Topic : 08/02 "I Love Myself!"

AMEN ME TOO!  

I must say that after watching that show I hope that I will never be like that father and step-mother. I feel really bad for Shannon and for the father and sister. The poor dad just wants someone to share his life with and he is trying to help out Shannon, but he's doing it all wrong all because of Hilary. I do understand that Shannon should not act the way she does, but it is true that no one helped her grieve for her mother. I am 18 years old and I was just thinking to myself 'what if my mother died and my father met someone and remarried so soon and that person decided that she didn't like to way the house looked and all the things my mother loved and she took them down, I started balling right then and there! I cannot even imagine how hard it must have been for both Shannon and her sister. I am really outraged on what both the father and step mother said about not sheding a tear if she died, that would make me feel just HORRIBLE and I cannot believe they said that! You call that good parenting? It is completely obvious that the household environment that Shannon is in, is not good at all. Just look at how she was with that other couple, with people who didn't spoil her but actually treated her with kindness and respect. Anyway, I would LOVE to see a follow up on this story, definitely and I really hope the parents and Shannon realize that they all need help and they get and become a good family. If not, then Shannon you need to just move out of there maybe and get on with your life.  

Dr. Phil was adamant about a person behaving totally different in two situations, and that since Shannon was wonderful with Jennifer and in other situations away from her family, it must be the fault of the family.    

My father was an abuser, physically, mentally etc.  BUT out in public with either friends or the rest of his own family who he worshipped, he was the epitome of what a kind and loving father should be.  Of course, he was neither.    So I guess it was my mother's fault and also mine.  After all I'm sure a 3 year old deserves to be beaten.  After my father and mother passed away, I told people about our life.  To salvage what little I had left of my self-esteem, I refused to listen any longer to the false image he perpetuated to everyone.  Many of them still don't believe it and think I am lying because he was so conniving and cunning.  I'm surprised Dr. Phil that you couldn't see through Shannon more than you did.  

Perhaps I missed something, but I really didn't hear anything so terrible that Shannon has done. Everything they said seemed to fall under the normal category of children growing up. Children do wrong things and parents teach them to do better. Some children are more challenging than others. She has not been arrested, there is no drug problem, she is not promiscuous. Shannon and her sister argue, but it seems that only Shannon only bares the responsibilty for that.  If she has done worse, why didn't the parents bring it up?  

She is working. She is going to college. Okay, she is not doing well in college, but hardly the first one to have a bad start in college.  

I just don't get it. What has this child done that is so wrong that her family would turn agaisnt her?  

I would just like to share with anyone who is interested that I have been to a school in mexico that was based on the same principles. I do not know if it is the same one. I too did not get a phone call with my parents for one year. I was there for a total of two years and three months. I just graduated in February. I did transfer to a school in Iowa which is based on the same principles. The school I was at in Mexico was Casa By The Sea. The school I was at in Iowa was Midwest Academy. And I would like to let everybody know that I would not change a single thing about those two years. It worked for me. Ofcourse I did not like being there at first. But the end result was genuine love for my family and my self. It takes completion of all of the levels and a want to change in order to make it work. But the rules are there for a reason. I just want you to know that Dr. Phil was speaking from  a lack of knowledge in this case. The boarding schools are great things if the parents believe in them and the kids actually want to change. I think their problem really came when they pulled their daughter from the program. This showed the young woman that her parents were weak. Or at least that's how I think she interpreted it. Then she was able to do whatever she wanted because she used this weakness against her parents. For anyone who is affiliated with the programs I am talking about, please for your sake and for your kids sake, don't take what Dr.Phil said about the programs seriously. He does not know about the methods that they use. I do. I have been through all six levels and am successfully sober now at home. It has made changes in my life that I cannot even begin to explain. I hope whoever reads this will feel the truth in it.  

   Much Love,  

     Funone