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You know, there are some episodes of Supernanny where you wonder if the lessons and technique Jo Frost imparts upon a family will actually make any long-term changes. It usually comes down to the attitude of the parents. Sometimes you can just tell that the parents think that Jo will just float down and work some Mary Poppins magic on her kids, and they won't have to make any changes themselves. Each episode of Supernanny ends on a hopeful note, but sometimes you wonder how much of an impact the experience has had on the stubborn parents.

Happily, this week's episode left no doubt in my mind that the family was on its way to a happier and more harmonious future - they just needed Jo to push them in the right direction. The Schumachers of Las Vegas are going to be OK, I think.

Teri and Brian Schumacher are hard-working parents who provide everything their three kids need in life - except maybe boundaries, goals, and discipline. They didn't want to put the kids in day care, so Teri and Brian work around the clock. Teri works during the day while Brian works at night, and the two of them share parenting duties. Unfortunately, both of them have a hard time using the word "no" when it comes to their kids and are paying the price.

Oldest daughter Jessica (14) does not have the drive and motivation of an Olympian athlete. She lays around the house, griping about how bored she is and how her (quite nice) home is a dump. The other daughter Alexi (11) is smart, but accustomed to getting things her way. She spends hours on the cell phone and on social networking sites online chatting with people she probably shouldn't be chatting with - all unbeknownst to her parents. The youngest kid Dylan (7) has transformed his boredom into agression and profanity. His interests include a) hitting things, b) swearing, and c) flipping people off.

Yikes. Sounds bad, huh? Supernanny is aghast at all this naughty behavior when she comes to visit, and quickly comes up with a strategy for turning the Schumachers around.

Time limits are put on the computer, which is moved into a public space so the parents can see what's going on. Alexi is not thrilled about that. Young Dylan visits a mixed martial arts studio where he can focus his interest in hitting things in a positive and safe environment. He loves it. To teach Jessica about hard work and to give her a sense of perspective, the family helps out Habitat for Humanity on a home site for a low income family.

The most important change must come from Teri and Brian, however. They need to establish boundaries, rules, and consistent discipline, and to realize that saying "no" is sometimes the best thing they can do as parents. The Schumachers are very receptive to Jo's advice and are willing to implement her plans. They're 100% on board the Supernanny Train.

That's the real criteria for success on Supernanny: How willing are the parents to make changes? Sometimes Jo Frost asks a lot of the parents, but those who are open-minded enough to change their own behavior are the ones that change the way their kids act. Luckily for the Schumacher kids, their parents embrace the experience and make some fundamental changes that you just know are going to stick.

Because the real trick to Supernanny success is this: the parents have to change in order for the kids to change. Simple as that.

--Dave Campbell