Sachs Family

Greg and Fanci Sachs work long hours to provide Ryan, 5, and Jonathon, 3, an Upper West side childhood, but their guilt over time away from the boys weakens their resolve in the face of Ryan's tantrums. The youngster will have a complete meltdown in public when he doesn't get his way and it's making a big impression on Jonathon. The apartment is stuffed to bursting with kid gear and toys, since Mom buys toys three times a week at the boys' request, and the family owns 7 strollers, 4 of which are strewn around the cluttered home. Ryan's got separation issues with Fanci -- whenever she leaves the house, he clings and cries, and she unwittingly plays into it by prolonging her departures with lots of discussion and reassurance. Bedtime is a nightmare, and usually ends with both parents lying down with the boys till they eventually fall asleep. Later the boys join their parents in bed anyway, leaving everyone exhausted the next day.