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Parents' Guide to

Extreme Guide to Parenting

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Reality show spotlights offbeat parenting styles.

TV Bravo Reality TV 2014
Extreme Guide to Parenting Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

It's kind of fun to laugh at clueless new parents, even if you're a clueless new parent, and so Extreme could have taken on a Toddlers & Tiaras-type approach to its participants, highlighting their stupider pronouncements and antics with mocking camera effects. Instead, though Extreme was clearly created to make fun of weird people, the show dials down the disrespect and mockery and allows the sincerity of its parents to shine through. They still do come off as pretty foolish, but at least Extreme allows them to explain their techniques in their own words, rather than making fun of them outright.

Most parents will probably find issues they can relate to here, as well as things they'll find funny and cringe-worthy, such as the mom who allows her kid to repeatedly tell her that she sucks or the dad who blithely insists his daughter will be fine if exposed to chicken pox and not vaccinated. This show is sure to ignite lively debate among families -- if parents can convince kids to watch.

TV Details

  • Premiere date: August 7, 2014
  • Network: Bravo
  • Genre: Reality TV
  • TV rating: NR
  • Last updated: March 13, 2023

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