Reality television shows have taken over the airwaves. You can watch “regular” people diet, get plastic surgery or have a house remodeled.

You name it, from dieting to dating, reality TV is there.

But one show that’s got me hooked is ABC’s “Supernanny.” For those who haven’t seen the program, it features British nanny Jo Frost offering on-the-spot parenting advice to American families. That description may sound a tad dull, but if you’ve got opinions on child rearing (and who doesn’t?), Supernanny is, in the words of The Sunday Times of London (where the show runs with British families), “surprisingly compulsive viewing.”

Each episode unfolds with a couple’s videotaped plea to Ms. Frost, asking for help in taming their rowdy kids. (Cue up scenes of screaming toddlers and bratty preschoolers.) The camera follows as Supernanny visits and observes the family’s interactions during a typical day. Bear in mind that these are “typical days” in the lives of upper middle class families, all of whom seem to live in remarkably clean, attractive homes. (One suspects a Superhousekeeper has already been by.)

Following her day of observation, Supernanny returns with a poster outlining a new daily routine. Supernanny’s schedule features clearly defined naptimes, meal times, play times, and the like. She then sits down with the parents, candidly tells them what they’re doing wrong, and offers specific suggestions, including discipline techniques, for them to try. The parents implement the suggestions under Supernanny’s guidance and are then left on their own (except for the hidden camera). After viewing the “on their own” video, Supernanny returns to reinforce her techniques.

And, surprise, surprise, these “amazing” techniques (being sent to the naughty room without any distractions as a brief punishment, for example) work wonders. By the time Supernanny leaves, all is bliss. Or as close to bliss as one gets with toddlers and preschoolers.

All of Supernanny’s techniques boil down, basically, to having a routine, being consistent with discipline, and having age-appropriate expectations for children. (She’s yet to take on teenagers, a feat I for one look forward to.)

I like Supernanny because she emphasizes those three basic points: routine, consistency, and realistic expectations. It is striking how many parents on the show (and in real life) seem much more focused on their own agenda for any given day than on raising a child. Supernanny keeps running into the stay-at-home Mom who is trying to combine earning a living with taking care of small children. It’s a Herculean task. But when Mom makes a choice to stay home to be with the kids, she needs to be with the kids. If Mommy is always on the phone or busy at the computer, little children will misbehave. Why wouldn’t they? They aren’t getting any attention.

This is Supernanny’s most important point, to my mind. Staying home with small children is a job, and trying to combine that with a work at home career will only leave both children and career neglected. Over the years I found that when I needed to work, my work and my kids were better off if they remained separate. This means using a babysitter or a daycare, and that’s OK.

Many Moms, of course, work outside the home, but Supernanny hasn’t visited any of them yet — probably because in the “real” world they can’t get the time off from work. The bottom line is kids need our attention — not more toys or videos. They need one-on-one time with their parents, whether it’s playing a game or folding the laundry. They definitely need less TV.

And that’s reality.