2/3/2012 2:00:29 PM
Estelle has a 20 year old son who is still in high school. He's repeating the 12th grade for the third time because he can't pass the exit exam. She and her husband tried being "cool" parents, letting him do pretty much whatever he wanted, but for the past three years he has had a very controlling girlfriend, that makes him buy her Lous Vuitton handbags and expensive lottery tickets for her dad. She wants him to study this year so he can graduate, but the girl won't leave him alone. Now I ask you, is the girl the problem?
2/1/2012 10:00:01 PM
Tom is a 56 year old man who has been the primary caregiver for his two children their whole life. He is scared; he lives in Illinois and says the state favors women in custody issues and his ex is trying to take them away. He needs help with father's rights. Do you have something to share with him?
1/30/2012 6:00:56 AM
Ben is a 22 year old student who has a child with an ex girlfriend. It's been 5 months since he's seen his son, and he and the ex got into an argument. She then had him arrested for trespassing. Now, if she doesn't drop the charges, he won't be able to go to Tokyo, where he has earned a scholarship. Who's to blame here?
1/28/2012 6:00:01 AM
Grandmother is besides herself. Her son had a child in his teens, and the mother is still very irresponsible, living with man after man, some who are taking drugs and some who are dealing drugs. Now the Mom had a doctor put the boy on a stimulant for ADHD. Meanwhile, her son had two more children and cannot afford an attorney to take the mom to court. What would you do if this were your grandchild?
1/28/2012 6:00:01 AM
Grandmother is besides herself. Her son had a child in his teens, and the mother is still very irresponsible, living with man after man, some who are taking drugs and some who are dealing drugs. Now the Mom had a doctor put the boy on a stimulant for ADHD. Meanwhile, her son had two more children and cannot afford an attorney to take the mom to court. What would you do if this were your grandchild?
1/26/2012 6:00:16 AM
Kelly is an empty-nester grandmother, whose 26 year old son is a drug addict living with his alcoholic father. She found a wonderful man who moved in with her and considers her life wonderful. But, since this is life, she has been thrown a curve ball. Her son was arrested for domestic violence and the mother of her granddaughter got involved with crystal meth and was arrested. Now her granddaughter is getting bounced around between all the grandparents. Her boyfriend, however, doesn't want to raise a 4 year old, and doesn't want the child in the house. He says, her or me! She is torn, and is a fragile mess. What would you advise this distraught grandmother to do?
1/22/2012 10:00:12 PM
Diane is 45 and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. She suffered molestation at the hands of her father between the ages of 6 to 14. It took years, but she now has a decent relationship with her parents, and though they are wealthy, she and her husband struggle week to week. She thinks she deserves some of the wealth, and is writing a tell-all book about her abuse. Her parents are celebrities in their community, so I ask, what do you think of her book? Does she publish or not?
1/20/2012 2:00:48 PM
Sarah is a grown woman whose parents have always found fault with everyone -- neighbors, friends, and even each of their four children. She says the kids ride out the storms until they're in their parents' good graces again, but it's very upsetting. She'd like to know why her parents behave this way, turning against their children for no reason. After all, they've both had good lives. What to do?
1/18/2012 2:00:35 PM
Anne and her sister have aging parents, 81 and 79, and it's time to make some tough decisions. Dad can't seem to keep his finances straight, and it's time for the sister to step in with her Power of Attorney and make sure her parents are cared for while making their finances secure at this stage in their lives. But Dad has gotten furious with them both and is yelling and screaming and now they feel terrible. What's the right thing to do?
1/16/2012 10:00:39 PM
Shivangi's 30 year old husband is ruled by his overbearing, needy and controlling mother. They've only been married a year and his family only agreed to the marriage when she changed both her name and religion. She has proven to be unpredictable, domineering, and yells constantly. Her husband refuses to talk about it, and just goes along with what his mother says. Oh, I forgot to mention she calls her son up to 15 times a day, stays on the phone for hours, and some calls are after midnight. Also, worst of all, when they stay together her husband sleeps in the same bed with his mom. What can Shivangi do, she loves her husband.
1/14/2012 6:00:42 AM
Davis has a fiancee' and two children. Despite both adults working, they were not able to make ends meet, so his fiancee' traveled abroad to work, and the two children went to two different grandparents. Now Davis is wondering how to get his family back together, but he doesn't want advice, doesn't want to talk to others, and insists no one cares. What's the problem here?
1/10/2012 6:00:13 AM
Emmy got engaged for Christmas. Isn't that great? Not according to her mother, who frowns that her fiancé is a blue collar worker and not good enough for her daughter. What do you think about this? If he loves this woman and treats her well, can a white collar woman and a blue collar man have a successful marriage?
1/7/2012 2:00:17 PM
Zach has been deployed, but there's trouble at home. His parents want to see their grandson more often than they do, and it's causing friction with his wife. He understands his parents want to see his son, but he doesn't like that they get angry, say hurtful things and ignore his wife's feelings. This young soldier is concerned about what's going on at home, and he just wants peace so when he returns they can continue to feel comfortable doing things with the family. How can this problem be rectified?
1/5/2012 6:00:52 AM
Mya's father left home when she was only 5. At 16, she found him, and made the plane trip to his country. He met her at the airport, and she was so happy to reconnect with her father, then he had sex with her the first night, telling her it was a custom in his country and wasn't a big deal. She remained with him for over a year, admitting she was in love with him, but so hurt and confused as well. Now, 20 years later, she wonders why he did that and whether it ruined her for life. Thoughts?
1/2/2012 6:00:31 PM
Lola questions whether taking away a coveted item as a means of discipline for a certain amount of time is to keep the child dependent on the item. Are we raising our kids to be technology addicts?
12/30/2011 6:00:44 PM
Tina finally was able to leave an abusive relationship. One day he broke the restraining order, beating her while the children watched. Now he wants to see the children, but the children say NO! She wants to know if her two daughters not having a relationship with their father will cause them psychological problems. Should she make them see him?
12/28/2011 10:00:29 PM
Michelle's 24 year old son fell madly in love with a woman. He bailed her out of jail, and she's presently on probation. She has punched him, scratched him, and even broken a picture frame on his head, yet he remains. She is devastated, as fear for her son is turning into anger. Now, he comes into the house and is stealing. She asks what she can do, as her wonderful 26 year old marriage is on the verge of breaking. What would you suggest this devastated mom do?
12/26/2011 10:00:09 PM
Patty's 21 year old son made three attempts to end his life. She was lucky; she got there in time. The reason for his actions? It's because of a self-centered girl who thinks only of herself and keeps him around for a while before dumping him. This has happened repeatedly and he drinks heavily and gets depressed each time then attempts suicide. Is the girl the problem here?
12/25/2011 6:00:00 AM
Amy's son has been dating his girlfriend for five years, and loves her. Her family accepts him as their own, much to his mother's dismay. Irritated, she does not like this girlfriend, and says she's all wrong for her son. She says this girl has been against her since the day they met when she shot her a mean look. Now the young couple moved next door to her parents, and she is really upset. Do you think she's losing her son because of the girl, or is she losing her son because of herself?
12/24/2011 2:04:02 PM
Anwesa, 20, has never liked her mom, and she realizes this is turning into hate. Her mom provides everything for her, but she makes her feel like she's an ungrateful daughter, even though she is grateful. Her mom has always pressured her to do well in school and belittled her about this, even though she is tops in her classes. Is there hope for this relationship?
12/22/2011 2:00:59 PM
G hates his father for the cruel way he beat him as a child. Now a father himself, he finds that he cannot stand the thought of disciplining his children, because he doesn't want them to hate him. He associates discipline with cruelty, so he lets his kids do most anything and yet now he thinks they are starting to hate him anyway. Ideas for G?
12/18/2011 10:00:40 PM
Josie and her husband divorced 2 years ago, and while they remain fixtures in their daughter's life, she wonders if she did the right thing. The child is with dad two nights a week, plus one day on the weekend. But the 8 year old misses mom when she's with dad; she misses dad when she's with mom. She's sorry they're not together and her heart is broken for her little girl. She asks, what should she do?
12/16/2011 2:00:41 PM
Kass's sister is 20 years old, and for the past 7 years she has been extremely hateful and evil to the family. She berates her own dad to the point of bringing him to tears, and he wonders how he could have a child that acts so hateful. She even screeches, urging someone to fight her! Can this sister be taught how to treat her family with respect, or is it too late?
12/15/2011 10:00:43 PM
Caroline's 5 year old autistic child was prescribed Adderall XR 10 mg. She thought it a high dose, considering some horror stories she had heard, but felt the doctor must know what he's talking about. Severe reactions resulted, with the normally quiet child screaming in pain and confusion. Talking after hours, the doctor on call, immediately stopped the medication. Now she questions -- should she continue with this doctor, or find someone else? What would you do if this were your child?
12/8/2011 6:00:56 AM
Heartbroken, divorced for 8 years, has a 12 and 14 year old daughter. Over the years, she has gotten little support from her ex. When she had to work out of town recently, she left them with him, and suddenly he filed for temporary emergency custody. Now she wants them back, but he has turned them against her. She tried to pick them up, but they called her and refused. She knows she's strict, but doesn't understand how a 12 and 14 year old can decide where they should go. She's going to court, but wonders how she can salvage the mother/daughter relationship.
