Stressed parents are being offered a sweet solution to their problems.

Oxford-based nanny Eleanor Henri has set up a new business, Just A Spoonful, which will provide practical child behaviour advice to mums and dads in their own home.

Ms Henri's back to basics approach may remind some of the famous song A Spoonful of Sugar in the film Mary Poppins but her approach is more like that of TV series Supernanny.

She said: "Many parents try to spend quality time with their children, so they pamper them too much. They don't have any boundaries. Once the parents learn to say no the children are a lot happier.

"I deal with everything from table manners, getting them to eat their greens, potty training and tantrums.

The 27-year-old offers an initial consultation to families throughout the Home Counties. She will observe the situation at home, identify issues and write a full report with solutions to the problems.

Ms Henri believes that modern parents struggle with the responsibilities of bringing up children because they do not have the traditional support of family nearby.

She added: "A generation ago there would be grandparents or an aunt nearby but these days people can be spread around the world.

"If there is no-one to help it can become a problem"

Ms Henri trained at the renowned Norland College in Bath, qualifying in 2002, and has since worked for a variety of families in the UK, Bahamas, America, Greece and Portugal.

She decided to set up the business after her dentist asked for advice on how to control 15 four-year-olds at her child's birthday party.

She attended business advice sessions at the Faringdon Enterprise Gateway and now is producing a parenting newsletter and has a growing number of customers on her mailing list.