MURRIETA -- We've all seen it before: Kids screaming in restaurants or running wild in grocery stores while their frazzled parents don't seem to have a clue how to control their little hellions.

But help is out there.

Jo Frost has made a successful career out of teaching parents how to get their children to behave through loving but firm discipline, and her coaching is aired nationally on the ABC television show "Supernanny."

Frost's most recent effort took place at a Murrieta home with six children, a working dad, and a stay-at-home mom who is also studying to have a career.

Frost was in Murrieta on Friday filming scenes for the episode, which is scheduled to air this fall or winter. The family was not available for comment.

"They definitely needed help with one-on-one basic parenting skills and also an understanding of how they got into this situation," Frost said in an interview about the Murrieta couple, who are in their 30s, with children ranging from toddler to preteen.

She said she hoped she helped them learn more about their children and connect with them on not just a mental level, but an emotional level.

"Everybody who watches the show, they say, 'Oh my word, look at these children. Look how they are behaving. Look at the parents. What are they are thinking?' But I don't see that," she said. "By the time I get to the house, what I am seeing is the manifestation of things that have gone completely wrong because of a reason: a circumstance, an opinion, the way somebody has behaved."

In each "Supernanny" episode, Frost observes how parents handle day-to-day obstacles with their children. She then creates a set of new rules tailored to the family and reads them to the parents and children and also talks to the parents privately about how they need to change in order to turn around their children's behavior.

Her advice often includes asking parents to identify consequences for bad behavior and rewards for good behavior -- and to follow through with both.

She often asks that parents keep their anger or frustration in check and remain calm while disciplining their child until he or she accepts the punishment.

Sometimes that's a tall order.

During many episodes, the children run circles around their parents -- crying, screaming, kicking, spitting and throwing tantrums instead of accepting discipline.

But in each episode, Frost constantly encourages the parents to continue to place their children in the "naughty corner" for a few minutes, or whatever other punishment is at hand, until the child calms down and acquiesces.

Children on the show tend to improve their behavior after first challenging the new way of doing things. Often the changes appear harder on the parents than the children.

"What I deal with on the show is definitely a lack of understanding that parents have toward being able to implement or make those changes or differences," Frost said. "It may be parents have to strongly look at themselves … and recognize what they need to do to change in a positive way to have a better approach in what they are doing with regard to getting the results they want."

Frost has almost two decades in the child-care industry and has authored two best-selling books on parenting and has another book, "Confident Baby Care," set for release next month. Much of her advice is also available on her Web site, www.jofrost.com.

"It's important to be a parent who parents," Frost said.

Parents should make "conscious decisions" about how they are going to raise their children and work to instill "morals and values" in them, she added.

For households in which both parents are working all day and either a babysitter or a day-care center is largely raising the children, or in situations in which older kids come home to empty homes after school, Frost said there is hope for them.

"It's about recognizing as the parent of the house you make the decisions," she said. "You have the responsibility. … I don't think a child should be coming home to an empty house. It's got to be a child who's old enough to be able to do that. If they are not, then the parents are not being responsible parents in allowing that."

In general, one of the most discussed topics with regard to parenting is the debate over whether to spank. Frost said she does not have an official position on the subject, but never employs spanking as a means to an end.

"Spanking is a topic that is forever going to be discussed," she said. "There are people who feel spanking is fine and people who are against that. As far as I am concerned, for 17 years I have clearly shown millions of people that one can implement good, positive discipline without having to be physical."

"Supernanny" has been on the air in America since 2005, and in that time not one episode has been left on the cutting-room floor because the family did not meet with some success, she said.

"Parents learn from their mistakes," Frost said.

Frost's success with her television show and books is not an isolated phenomenon. But while parenting books have sold millions of copies for decades, there does seem to be an increase in the number of media outlets dealing with the subject, said Mitchell Rosen, a Temecula-based marriage and family therapist.

Rosen, who has been a therapist for 30 years, said he believes the trend can be traced to the fact that nowadays parents are more apt to turn to the television, radio or Internet for parenting advice than their family members or neighbors.

In the "Beaver Cleaver" generation, turning to neighbors for advice and help was common, and extended families living in the area also provided support, he said. That's not as common today, as parents don't want to look incompetent.

With that, "our culture is hungry for (parenting advice)," he said. "That is why people like Dr. Laura and Dr. Phil are so popular."

But Rosen said he doesn't believe the increase is related to kids misbehaving more than they ever have in the past.

"Kids are no different today than 30 years ago," he said. "They are no worse or better. (But children's bad behavior) is more publicized because of the media."

While Rosen said he was not familiar with Frost's show, his advice is similar to hers. It stresses communication, consistency, setting boundaries and enforcing rules without corporal punishment.

"Kids don't want parents drinking and smoking with them," he said. "They want them to be parents, knowing where they are and not afraid to say no."

For more information

ABC's Supernanny is looking for Southern California families who'd like Jo Frost to visit their family. Moms and dads can apply via www.supernanny.com or call (877) 626-6984 for more information.