The Lawrence Family

**The Lawrence Family** is the sixteenth episode of Season 1 of Nanny 911.

## Episode Summary

Nanny Stella is sent Atlanta, Georgia to help the Lawrence Family. Jim and Tammy have two children: James (5) who is sensitive and shy while Jacob (4) can cry a lot.

The boys are usually calmer during the day but at bed time, the parents allow the boys to sleep with causing them to have control over them. Can Nanny Stella save the family?

## Recap

### Submission tape

Jim and Tammy brag about how much of a perfect life they have. Tammy says that Jacob likes to make everyone laugh and is very charming despite clips of Jacob's unhappy moments of crying. Jim says that James is shy as clips ensue of James locking himself in the pantry or in the closet. Jim says that the family also has a big black 2-year-old labrador named Dude, the boys think of the dog as another brother

Tammy explains that at bedtime James and Jacob would panic, she believes their traumatized and afraid of monsters, She says she wants time for herself and her husband (Jim) back but because the bedtime thing it's impossible. Jim admits that he wants his bed back and his wife back. Tammy breaks down in tears about how hard the family situation is. Jim also in tears says that he wants the best for his sons.

### Observation

When Nanny Stella arrives Jacob is shy and James is shyer as he hides behind a couch.

Nanny Stella observes the clingy behavior from both boys, they lay all over their parents and the follow them nonstop. At lunch, the house is eerily quiet which makes Nanny Stella feel sad. James softly whines in order to sit next to his father. Jacob does the same.

Later the kids are hitting and beating on the dog. Ironically, when Jacob falls of the couch, he turns on the waterworks which prompts Jim to hold him for fifteen minutes. Stella is angered when Jim gets Jacob a bottle of juice to drink out of.

At bedtime, in order to appease the boys, Jim fills up bottles of milk for them, Stella is disgusted once again. When the parents are about to leave the room, James panics and runs out of the room into the kitchen. When Tammy asks him what the issue is he whispers "monsters" which prompts Tammy to conjoin Jacob and James's beds together so that she can sleep in between them.

### Parent Meeting

Nanny Stella points out that the kids need to be more independent and they need to trash the bottles immediately.

Nanny Stella then tackles the biggest issue, Bedtime, she tells Tammy and Jim that the current bedtime situation is destructive to the whole family. She tells the parents that they give in to the kids when they call.

### Teaching

Nanny Stella returns and puts in the following rules

1. Children must respect parents and animals
2. At mealtime, everyone must feed themselves
3. Parents must not reward bad behavior
4. No more bottles
5. Everyone sleeps in their own bed

Nanny Stella decides to start with the smaller issues. She goes cold turkey a takes away the bottles from the boys. Surprisingly, there were a bag full of bottles in the house. When Jacob found out he threw a huge fit and he even grabbed a chair to look for the bottles. Tammy is upset at Jacob's crying.

In order to in-force the mealtime rule, Nanny Stella situates herself at the dinner-table. But her presence was enough to curb any misconduct. She sits both parents down and tells them the plan for that night. Tammy feels like she's traumatizing her boys.

That night before the boys went to bed, Nanny Stella explained that Jim and Tammy won't be sleeping with them. When Tammy is about to leave the room, James freaks out and refuses to stays in his bed despite what Tammy told him. Nanny Stella instructs Tammy to put James in time out in another room. Tammy tearfully holds the door closed as James wails and bangs on the door.

Seeing Tammy so distraught, Jim comforts her. Both parents doubt that the Nanny's approach will work. Tammy finally gave in to the crocodile tears and bunks with the boys for the night. The next day, she allows the boys to manipulate her with crocodile tears.

Nanny Stella comes up with the one hour system where Tammy sits in the boys room for a Hour and then she leaves their room. When Tammy sits on the chair rather than sleeping with them, they whine and fake cry for her attention. Jacob continuously gets out of bed while James cries.

## Events Post-episode

Jim had a heart attack but recovered quickly.

## Family Members

 Tammy Lawrence
 James Jr.
 Jacob