Did anyone else watch The Baby Mind Reader with Derek Ogilvie on Channel Five last night?
It wouldn't be my representative of my normal choice of viewing (having content about small children and being on Channel Five) but I was intrigued having seen some of the pre-publicity for the show. Any thoughts or reflections?
Having read some of the preview material that preceded the first episode, I felt a bit compelled to watch the programme. And it was pure Channel Five material – based around one man’s ability to telepathically connect with very young children and subsequently help the family dynamic and relationships. That man is Derek Ogilvie.
I jotted some stuff down as I watched last night, partly because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Ogilvie seemed to be able discern things within minutes that someone meeting that mother and daughter for the first time - a 19 year old single parent and a two year old, and later the grandmother too - couldn’t possibly know. For instance, he said that the two year old was aware that her mother had been raped at the age of 14 (before she was even born), and that the grandmother had previously miscarried a son.
My slight shock that he would say this out loud to these people, whilst being filmed for a national television programme, was compounded by the fact that after he asked her to confirm the rape, he told the mother that this was out of his area of expertise and that he’s leave her alone for a few minutes. I seriously hope that the producers had someone on hand behind the camera to help her at that moment...
But I felt that his advice in response to the reading, about how the mother and daughter should interact to stop the two year olds tantrums, was so generic that I could have been watching any recent parenting show:
1 – talk to someone about your past and try to be healed and move on from it
2 – be positive – children pick up on negativity from parents
3 – make dietary changes to include fruit and veg instead of sweets and processed foods
4 – have more fun – for instance buy a trampoline and a fairy dress
Of course if believing in Ogilvie’s methods and advice, him having gained their trust, meant that relationships were repaired and harmony restored then it’s no bad thing. For me, the programme was a bit “Derren Brown’s Little Angels” if that makes any sense! I’m genuinely not sure what to make of it, and I’ll be intrigued to see another episode of it and see how it pans out.
Posted by: LauraHD | June 21, 2006 at 10:54 AM
who can i turn to for this sort of help myself.i have had promblems for 18 months and no that my child is in fear of something but cannnot work out what.
Posted by: j lee | July 04, 2006 at 08:14 AM
Well firstly, I have to say that I'm no expert (not even a parent!). This post was really started off by the show. Have you seen it at all? Or any of the BBC output - House of Tiny Tearaways, or Little Angels? Both recommended.
As with most things in life, some outside input or perspective might be of use to help you get an understanding of what might be going on. I suppose that someone you trust and can be honest with - could be a friend, family member, professional (counselor, therapist, doctor, child carer), spiritual adviser, whoever - to talk through the issues and concerns.
I guess it might also be useful to consider this from a holistic approach - heart, mind, spirit, body - the emotional, mental, spiritual and physical elements, and see which could be at the root of this.
Sorry to be vague but hope these might be of use as a starting point...
Posted by: LauraHD | July 07, 2006 at 12:09 PM