Replies to '10/09 The Dr. Phil House: A Family's Last Chance, Part 4'

Dr.Phil,

Agree with everything CASA Volunteer said.  There seems to be a lot of time wasted on this couple.  They should not be together.  She clearly has no love for him, and he is desperately

trying to control her, somehow thinking this will make things better.  Does anyone seriously

think her sleeping with other men will stop?

The only reason their story is of any interest at all, is because of the kids, who are the real losers.

Please, help the kids, as much as you can, but get this couple out of the Dr. Phil House, and

get people in there who are serious about improving themselves and their relationship.   

Hi Cindy.

I have to say that I agree with you in most of your message.  If by, "The parents are more immature than these wonderful boys", you're talking about both Todd and Jessica, then I'd have to disagree.  I've been watching this serial for every part except the first one (Shaw Cable was out all day that day, no TV, no internet) and it seems that Todd is a lot more mature than Jessica ever would be.  Come on, if she was going to have an affair, you'd think she'd at least wait until she was in the process of the divorce.  She could be compared to Sharon Newman on The Young and the Restless, and that's a FICTIONAL character of a show that entirely FICTION.  Todd may be a louse in his own right, but as far as I'm concerned, Jessica is getting exactly what was coming to her (especially with the MIL giving her hell last week.)

In my very humble opinion, I think Todd should receive custody of the boys, and, instead of being both Mom and Dad to them, he should concentrate on just being a Dad to them - playing sports with them, volunteering at the local Boys and Girls Club, and taking all three boys with them, helping them with homework (depending on his own expertise and attitude in certain subjects.)  Not to put down all mothers of sons, but I do not believe that all boys need to have a mother, contrary to popular belief.  Dr. Phil said it best: "The most important relationship a child will ever have is that of a same-sex parent."  Perhaps the only exception I'd make is if he meets a single woman with a son (13 or younger) whose own father is not in his life.

PS: Cindy, you say you're a Court Appointed Special Advocate, a voice for children in the courts.  I see you how posted messages in this and the "Angry Mom" board.  Please go to the show Archives, click on this month, and select the topic "Custody Battles Gone Bad" (dated 10/04, just this Wednesday.)  We need your expertise on THAT message board, too.

Dr. Phil,

I've watched the first and third episode on this one.  I had really hoped that they would be able to work things out after the first show given that Jessica finally admitted that she was indeed cheating.  But after watching the third show, I don't know if I hold out much  hope about this relationship working out.  Jessica appears to have already emotionally left the relationship, so to save it for the sake of the kids at this point, I don't think is a good idea.  I feel that the only reason that her husband (I think his name is Todd?) is trying to "control" her is because he feels so hopeless in the sitation that he is now in - not that this in any way can solve the problem.  The boys are still young, and can still rebound from the homelife that they have been living in, but I do hope that they receive counselling to help them to deal with all of the things that they have witnessed.  I'd hate to see them become adults and continuing on the situations that they have grown up with into their own adult relationships.  I think that by talking to you in the one episode that they (the boys) finally felt that their voice was being heard, which is a shame.  They need a lot more of "having their voice being heard".