Life Lessons from Messed Up Parents
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Thanks for downloading my Call of the Day podcast. You too can participate in my live radio program heard weekdays from 2 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Sirius XM Triumph 111. Mom and Samuel, welcome to the program. Hello. Hi. Hi, guys. Hi, Sam. Can I call you Sam or do you prefer Samuel? I prefer Samuel. You got it. Samuel, how old are you? Ten.

And what grade does that put you in? Fifth. Sixth? Fifth. Oh, fifth. Sorry, misunderstood. Okay, Samuel, in fifth grade, what's happening? How can I help you? So recently, me and my dad, we were usually alone. Life was pretty normal with him and me. And

He got engaged. Well, not engaged. My bad. Wrong word. He met this girl and she has two children, estimating around like 15 year old and nine kids.

I'm okay with the nine-year-old. I'm not so sure what his name is. But the 15-year-old has a boyfriend that I was just kind of disturbed by. Why is that? What's disturbing? Me and my dad, I was just really used to me and him just being together alone with one friend of ours that we knew for a long time.

And he's been living with us, and I'm okay with that. I'm used to just me, my dad, and Kevin. And who is Kevin? He used to work for my grandma in a restaurant. Is he about the same age as your dad? No, he's like 21. Oh, he's a young guy. Yeah. Hmm.

Well, isn't that interesting? Okay, but now dad's got a girlfriend who has kids and they're around all the time too. Yep. Sorry. Nothing we can do about that part. But I certainly understand why you miss how it was. Yeah. But it'll never be like that again, though. That's what happens when parents break up and go their separate ways and have kids and just expect the kids to go along with all the decisions they make.

It frustrates me, which is why I do this radio show and try to talk to parents to tell them not doing this. Don't do this stuff. Don't bring in the girlfriends and the kids and all that. You have a responsibility to your own son. He's not responsible for the breakup, and he's being hurt already. So you're getting a double dose. You're hurt that your parents broke up, and now you're hurt that he's subdividing his time and energies with some woman and her kids. Understandable for you to not like it. Yeah. But you can't do anything about it.

Can I talk to my dad about this? Sure, but he's not going to jump his girlfriend. Trust me. I'm good with you talking to him about it. Anytime. I believe we should keep these conversations up. Dad, I liked it better when it was you, me, and the 21-year-old, but the girlfriend with the kids, not so much. I was wondering if we could get rid of the girlfriend with the kids and just stick with the three of us, and he'll say no. Sorry. Good point. Yeah.

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Does the girlfriend live at your dad's place? Yep. Yes. Oh, my God. He's shacking up with some broad with two kids. Hi, sweetheart. Sorry. And by the way, Mom, why are you not together with his dad? What happened? Anger issues. What does an anger issue mean? If I'm dating somebody and they're angry, I don't date them.

What do you mean by an anger issue? Why dating a guy with an anger issue? Much less making babies with him. What is that about? It was about young naivety and getting caught in a cycle of not being able to say no, I guess. I don't understand any of that. So let me ask you in a different way. If you're seeing a guy and he's being angry and not so nice, why do you agree to the next date?

there was a lot of manipulation, I guess, that at that point in my life, I didn't recognize or understand. No, no, no, no, no. Don't go there. Okay. Your son is 10 years old. Do you think he can recognize meanness?

He does, yes. Well, then you were double his age or something like that. I think you would have been able to recognize meanness, too. I did. But? He was good-looking. He had money. He had a lot of friends. He had a motorcycle. I mean, tell me. I realized he was mean, but? Yeah, he was not. There were...

I say it usually as in he made me feel the best that I ever felt and the worst that I ever felt a lot of times. So I go back and forth. He would go back and forth from being real nice to mean if he was mean and you backed up a little bit, then he was real nice. That sucked you back in. Is that what you mean? Basically? Yes. Yes. OK, Samuel, we can't fix your dad.

But if you can remember this conversation and when you grow up and you're dating a woman who's nice one minute and bitchy the next and nice one minute and bitchy the next, dump her, please. Okay. Yes. Do you promise? Yes, please. I think that's the best we can take from this phone call, Samuel. And I do appreciate that you called and I'm sorry that your dad is shacking up with some broad with a bunch of kids and sidelining you.

I'm not sure I totally understand about the 21-year-old, but we'll get on later. My number, 1-800-375-2872. If you like this podcast, be sure to rate it on Apple Podcasts or your favorite place to listen to my podcast. Of course, I'd love if you gave me five stars. And be sure to share this podcast with a friend on Facebook or your preferred social media platform.

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