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cover of episode Refresher: Dysfunctional Families Are Tearing Our Country Apart

Refresher: Dysfunctional Families Are Tearing Our Country Apart

2024/12/26
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Dr. Laura's Deep Dive Podcast

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Dr. Laura: 不当的养育方式会损害孩子,并对社会造成负面影响。缺乏爱、关注、责任感和纪律的家庭环境会培养出缺乏责任感、缺乏自律的孩子,他们长大后会成为社会负担。 美国社会问题的根源在于家庭功能失调。父母丧失了对家庭的掌控权,过度溺爱孩子,导致孩子缺乏责任感和自律性。社会崇尚群体思维,缺乏独立思考和自我约束。学校和家庭的纪律都已失效,学生对权威的挑战日益严重。 60年代以来的社会变革冲击了家庭和传统价值观,助长了自恋的盛行。父母对孩子的期望值降低,导致孩子缺乏责任感和自律性。父母的自我中心和不良选择导致了家庭和社会问题的恶化。社会鼓励推卸责任,这加剧了社会问题。 改变需要个人承担责任,而不是寻找借口。许多父母对子女缺乏管教,导致子女缺乏尊重和责任感。社会问题根源在于个人责任感的缺失,而不是将责任推卸给他人。美国儿童心理健康问题日益严重,这与父母的养育方式密切相关。许多父母缺乏勇气维护价值观和原则。 美国正面临着严重的育儿危机,这已经成为国家紧急事件。理想的家庭环境对孩子的成长至关重要。健康的婚姻关系是良好家庭教育的基础。父母应该注重培养孩子的品格,而不是仅仅关注孩子的快乐。 Lisa: 我的15岁儿子拒绝找暑期工作,我和他父亲对此很担忧。我们不知道如何让他承担责任。 Patrick: 我的19岁儿子想要一辆新卡车,但我不知道是否应该满足他的要求。我过去一直过度支持他,没有让他学会承担责任。 Marie: 我们发现17岁的女儿和男朋友发生了性关系,她对此毫无悔意。我们不知道该如何处理这种情况。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why does Dr. Laura believe dysfunctional families are tearing the country apart?

Dr. Laura argues that dysfunctional families contribute to societal deterioration by fostering entitlement and a lack of accountability in children. She highlights that poor parenting, such as giving children everything without teaching responsibility, leads to a generation that expects handouts and lacks discipline. This behavior mirrors broader societal issues like welfare dependency and a lack of work ethic.

What historical changes does Dr. Laura attribute to the rise of dysfunctional families?

Dr. Laura points to the 1960s as a turning point, where cultural shifts like the rejection of traditional family values, the rise of drug use, and the emphasis on self-esteem over discipline began. She argues that these changes led to a decline in parental authority and an increase in self-centeredness, which has negatively impacted family structures and societal norms.

What does Dr. Laura suggest is the optimal family structure for raising children?

Dr. Laura believes the optimal family structure consists of a married mother and father who are committed, healthy, and willing to sacrifice for their children. She emphasizes that this structure provides stability, discipline, and a sense of responsibility, which are essential for raising well-adjusted, productive members of society.

How does Dr. Laura respond to parents who struggle with disciplining their children?

Dr. Laura advises parents to enforce clear boundaries and consequences, such as removing privileges like phones or cars, to teach responsibility. She stresses that parents must stand firm and not give in to their children's demands, as this only reinforces entitlement and disrespect. She also emphasizes the importance of parents modeling good behavior and values.

What does Dr. Laura say about the role of parents in shaping their children's character?

Dr. Laura asserts that parents are primarily responsible for their children's character development. She argues that teaching values like discipline, responsibility, and respect is crucial for raising functional adults. She criticizes parents who prioritize their children's happiness over instilling good character, which she believes leads to societal problems like entitlement and lack of accountability.

Chapters
Dr. Laura discusses how improper parenting contributes to societal problems, citing examples like high disability claims and welfare dependency. She connects these issues to a broader societal dysfunction mirroring a dysfunctional family where bad behavior is rewarded, and good behavior is overlooked. The shift started after the 60s with changing social norms impacting family structures and parenting styles.
  • Improper parenting contributes to societal problems
  • High disability claims and welfare dependency reflect societal dysfunction
  • Shift in social norms after the 60s impacted family structures and parenting

Shownotes Transcript

Translations:
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Who likes skipping breakfast? I know I don't, but I like to keep money in my pocket. Thanks to McDonald's, breakfast on a budget has never hit this good. I can grab two McD faves, like a sausage McGriddles, sausage burrito, hash browns, or the savory sausage McMuffin. I can even add a premium roast coffee for $1.69. Any size, any time of day. And order ahead in the app so it's ready when I get there. Bite into breakfast without breaking your bank at Mickey D's. Ba-da-ba-ba.

Prices and participation may vary. Cannot be combined with any other offer or combo meal. Valid for item of equal or lesser value. Listen to all my episodes of Dr. Laura's Deep Dive in your favorite podcast app. Search for Dr. Laura's Deep Dive podcast and follow my deep dive today.

This is Dr. Laura. As we come to the end of 2023, I want to invite you to listen to something I'm very proud of and introduced this year. My newest podcast, Dr. Laura's Deep Dive. Mara wrote on Apple Podcasts, thank you for this podcast. It really helps me to be a better wife, a better mom, and a better person. Rob said, I just finished listening to your Deep Dive podcast episode about dysfunctional families, and I couldn't agree more.

And finally, Momo said, I've always wanted to hear Dr. Laura elaborate further after a call, and this podcast does exactly that. Thanks, Dr. Laura and team. Well, yeah, wow. This new podcast has touched so many so quickly. I'm frankly humbled by the tremendous response. Thank you all for letting me know your thoughts. And if you haven't done so already, please share your review on Apple Podcasts or send me an email at

to drlaura at drlaura.com because I love to read them. And since we're closing out the year, I thought I would revisit my first episode about dysfunctional families and the impact they are having on our day-to-day lives in this country. It's an important, very relevant topic. Keep it right here for my classic episode, Dysfunctional Families Are Tearing Our Country Apart. Thank you and Happy New Year.

Dr. Laura's Deep Dive. Deep Dive. Offering new analysis and advice on some of life's more perplexing problems. Deep Dive. Marriage, relationships, mental health, and more. Deep Dive. Dr. Laura's Deep Dive podcast. All righty then. Welcome to my new podcast where instead of taking your calls on all kinds of topics for three hours, I am taking a very deep dive into one topic.

If you're here right now, I'm assuming it's because you really want to do the right thing in your life. For yourself, for your kidlets, for your spouse, loved ones, even people you don't like. And I'm here because I want to help you always do the right thing. Because doing the wrong things in life ultimately hurts you. It obviously hurts others. And I'm particularly interested in creating better situations for children. And I'm going to get straight to the point.

If you don't raise your kids properly, with kindness, with understanding, compassion, attention, direction, discipline, you're not just more than potentially hurting them. You're contributing to the deterioration of our society. Yes. Now that was the topic of an opening monologue for my Dr. Laura radio program in July of 2013. Sadly, sadly,

What I said then is even more relevant today. What you teach your kids at a very young age goes with them for life. What was I reading today? Huge percentage of people on disability admit they don't have a disability. That means they can't work, but what the hell? They're collecting money for not working. Welfare, the same thing. Bailouts, getting things we haven't earned. Our country is sort of representing a bad family situation.

where the bad kids who make a lot of noise get attention and are not required to do anything to become good. The good guys are screwed to support the guys who aren't. See this happening in families all the time. How many times... What I'm saying is America has become a dysfunctional family. It wasn't, but it is now. Is there a way back? Don't think so. Am I being cynical? No, I think I'm being authentically factual. There was a time...

when parents were in charge of their household. But let's step back. There were times when there were parents, two people, a mother and a father, the polarity of human life, married, committed, not perfect, but keeping a family together and doing what it took, whatever sacrifice, and not really thinking about, I have to be happy and fulfilled all the time.

Because most of the quality of life comes from sacrifice, does not come from personal gain. Most of you don't know that because you haven't been brought up to know that. So there was a time when there were parents and families. I grew up in a neighborhood, wasn't perfect, but there were no divorces. Don't remember one divorce. Was every marriage perfect? No, but people stayed committed and did their best. Never knew a kid from a divorced family. Never. And I'm not exaggerating. I mean never.

There was a time when denying a kid some material possession or ticket to go somewhere or whatever was seen as an opportunity to teach something to that child. Patience, perseverance, sustaining yourself through disappointments, waiting, earning something. It was seen as a learning opportunity. But now since there are very few actual parents with their original families, there's a lot of guilt involved.

for not wanting to be involved, not being involved, not being around. And so kids are given everything just to shut them up. There was a time when not having or doing what everybody else was having or doing was seen as a good thing. Now it's group think, group speak. There was a time when you were sent to the vice principal's office that practically made you pee in your pants. And you knew that was only the beginning of the problems because when you got home, it would be worse.

Now a trip to the principal's office scares the principal because the kids will threaten. There was a time when punishment at school was followed by punishment at home because the teacher was believed. Now the teacher is threatened. There are parents defending their kids wearing dildos and condoms and rude comments on their bodies to go to school. Pants, so your underwear shows. Skirts, so

So your sexual parts show, boobs have fallen out, and parents will actually call up the ACLU to defend their kid's right to be pigs. There was a time when adults talked about others as people of good character, yet character is no longer an issue today. I mean, if it were, the Clintons, the Wieners, etc., would have hidden under a rock rather than blamed someone else.

Part of this started to turn after the 60s with the drugs and women should not be women. They should not want marriage. They should not want children. They should not want a family. And parents have been told that the only thing their kids needed was self-esteem, which means never upset the little buggers. That's discredited completely. As a matter of fact, high self-esteem, unearned, is narcissism. And narcissists have done a lot of damage in our society. Think Columbine.

Children see themselves as entitled to have what they ought to be working for. When America was predominantly rural, kids had responsibilities all over the place. They weren't just little creatures satisfying their own little whims. There's so much decrease in expectation from children. We don't expect anything of character and self-discipline. And this is all the fault of you parents. Totally. Can't blame anybody else.

You don't put in the effort. You don't follow through. You don't keep yourself mentally, emotionally healthy, physically healthy, committed to your obligations and responsibilities and vows, very self-centered, very gimme, gimme, I want, therefore I should have, make very poor, unhealthy choices and put kids in the middle. You're pretty much ignorant as to the politics of America, which has, yes, contributed and intends to support

Because the more your children can't do anything, the more one particular faction has power. You can't do anything and it's not your fault. God, I remember a million years ago, there was this on-air shrink who had commercials for his clinic where he showed a person being sucked into a refrigerator. They were fat and being sucked in the air into a refrigerator with his voice saying, it's not your fault.

It's very interesting. I was talking to a dear friend just this morning. He used to be fat, he used to smoke, and he used to drink. And I said, well, you don't smoke, you don't drink, and you look, God help us, fabulous. What was the turning point? And he said, and it was so beautifully said, and I wish I had memorized it, but it was very simple. He said, I didn't want to be the failure anymore.

And I realized when I looked around that everything I did failed. I failed to stop smoking. I failed to stop drinking. I failed to stop eating. I failed to stop working hard. I failed everybody and everything, and I ran out of people to blame. So you know what he did? He stopped smoking, he stopped drinking, and he stopped eating in excess and started working out. Didn't go to a program, didn't call Dr. Laura Schlesinger and give her crap because she wasn't being supportive, like we had to call her yesterday.

He looked at the only person who could make the change himself. Now that's a role model for his two kids, who have to earn what they have, have to be respectful, and have to work hard. I am flabbergasted at how many parents call. They have absolutely no control in their homes, none. I don't even remember giving thought to giving my mom or dad a lip, nor anybody else's parents a lip, because I knew...

That lip might become a fat lip if I go home after having done that. But mostly your parents aren't around and you're not committed to family. Mostly you're committed just to yourselves. And we're in a society that supports and encourages that. How do I say that? Let's give examples of what's going on today with the race issues. Very scary, very bad. I'm listening to a report where 93% of young black men

are murdered by young black men. So when we get activists who go out in public saying we have an environment where white people can kill black people, what the hell are they talking about? So why aren't the activists helping their own people take responsibility and change and be constructive? It's the same thing you hear every day on this program, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity,

Gender, we're blaming somebody else. And what makes my show very contentious for some people is that I put the blame back where it belongs. The responsibility back where it belongs on you. You make the choices. I have another dear friend who was a serious gangbagger and was on heroin and anything else. I mean, it's amazing. I asked him, what made you change? And he said, I just didn't want to become gay.

Some piece of trash on the street, dead. Simple as that. So we got some dispensation for certain family reasons from the gang, because evidently, like the mafia, if you want to leave the gang, it's dicey whether you're allowed. You could end up dead. But they respect, which I found fascinating, some family dynamic responsibilities and give people a pass. Some gangs, sometimes. Fascinating. Less than half of our adults work full-time.

There was a time where a man didn't work. He just about wanted to die. Now you got people doing disability and or welfare and or whatever other handout there is, because why the hell not? At least when they do that, they're not taxed all to hell. This is what's happening. But it's an extension of the dysfunctional family. When you know you're not doing what you ought to do, and then you see a bigger picture with the same format, you tend not to be critical.

Because what the hell? If responsibility is there, then you'll have to be responsible. What the hell with that? So I'm pretty despondent at how far America and America's families have deteriorated. The one out of four percentage of kids, little kids, were psychiatric patients. What do you think that's about? You think suddenly they've been able to diagnose stuff they never diagnosed before? You're dreaming. We're driving our kids crazy.

We're not giving them the love, the touch, and the attention, and the responsibility, and the discipline, and the direction, and the inspiration they need. Not even pride in their own country. Taking that away. Not even attachment to their religion. We're taking that away. Except for certain ones. Seem to give them a lot of points. Of course, those are the ones killing people all over the world, but never mind. Dysfunctional. And it's starting in the home. And most of you...

are also gutless. You won't stand up for values and principles because you don't want the backlash. I don't believe you. I've been backlashed to death. I get it. But there are worse things than being backlashed. It's being a coward. So little kids, mostly, not all, mostly have problems because of you.

Oh, I got a boy, I got a son, I got a daughter, and this is happening. Are you married? Well, no, we're divorced, and the kids go back and forth, and then we fight, and really. And you're calling to bitch about the behavior of your kid? It's called payback. You thought you'd be safer, better, happier, more fulfilled. Payback. So we have a crisis in America. Parenting skills and the will to have declined to a point that it's a national emergency, and most of you don't even realize it.

You see unruly kids everywhere. There was a time that never happened. And that is my lecture for today. You want me not to be frowny-faced about it? Then you guys are going to have to stand up and do something about it. Fighting the wrong battles. The optimum situation for any child is a mother and father married,

healthy, happy, working, sacrificing, giving to each other, caretaking each other and the kids. That's the optimum condition for a child. Everything else is political self-centeredness, socio-political self-centeredness. And it's not going to improve unless you stand up. I don't think you're going to do it. You want to prove me wrong? Good. Deep breathing moment. Hang in with me. I'll be right back.

We've got something deeper. Dr. Laura's Deep Dive. Deep Dive Podcast. Deeper.

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Who likes skipping breakfast? I know I don't, but I like to keep money in my pocket. Thanks to McDonald's, breakfast on a budget has never hit this good. I can grab two McD faves, like a sausage McGriddles, sausage burrito, hash browns, or the savory sausage McMuffin. I can even add a premium roast coffee for $1.69. Any size, any time of day. And order ahead in the app so it's ready when I get there. Bite into breakfast without breaking your bank at Mickey D's. Ba-da-ba-ba.

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A deep dive deeper. Dr. Laura's much deeper. Deep Dive Podcast. Of course, I get calls every week that illustrate what I mean about parents being Brady cats to stand up for their values, even with their own children. So listen to this call with Lisa, who just doesn't know how to get her 15-year-old son to pull himself away from his phone and get a summer job.

Lisa, welcome to the program. Oh, thank you. Nice to talk to you. My question is about our 15-year-old son. So I'll tell you real quick, I'm 57. My husband is 56. We have two boys, 19 and 15. So my question is about the 15-year-old son.

Today was his last day of school of ninth grade, and he does not want to get a part time job. And his father and I think that that is a very good idea for a young person to get a part time job. And I'm a little curious. Why does he get a vote?

Well, I would say he doesn't think about what I'm saying. Think about your grandparents. Think about your great grandparents telling their kids you're going to get a job for the summer or you're going to have no money. Think about your great grandparents. Now, think about how you pose this and he gets a vote. I don't understand that. We're training him to be an adult responsible person. He's going, I don't want to. Why does he get a vote?

Well, he's bigger than I am, so I can't force him in the car, I guess. But he does mow our lawn, which is large, several acres. Do you think your great-grandfather would have had to physically put his or her son in the car? No, I don't. Why did you say that? Because I don't know how to get him to...

I mean, I can't fill out the application for him. I can't force him to go into this. Are you married to his dad? Are you married to his dad? Yes, of course. Do you mean if his dad says, don't say of course, most people aren't. If his dad says you're getting a job for the summer, he can get away with saying, no, I won't? Really? In your house, that's how it flies? I don't.

I guess we don't know how to force him to do this. It's not a matter of forcing him. I asked you something different than forcing. In your house, if dad says you're to get a job this summer, the son can say, no, that's how it flies in your house. He's gotten to be this old and the two of you, and there is no respect or fear of either one of you. Is that correct? That's a yes or a no. I need that.

No fear, certainly no fear. Your great-grandfather would look at you and be horrified, do you know that? And so would your husband. Yeah, I would have been probably scared of my great-grandfather. Right, okay, well here we are, and you're going to say, if you do not get a job, you have no privileges and no money.

We will not drive you anywhere. You cannot use the car. You will have no money to do anything. You will not use the electronics in the house. Those all belong to us. You will just be staring at walls, hiking around the neighborhood and reading books, which is very good, actually. He gets no privileges. You make your dinner and he has to go to the stove and pour his own food and wash his own dishes. If he doesn't wash his own dishes, he doesn't eat the next night.

Yeah, so I think it boils down to the only thing that he cares about is his phone. Well, the phone is gone until he's 20. The phone is gone. Woman, the phone is permanently gone. And I'll tell you why permanently. Most of you types who have this don't have this fear. And the fear is awe and respect. It's not you're going to beat me. It's not that kind of fear. It's awe and respect. So he doesn't have any awe and respect for his parents. You've been...

Making him a powder puff. Too nice. Yeah. No. Bad parenting is not called too nice. You're not helping him become a responsible adult. You're failing in your job. Yeah. The phone is gone forever. Five days. He knows he's going to get back in five days. What does he care about that? Right. He needs to learn that without obedience to your expectations, which are reasonable, that he has no privileges whatsoever. None. Zero.

laundry, clothes, food, electronics, it's all gone. The cell phone never should have happened, but it's gone permanently. Put it in the toilet till it doesn't work anymore. Throw it away. Give it a charity. I don't care what you do with it, but your brat of a boy should not have a phone. Yeah. Geez, woman, come on.

And none of this has to be done with yelling and screaming or name calling. It's just, okay, here's the deal. You get a job or all privileges are gone and you don't see your phone until you're up and out of the house living on your own and you buy yourself a phone. We've let you get away with too much crap and turned you into a bit of a lazy brat. It's not happening anymore. Yeah, no, you're right. And it's our fault.

Yes. Yes. You don't have to explain it to me. I know that part. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, we only have a few years left to try to turn him into a man. Right. So let's get busy with it. All right. Very good. All right. Thank you very much. You're very welcome. Bye. Bye.

I'm going to take a quick break and then back with more of this episode of my deep dive. A deep dive. Deeper and deeper. Dr. Laura's deep dive podcast. Deep.

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Who likes skipping breakfast? I know I don't, but I like to keep money in my pocket. Thanks to McDonald's, breakfast on a budget has never hit this good. I can grab two McD faves, like a sausage McGriddles, sausage burrito, hash browns, or the savory sausage McMuffin. I can even add a premium roast coffee for $1.69. Any size, any time of day. And order ahead in the app so it's ready when I get there. Bite into breakfast without breaking your bank at Mickey D's. Ba-da-ba-ba.

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At least Lisa's son was only 15 when she called, so there's still time for Lisa and her husband to turn the parenting ship around.

But Patrick's son was 19 when he called in asking if he should buy his boy the truck he wants. Patrick, welcome to the program. Thank you, doctor.

Hi, what's happening? Okay, so I have a 19-year-old son that I've been supporting and active in his life ever since he was a child. May I ask you a question before you go on? May I ask you a question? List the things he's ever had to earn. Nothing. Then you did not do a very good parenting job.

And that'll probably lead to your problem. So go ahead. Prove me right. I love it. I love being proven right. Okay. Yes. Okay. So...

So me and his mom, we were engaged. She didn't put me on child support. I was in court order. But like I said, I was active supporter. You know, drop all of that and tell me the problem you're having with your boy now. Drop all of that. So basically, from the age of 12. I know. I want to know from today. Today, what is the problem?

I bought him a car at the age of 15. I mean, 17. Now he decides that he no longer wants the car. He wants the truck. Okay, stop. Stop. He's an adult male now. Is the car in his name or your name? My name. And who is paying the monthly tariff on it for maintenance and for gas? Me. You are really a bad dad. You are a bad father.

And that's why he's acting like a brat. But okay, he'd like a truck. So tell him, get a job, earn money, get a truck. Exactly. Let's say it together. Get a job, earn money, get a truck. Now let's say it together. Get a job, earn money, get a truck. That's it. Earn money. That's it. Okay. Now if you don't do that, you're going to continue being one lousy father.

Yes. Fathers are supposed to bring their boys into manhood, not keep them in babyhood, because you feel guilt and uncomfortable about the history you wanted to lay on me that I've heard a thousand times and really don't want to hear again. It doesn't matter how much you screwed up yesterday. What matters is are you going to screw up today? Exactly. Exactly. And basically now his mother and him both are giving me heat. It doesn't matter what they're giving you.

You earned it. You've been a crappy father. Buying him. Buying him. Not making him earn anything. Not helping him become a man. So they're both going to give you crap. You earned it. Now you're going to have to be a man and tolerate it. Because it's the only way he's going to take a step into manhood. You do understand that, right? Yes, ma'am. Okay. So, he can use your... Does he have a job? Yes.

Yes, ma'am. He's currently working part-time. He also goes to school. Okay. Well, if he wants a truck, he knows what he has to do. And if you cave in, you'll be a shitty father, worse than you ever were. Okay.

Okay. Are we clear? Are we clear, sir? Yes, ma'am. That's what I needed to hear. Yes, exactly. Okay. Sound like I'm your mother, don't I? Yeah, you probably, you're my third or fourth mom since the last couple of weeks. Yeah, good. Well, mine's the biggest slap across your head, so you better listen to me, right? Reality check. I got it. Reality check, babe. All right. Go be a good dad. Okay.

Take the crap from them. It's all right. When you just give and give and give to your kids, no expectations of them to earn their privileges, any freedoms, material possessions, yeah, they're going to have no respect for them or for you. Mark my words. And Maria found that out when she caught her daughter having sex. And the child had absolutely no remorse or care for how upset her parents were.

Marie, welcome to the program. Hi, Dr. Laura. Thanks for taking my call. Thank you. I need your advice. My husband and I recently found out that our daughter, who is 17, has had sex with her boyfriend. And how did you come to find this out?

Well, she was not where she was supposed to be. And so I stalked her on social media and found out that she was at her boyfriend's house. So I immediately called her and told her she had to come home. And when she came home,

through the door I could just see that she had her hair was kind of messed up so I just confronted her and said have you had sex with him and she admitted it so I yelled at her was that night the first time that I don't know so we don't know if this was ongoing because it would be useful to know if this was ongoing right

So her dad and I also sat her down and calmly talked to her about the consequences of making this kind of a choice. And she seemed to be very emotionless about it. She didn't regret it. So I'm not really sure how to move forward with, I don't even trust her to leave the house. Well,

You said she's emotionless, which means she's been doing it and she'll do it again. Right. Okay, well, now that we know that, when is she turning 18? In three months. That's good, because then she'll be an adult. Mm-hmm. Legally, an adult. Right. That has some things attached to it, in terms of independence and what have you, that you have to deal with.

Were you planning, are you already paying for a car and phones and all that stuff? Yes. Why are you doing that? Just as a query. Did your parents buy you a car or get you a phone? Did your parents do that for you? Can I have a yes or a no? Did your parents do that for you? No. My parents would have laughed about that. So if your parents didn't do that for you, you made the choice to gift her these things without her earning it.

What did you think that was going to result in? Curious. Well, I didn't expect this. Oh, well, I'll tell you why you should have expected it. You spoiled her into thinking that she didn't have to earn anything and she could make her decisions and she'd be given things. And so she assumes she has a car, she has a phone, she's totally taken care of and all those regards and everything.

I can have sex too, which is why she was totally unemotional. I think probably the kids who are, quote, spoiled like that with the cars and the phones and all the other stuff, expensive clothes, what have you, are more likely to feel independent from the parents' morals, values, principles than the kids who are earning stuff because I think they take life, their parents, the values more seriously. But here we are.

If you have brought her up that this is unacceptable while she's a minor in your house, then you have to have a discussion with her that now she's made this decision to continue having a sexual relationship and risk pregnancy and what have you, that under those conditions, you don't wish to financially support her anymore. You love her. You want her to come home to dinner, but you don't want to financially support her if that's the position you want to take. But being hysterical and she can't leave the house, that's nonsensical.

That's just nonsensical. Taking away her phone for two weeks, it's just nonsensical. If these values are important to you and they're part of her self-discipline, which she would need then for college if you were going to pay for that, you just have to sit down with her and rethink that. If she wishes to make adult decisions, then in adult making decisions, the way you get the power to make those decisions is you have responsibility.

So that means she's got to get a job and take care of herself, and then she can have sex, stand on her head. It doesn't matter. It's her life. Okay. So you have to think of the bigger picture. So if she already has a job. I'm sorry, was there an end to that? That's just a phrase. Well, no, I'm just saying that if I... Is she supporting herself in her own place to live? Is she supporting herself? Did she buy the car? Is she paying for all the maintenance and insurance?

Did she buy the phone? Is she paying for all the maintenance and insurance? That's what I'm talking about, dear, being responsible for herself financially. Then she has the power to make any decision she wishes. Okay. You're not going to restrain her from having sex. That horse is out of the barn. The only thing you can do now is... I want to restrain her. Well, you can't. I'm sorry. That's not an option. Okay. You can just decide what financial part you're going to play in three months.

All right. Okay. Well, thank you. Okay. You're welcome. I'm not sure for what. Just giving you the bad news. But I don't understand giving kids cars and cell phones and everything else. I don't understand it at all. Lazy parenting. Kids don't really respect the parents. And if they don't respect the parents, then whatever morals, values, principles, and ethics that they've been taught just don't mean anything.

Look, 95% of the problem in the universe really starts in the home, starts with the family. The problem is what you do or do not teach your kids becomes the major issue. I put the blame back where it belongs, on you, the parents. The optimum situation for a child is a mom and dad, married,

Mentally, emotionally healthy, happy, working, sacrificing, loving, giving to each other, caretaking of the children. So take a look at how you are parenting. It starts with your marital relationship. Is it kind? Is it loving? Is it warm? Are they feeling secure with the kind of parents they have? That's the beginning right there. Ask yourself if you're doing what's necessary.

to help your child become a functional, independent, productive member of society. Not just focusing in on, is he happy? From one moment to the next. You want him to be a person of good character. That's why on the program when people call and say, I have two beautiful kids. I don't care if your kids are beautiful. I want to know if they're good people. One who can handle the responsibilities of adulthood or...

Are you raising a snowflake? Now, go do the right thing. Please join the growing number of listeners who have signed up for the Dr. Laura family. It's free. You get priority access to things like my Call of the Day podcast and my design store, which features jewelry, glass, and knitted items I personally design and handcraft myself.

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Kevin, more boxes? You said you finished gift shopping weeks ago. I did. So I got myself some gifts as a reward. That's a lot of gifts. Plus, with Chase Freedom Unlimited, I cash back 1.5% on every purchase. So it's like a little gift on top of the gifts. Oh, I get it. It's just like that saying. It's the gift that keeps on giving gifts for the gifts you give for giving gifts. And now you lost me. Chase Freedom Unlimited. How do you cash back? Restrictions and limitations apply. Cards are issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank and a member FDIC.