heartedly done so. You need to make up your mind one way or another (and the answer should be yes). Number one: take note of his fluid intake. 2: take him completely out of diapers, no half-measures. 3: Diapers only at bedtime. 4: you will need to spend a week doing this - stay local, no big trips. You can find a step by step guide in my first Supernanny book...

Arlington, Va.: Hi, Ms. Frost!

We are new parents to a 7-month old, and I am wondering about how best to incorporate a routine into our day. Specifically, our baby isn't a great sleeper and doesn't have set napping times. She'll usually take a 1 to 2 hour nap in the morning, but we have trouble getting her to sleep in the afternoon. And we always get her to sleep by walking her in the stroller, as she will cry if we put her down in her crib. Do you have any tips on starting a baby on a routine?

Jo Frost: She should be taking a midmorning nap and then one straight after lunch. Creating a framework is going to be key for her. She may doze off around 5 for half an hour. Not until her eating schedule is in hand should you implement the sleeping technique. In my new book I detail my "controlled crying" technique. In short - Put the baby in the crib, go out, the baby will cry, you go in and say shh and rub the tummy... repeat, doubling the time in between.

Okay... I've finished watching the episode and here are my thoughts.  Though this family does practice a few things that would be considered attachment parenting, breastfeeding, babywearing, and co-sleeping, they definitely did not practice AP discipline.  It seemed as though Mrs. Walker spanked because she didn't have anything in her parenting toolbox to help her children learn the consequences to their actions.  In fact, spanking seemed to be the action that the mother took for any offense.  The result: her children weren't learning a thing and kept repeating the bad behavior.  Supernanny (Jo) didn't seem to do much to help with this problem, except to tell the parents that they shouldn't put up with it.  At the end of the show, an NBA star Dwyane Wade talks to Antony Jr. about how respect starts at home to be successful on and off the court.  While this is great for this child to meet an NBA star that hopefully made an impact on him, we can't all do this for our kids... so I'm not sure what Jo message is for the home audience here.

Though some families have no problem co-sleeping with a 14 month old and 6 year old, it obviously was not working for this family.  They were unhappy, and the kids weren't getting their sleep.  Dr. Sears says "wherever the family gets the most sleep is the best arrangement".  It was like they started co-sleeping and weren't sure how to transition in to the next step, whether that was getting the 6 year old to sleep in her own bed or some other arrangement.  I think Jo was a help with this new arrangement.  

Okay... now on to the baby.  In the show, Alissa is 14 months old (not 17 months as described in the Sun Times Article).  There are many families who would view this as still pretty young to be weaned... especially in other countries.  Incidentally, the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for at least two years.  Though Mrs. Walker seems ready to wean, she also seems conflicted about it.  I think the thing that bothers me the most about this advice, is that the weaning is abrupt.  There's no slow transition dropping feedings one by one.  It's right to the bottle at the very next nap and that's it.  Mrs. Walker seems happy about the fact that her baby is weaned, so maybe this is a positive for this family.  However, I think Jo does a real injustice to mothers who choose to breastfeed beyond a year.  It's quite obvious that she views it as unnecessary at this stage in a child's life.  It's as if the milk a mother produces after a year suddenly has no nutritional or immunological benefits anymore.  Don't get me wrong... I have no problem with mothers who wish to wean their children because the breastfeeding relationship is no longer working for them or their child.  It just seems to me that a tough love approach isn't a one size fits all prescription for every family.  

Later in the show, she also gets Alissa to sleep on her own in a crib utilizing a cry it out method.  This made me squirm a bit because it's just not my parenting style.  During the show, it works after 5 minutes.  They only show this once, so we don't know if subsequent attempts are as "successful".  

It'll be interesting to see how others in the AP world react to this show.  Like I stated before... if the mother wants to wean and the end result is a happier family, then they made the right choice.  However I think those who practice AP parenting will have a problem with Supernanny's attitude about extended breastfeeding and how the situation is handled.  Let the nurse-ins begin!