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The Minyon Family is the first episode of Season 2 of the American Supernanny show.

Episode summary[]

Minyon Family
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In the Season 2 premiere, Jo visits the Minyon family in Douglasville, Georgia. Danielle (26) and Frank (29) have two children, Frank Patrick Jr. (7) and Skyler (4).

Princess Skyler frequently fights with her mom by throwing emotional, but violent temper tantrums She does it by hitting and kicking and screaming. Skyler would hit her mom or vice versa.

Frank sees Skyler as a little princess. She’s more sweet in front of him than she is with her mom. Everything that Skyler does in front of him is cute.

Meanwhile big brother, Frank Jr. doesn’t get time with his mom because her attention is mostly focused on her daughter and his dad gives him negative attention. Frank Jr. would whine when he feels frustrated and his father would make things worse whenever his father talks rudely to him. Can Jo help the Minyons?

Minyon Family/Transcript

Recap[]

Submission reel[]

Danielle admits that she did not realize having kids would be so different from what she imagined. Skyler, who has rage issues, is the most difficult. Frank Jr. does not get much attention and feels left out. It's also hard getting him up in the morning. Frank Sr. just wants his family to be happy and Danielle wants Jo to figure out how to control her daughter's temper tantrums.

Observation[]

Jo arrives at the Minyon house at 6:15 AM to observe their morning routine. Frank Sr. joked that because Jo's presence was so powerful like a principal's, he felt like school was about to begin. Danielle goes back and forth between the kids' bedrooms to wake them. After several verbal encouragements fail, she tells Skyler that "The cops will come and get mommy if you’re not at school." Skyler went from sleepily refusing to launching into a temper tantrum. Danielle then walks over to Frank Jr.’s room to physically dress him otherwise she would have to fight with both of the kids all morning. Meanwhile Frank Sr. slowly gets ready for work. Skyler is not having it as Danielle dresses her, so both parents hold her down to get her dressed. Danielle admits to Jo that she hates going through all this drama and getting Skyler upset over a little thing. She'd rather just let Skyler have her way. Meanwhile, Frank Jr. makes and eats his own breakfast and gets himself on the bus. Danielle drives Skyler to preschool without her shoes on or teeth brushed.

At 3:00, Skyler runs from the table during snack time and will not return when Danielle asks her to. Jo notes that Skyler controls everyone especially her mom in the house. After school, Jo asks Frank Jr. if he gets much time with his parents, which he does not. Skyler throws the pillows on the floor and she refuses to put them back so Danielle puts her in timeout. At first Jo is happy to see an attempt at discipline, but it doesn't work because Danielle never leaves Skyler alone. Instead, Danielle holds Skyler down in the chair. Skyler slaps her mother, and Danielle slaps her in return. Frank Jr. removes himself and plays a video game downstairs while the chaos continues. The fight ends with Danielle and Skyler hugging each other but nothing being solved. Danielle tearfully admits that she ends up giving in because she doesn’t know what works.

Frank Sr. comes home. He enters the kitchen, kisses Danielle and hugs Skyler. He tells Jo, "Skyler can do no wrong, she's precious and everything she does is cute." Frank Sr. then looks for his son and comments that he almost never greets him when he comes home from work. He goes to Frank Jr.’s room and greets him by saying, "Am I bothering you?" in a snarky manner. Jo notices that Frank Sr. is a lot tougher on his son that he is on his daughter. Later in the kitchen, he pushes Frank Jr. away every time he tries to hug him. Frank Sr. admits to Jo that there isn't much interaction between Frank Jr. and himself, and theorizes it may be because he feels they have absolutely nothing in common, combined with Frank Jr.’s propensity for talking in one-word sentences. Frank Sr. feels like this is how a father is supposed to interact with his son.

The parents organize a barbeque for their friends. Both kids refuse to greet their guests. Throughout the visit, neither kid bothers to have any manners, owing partly to the fact that they get overwhelmed by people invading their space. Eventually Skyler begins sobbing and Frank Jr. whining out of frustration. Both parents expect the children to join the guests, say hello and goodbye, and hug everyone goodbye, which the kids don’t feel comfortable doing. The parents are embarrassed by the children's lack of manners. Jo, however, feels their expectations are too high and the parents need to be more relaxed.

Parent Meeting[]

Jo compliments their beautiful, young family. However, she points out that it is silly to physically dress two children who are 7 and 4 years old. Jo asks why the parents, especially Danielle, allow Skyler to engage in a power struggle with them. Frank Sr. admits that they make allowances for her behavior because she is the baby of the family. Jo points out to Danielle how horrifying the confrontation between her and Skyler was. Meanwhile, Frank Patrick is hiding from all of it and into his computer games because they give him more attention than his parents do.

Jo feels that Frank Patrick needs his parents' attention and support, but Frank Sr. counters by insisting that boys need to be stronger. "You mean take your flak?" Jo says. Frank Sr. says he just feels boys should be raised different, which Jo interprets as him believing that he doesn't need to treat his children equally.

Jo points out that Frank Sr. and Danielle expect their children to be intimate with people when they don't want to be. Frank Sr. says he would like to just see them greet or at least acknowledge their guests. Jo points out that they don't do this with each other as a family, so they shouldn't expect the kids to do that with other people. They need to have realistic expectations.

Teaching begins[]

Minyon-Rewards

Minyon Family reward chart

Jo brings in a family routine, which starts with waking up Frank Patrick at 6:30am and includes outdoor play time after school. Jo wants Frank Sr. to do homework with Frank Jr. every day with lots of encouragement and support. Frank Sr. likes the idea of a time of day just devoted to his son and him. Jo also brings in a Reward Chart with tokens.

Later on Danielle is making dinner and Skyler wants to be picked up. Skyler feels upset and starts to sob. Jo reminds Danielle that picking Skyler up only teaches her that screaming works. Jo coaches her in dealing with Skyler in a way that is similar to the Off-The-Hip technique, but that does not go over well with Skyler. Her behavior escalates from sobbing to launching to a temper tantrum and slapping her mother. Danielle gives her a warning. After another slap, she takes Skyler straight to the Naughty Chair. Frank Sr. admits that seeing her take it so hard made him want to just pick her up and take her away. It takes Skyler an hour to do her time and another 30 minutes to get her to apologize to Danielle.

How_to_Use_the_Naughty_Chair_Correctly-_Supernanny_US

How to Use the Naughty Chair Correctly- Supernanny US

Jo returns in the morning to introduce the Rise and Shine technique. Frank Jr. does well and his parents praise him. Danielle is surprised and doesn't know what to do with the extra time not spent in dressing Frank Jr. herself. Frank Jr. proudly exits the house to board the school bus. Danielle braces herself for using the technique on Skyler. Jo coaches Danielle through the technique, but Skyler digs her heels in. Even though she didn't dress herself within the five minutes that she was asked to, she does dress herself within 20 minutes. They leave the house on time, and Danielle tells Skyler how proud she is of her.

Minyon-Feeling-Chart

Jo introduces Frank Patrick to the Feelings Chart

Jo observes that Skyler never initiates any form of conversation, even "Hello" or "Goodbye." To this end, she and Skyler roleplay with baby dolls and the doll house to practice Socialization. Skyler has a a lot of fun and Jo believes that she made progress on understanding what a “Hello” and Goodbye” is. Jo works with the parents next by using the Chalk Circle to show them how their children feel when their personal space is violated. Jo then introduces a Feelings Chart for Frank Patrick to help him communicate better with his parents: he he feels happy or upset, he can put a face with the corresponding emotion on the chart. He feels happy because he gets to spend more time with his dad. Jo says if the parents can see what’s going on visually in Frank Jr.‘s head and how he’s feeling with this technique, his parents can do something to help him. It is very important Frank Jr. is heard. Jo the leaves for a few days. She has no doubt the parents will be tested while she's gone.

Family Test Run[]

How_to_Follow_Through_with_the_Rise_and_Shine_Technique-_Supernanny_US

How to Follow Through with the Rise and Shine Technique- Supernanny US

Frank Jr. again does well with the Rise and Shine technique and gets up when his alarm went off. Skyler doesn’t want to go to school or get ready for school, but Danielle is in control and there is no fight. Skyler ends up going to school in her pajamas with her clothes in her book bag and no temper tantrum. Danielle is proud that took Jo’s advice. The parents are still using the tokens, but Danielle is promising them too many at once: she, Frank Sr. and the children struggle to negotiate over their rewards for doing chores. Jo observes that Danielle should not be using the tokens as a bribe.

How_NOT_to_Speak_to_your_Child_During_Homework_Time-Frank_and_Frank_Patrick_-_How_NOT_to_do_Homework_TIme_-_Supernanny_US

How NOT to Speak to your Child During Homework Time-Frank and Frank Patrick - How NOT to do Homework TIme - Supernanny US

Homework Time with Frank and Frank Jr. causes tension, beginning with Frank Sr. telling his son to "Shut your mouth and start doing your homework." He then belittles Frank Jr. for not writing the A letter to the former's liking, and Frank Jr. explains that that was just how he wrote. Frank Sr. angrily crumples up the paper and demands that he start over. Frank Jr. begins to beat himself up and ultimately snaps at Frank, telling him to let him write his A. Frank Sr. sends Frank Jr. to timeout for “giving (him) a tough time a homework and for not correcting your A!” To insult to injury, Frank calls his son a “whiny little brat!” Frank Jr. begins pulling on the chair, prompting Frank to yell at him even more. After Frank Jr. timeout is over and the homework drama ends, Frank Jr. puts a sad face on his Feelings Chart. Jo declares that Frank Sr. was severely out of line.

DVD Meeting[]

Clip 1: Jo praises Danielle for following through with Skyler on the Rise and Shine technique, calling it "a major leap."

Clip 2: Jo points out that the parents are overusing the tokens; a few days ago, they were happy with just one token, and now they are asking how they can get five or ten tokens. She advises to keep it simple.

Clip 3: Jo confronts Frank Sr. about the verbally abusive way he speaks to Frank Jr.. Frank Sr. tries to excuse himself because he was frustrated. Jo tells Frank Sr. he needs to check himself and recognize both he and Frank Jr. were frustrated. Danielle agrees with Jo, telling Frank Sr. that he knows he treats his son this way everyday. Jo tells him that Frank Patrick is a "bright, funny, sensitive child" who thrives on encouragement and support, so why not give it to him on a daily basis? Frank Sr. admits he needs to do better.

Reinforcement[]

Jo has Frank Sr. and Frank Jr. talk about the latter's Feelings Chart. Frank plans to ask Frank Patrick about it every day so that they have conversations about how he is feeling. Jo explains to Frank Jr. that whining is a poor form of communication because it annoys and frustrates people. Frank apologizes to his son for being frustrated by things like that. Frank feels he has a new start and new approach.

Jo coaches Frank on handling Homework Time better. She tells him to focus on encouragement, and if he feels frustrated, just stand back and recognize how Frank Jr. is feeling. Most important is giving praise. Frank and Frank Patrick end homework time calmly and happily.

When family comes over, Skyler opens the front door, greeting and hugging the visitors. Frank spends time with the kids during the visit to help them feel at ease. The atmosphere in the house is energetic and silly, and the adults are happy with the kids' behavior.

Once the party is over, Jo hugs the entire family goodbye and leaves for good, glad that Danielle is back in control. Frank is grateful for the major impact Jo had on his family. Frank Patrick reports, "A lot of big things have changed because of Jo-Jo." Jo hopes Danielle and Frank continue with the progress they made.

Family Update[]

Frank feels that things have turned around. Danielle reports the mornings are a huge change. Frank Patrick says that his parents are better because his sister is happier and nicer. Frank's eyes have been opened, and he now knows better what his son needs. Danielle says everyone is doing their part to make things work.

Family Members[]

Person Age (2005) Relation to Family
Frank Minyon 29 (born September 15, 1975) Father
Danielle Minyon 26 (born October 14, 1978) Mother
Frank Patrick 7 (born September 16, 1997) Son
Skyler 4 (born June 11, 2001) Daughter
Gigi Minyon 71 Grandmother/Old Lady
The child was disciplined via one of Jo Frost's techniques.
The child was disciplined via one of Jo Frost's techniques, but not in a way that she approved of.

Behind The Scenes[]

This episode was filmed in May 2005.

Fan Reception[]

Viewers generally disliked The Minyon Family. They heavily castigated Frank, accusing him of displaying toxic masculinity, favoring Skyler over Frank Patrick, and verbally abusing the latter. They were disgusted with the way that Frank treated his children differently. In addition, fans disliked the way that both parents forced their children to hug their guests when they did not feel comfortable with doing so, but were happy to eventually see the two learn from their mistakes. In addition, fans heavily sympathized with Frank Patrick. They knew that he did not want to greet his father because Frank did not act warmly toward him, and that he wanted Danielle to dress him because that was the only time he could have her attention.

Transcript[]

The Minyon Family/Transcript

Events Post-Episode[]

  • Skyler started a vlog.
  • Danielle gave birth to another daughter named Alexis Minyon.
  • Danielle and Frank got divorced, with part of the reason being the mistreatment Frank Patrick received.
  • Danielle remarried to a man named Cary Darden, and her full name is now Danielle Darden. She also gave birth to another daughter named Kayla Darden, giving Skyler a half-sister.
  • Skyler gave birth to a daughter named Ollie on April 16, 2023.

Trivia[]

  • The surname Minyon is pronounced "min-YOHN" rather than "minion."
  • Frank's treatment of Frank Patrick, during homework time specifically has been compared to two families:
    • The Beck Family: Jo witnessed Nate put Hunter (who had ADHD) in The Penalty Box during homework time in her Teaching. However, Nate's treatment of Hunter was far less severe than Frank's treatment of Frank Patrick, and rather than verbal abuse Nate's temper came from frustration.
    • The Orm Family: Shawn yelled at Chandler during homework time, although his yelling was not as severe as Frank's. In addition, Chandler says Shawn had previously yelled at him when he was in 1st Grade. While Shawn was subdued when expressing his frustration to an equally frustrated Chandler, Frank was actually explosive to the point of abusively calling Frank Patrick a "whiny brat".

Pop Culture[]

  • A Mickey Mouse plush could be seen in Frank Patrick's room.
  • Danielle's lament when she said "In the beginning, I was like, Jiminy Crickets," harkens back to the character from the Disney film Pinocchio.
  • Skyler has a Lizzie McGuire backpack.
  • During The Observation, Frank Jr. can be seen with a Game Boy Advance SP, but the game he was playing remains unknown got blurred out likely to avoid copyright issues with Nintendo and a third-party company.

Gallery[]

External Links[]

Season 2
The Minyon FamilyThe Webb FamilyThe McMillion FamilyThe Larmer FamilyThe Cooke FamilyThe Amaral FamilyThe Facente FamilyThe Keilen FamilyThe Bradbury-Lambert FamilyThe Tsironis FamilyThe Carsley FamilyThe Schwartz FamilyThe Silva FamilyThe Young FamilyThe Harmony FamilyThe Wujcik FamilyThe Jackson FamilyThe Newton FamilyThe Uva Family
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