Crash Test Mommy

- Season 3

(2006)

Holly Gaden never gets a moment's rest. She had her first child at age 16, and now, at 27, she's got two more young children under her wing who demand full time care. It's a loud, chaotic household, with three girls, ranging in age from 16 months to 13 years, constantly competing for mom's attention. Holly's sister Becky Williams is always telling Holly that she needs to be more relaxed and calm when she's dealing with her kids. Becky thinks Holly gets too worked up and stressed out about her role as a mother, and this in turn creates a more stressful household. Of ...

Teresa Holoman not only parents five kids, ranging in age from 4 to 17, plus two dogs, but also helps out her husband John in the family's driving school business. Nevertheless, easy-going John somehow thinks he can do a better job than his wife at keeping the peace among the kids and getting the kids to help in keeping the house clean. Teresa thinks he's dreaming in color about all that stuff, but also thinks the more important issue is her husband's habit of disappearing into his den and disengaging from the family, who, like Teresa, need him to be closer and more ...

Meet laid-back Lisa Boerescu and her more structured little sister Lori. The two women were firmly raised by their Portuguese-Canadian mother in true Old World style. These days, Lisa has her hands full with two kids of her own, Marisa and Danica, while Lori still lives at home with their parents. Lisa resents the fact that Lori is always sniping at her for the house being dirty, mealtimes late, and bedtimes non-existent. For the next 48 hours Lori, as crash test mommy, will try to impose her own idea of order and a rigid schedule on her young charges.

Jenna Losie is a stressed-out single mom with two young children and a job, who has recently separated from husband Matt Carnegie. Matt and Jenna could never agree on parenting issues when they were together, and it's not getting any easier now that they've split. Matt's like a big kid, and likes to have a good time, but as far as Jenna's concerned, he's not much of a parent. Matt wants the kids to visit him more often at his new home in Kelowna, B.C., which is four hours from their home. But Matt's general immaturity and irresponsibility makes Jenna hesitant about ...

Deanna Zastre has a hard time living up to her husband Vince's expectations. After all, his own mother, Francine, raised 12 kids and kept the house clean and quiet, so why can't Deanna? From Vince's point of view Deanna only has three kids to parent - a daughter, Breanne, 11, from a previous relationship, Autumn 2, and Sheldon, 1. O yeah, and she runs a busy daycare business out of their home. But how hard can that be? Piece of cake, he thinks, and he wants to take charge for 48 hours to prove it. Deanne wants Vince to be her crash test mommy for entirely different, ...

Christine Neufeld knows her husband Norm has a demanding, stressful job as an undercover cop, but his long hours and lengthy absences are straining their marriage and making Norm a stranger in his own home. Christine feels their two young children, four year-old Kaleb and 18 month Adam, deserve better. And it gets worse. Norm doesn't respect Christine's job as full-time mom, thinking it's nothing compared to the nasty world he finds himself in every day. Things have to change in the Neufeld home if this marriage, and this family, are going to survive. Norm agrees to ...

Andrea Corfield is going through a rough patch and could really use some help and support. In the middle of a trial separation, she's a single working mom with two energetic boys, 8-year old Juwan and 18-month old Kenyon, and three days a week she also takes care of Kayla, her 14-month old niece. Andrea would like to be closer to her big sister, Robyn Gamracy, from whom she has become emotionally distant. Robyn, a corrections officer at a maximum security prison, thinks better scheduling and more discipline at the home-front would make life easier for Andrea. At this ...

Renee Nuttal and her longtime fiancé;, Jeff Ostafichuk, are finally tying the knot next week after seven years together. But big questions still remain in Renee's mind about whether 'big kid' Jeff is capable of being a responsible parent to their two sons, six year-old Zack and one year-old Kody. Renee worries that, if the lazy Jeff doesn't get serious about pulling his share, there will be major problems ahead in their marriage. Renee is hoping that in the next 48 hours, when Jeff becomes crash test mommy in the household, she'll see a Jeff willing and able to be a ...

Julie Hoult and her sister Shawna Craig used to have similar lifestyles and were very close - that is, until Julie got married and had kids. Now their lives are moving in opposite directions, and both feel their connection is fraying beyond repair. Julie is surrounded by children all day, every day. Running a daycare out of her house, Julie's not only a mother to her own two children but also a caregiver to three additional young ones. Her husband does the outdoor chores and errands, but other than that, she's on her own. Shawna - single, carefree, and completely ...

Katina and Mitchell Weiser are a happily married couple whose seemingly light-hearted disagreements and playful teasing signal deeper issues. Mitchell has the perception that Katina spends her day sitting around and procrastinating. She wants him to appreciate that from the moment her head is off the pillow, she's run off her feet. She home schools their two kids, runs a daycare out of the house, and cooks healthy foods from scratch. Mitchell's old-fashioned attitudes and values are likely behind some of the sore spots within the family. He's alienated himself from ...

When she was a model in her younger years, Bonita Dyke had a brief taste of the glamorous life before settling down with husband Cornel. But now the Aldergrove, B.C. mom has her hands full with six children, ranging from four to fifteen years of age. She knows that raising kids means changing your lifestyle. But brother-in-law Marvin, who wants a family of his own, believes he can have it all, living large and indulging his adult tastes for travel and dining out, while somehow managing to be an involved parent. He thinks all it takes is good organization, and teaching...

Rachelle Errington and Trish Connelly have been good friends for twenty years, but their lifestyles these days couldn't be more different, and it's straining their relationship. Rachelle is a busy, devoted mom who's always running late. She has five kids, ranging in age from two to 18, and they are the one and only priority in her life. Trish is a successful fashion photographer who is single, has no kids, and no responsibility to anyone other than herself. Trish wants Rachelle to reclaim quality time for herself, and to carve out more time for the two of them to ...

Terrie and Gord Bradwell have four boys, ranging from four to 11 years of age, meaning the chaos level is always at maximum. Gord's job as a commercial pilot often keeps him away from home, sometimes for as long as a week at a time, and his frequent absences mean it's Terrie who shoulders the majority of the parenting work, along with managing a part-time job. To keep one step ahead of the chaos that's always threatening to overtake her household, she's become an über-organized mom, making lists and using calendars and colour-coded charts to structure the daily life ...