DRIVING MUM AND DAD MAD

23 July, 2006 by The_Boss

ITV1 Monday 24 July 2006 9:00pm to 10:00pm

Five families with difficult children have begun a long journey to become better parents. In episode two of Driving Mum And Dad Mad all of the families realise that there are no quick fixes and they are in for a very emotional ride.

After witnessing examples of their children’s bad behaviour, and especially images of Jamie McLeod, attacking his Mum Christine with a corkscrew –
all five sets of parents realise they have serious problems that must be tackled before it’s too late.

Driving Mum And Dad Mad expert, Claire Halsey, says: “It can be quite frustrating for parents after session one because I haven’t given them any new strategies to try with their children, but I want things to really sink in, I want them to think about why children are behaving as they are and the role they play in that.”

Programme two teaches parents to change their behaviour towards their children – they must praise their children more, spend quality time with them and concentrate on their good behaviour – not the bad.

Praising Rio comes naturally to single Mum Joanna Dundon in Runcorn. She decides to take this positivity to the shops for a treat but before long it all starts to fall apart.

Meanwhile Christine McLeod in Glasgow struggles to find an activity to keep seven-year-old Jamie amused. After years of watching violent films and computer games Jamie is over stimulated and finds normal play activities boring. Christine initiates a face painting session with Jamie – but is it all too good to be true?

Shelley Lockridge finds it hard to praise her sons Arron and Bradley, but embraces spending quality time with them by playing football and drawing pictures together – but when Arron gets bored, leaves the table and abuses her – will she handle the situation or will it end in yet more tears?

The families have now all set out on their journeys together – the ups and downs have already begun, but the parents are on their first step to improving life at home with their kids.


Driving Mum And Dad Mad is made by ITV Productions. The series producer is Anoushka Cecil and the executive producer is Michele Carlisle.

http://www.itv.com/mumanddad offers Triple P fact sheets and parenting advice.