Quote From: princekittenWhere to begin... the family structure is being picked apart at the core. We are told education is more important, jobs and financial security , staying ahead and on top of the trends and trendy gadgets are most important, so we stuggle to stay on top of what the world tells us is most important. Meanwhile the family structure is torn apart because time is irreplacable. Fatherhood is replacable by a check. Mothers are forced to have duel roles which hardens their demeanor and allows them to lose themselves in future relationships. Children have lost their covering. Innocence is more than bodily purity. It is what we see that deteriorates our perception of happiness. When is the last time we've seen a 14yr old girl who looks up to her father and when she looks at him, you can see her eyes glisten because she respects him. And a 17yr old son who loves to hug and kiss his mother in front of his friends because he respects her and no one compares to her. We parents are becoming friends so we can feel young and cool, we wanna be the cool parent. We want our kids to feel like they can talk to us, that we can relate on the same levels. THAT IS NOT OUR JOB!!! Our job is to be respected as we love them and lead them into thier own lives, Respect should be demanded not requested. As providers and heads of households, we shouldn't let our children put up privacy signs and tell us what to buy to feed them, tell us what they want to wear, we are giving them a things they need to earn. Privacy is earned by trust. Gifts are becoming expensive and almost impossible because everytime we turn aroud we're buying bigger, better, and more to please who, the children, or ourselves? In all this, we are not perfect. God gives us grace daily to not be Alex, Kim, and in their situation, Everyone is subject to fault at one time or another and sometimes over and over and worse than someone else, and there is always an "Enza" looking over our shoulder reminding us of our mistakes and how much better they are than we. I pray Alex seeks the truth in herself and wants to be freed from her self imprisonment. And that anyone reading this that is going through a similar situation or any situation remembers God still exists, He still answers prayers, and He still makes a way out of no way, and turns what seems to be ugly and unbearable into a testamony to help someone else. I beleive that is what is in store for Alex, God bless
Having read the posts regarding this program (I will not see it until tonight), I found yours to be the most compelling. You address key issues that affect society at large rather than confining your comments to the individuals on the program. I have to commend you for taking the broader view.
The nature of the family unit has changed in our country dramatically in the past hundred years. There have been a number of key changes, and a large number of lesser ones. What all of these changes have in common is their link to technological advances.
At one time, the family was considered to be made up of parents, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. As the car was developed and roads improved, we became more of a mobile society. Along with interstate highways came distance between us. We became geographically remote. Of course this led to other remoteness.
In my youth, we had television, but spent far more time outdoors. Our toys were not as advanced, so they required the usage of our imaginations. Gratification was not instant and we did not expect it to be.
Now we have computers, cell phones and even cars that park themselves. Is it really any wonder that the distance has grown within the nuclear family? If we barely have time to speak to one another, how are we to communicate and prevent such crises as depicted on the program? Children want whatever it may be NOW. They aren't bad, they've been programmed to believe things work that way. On the rare occasions that they turn to their parents or other mentors, how often is the parent or other mentor too busy getting their own instant gratification? Too many parents expect the schools to handle the parental responsibilities. Failing this, they think the child should find whatever it is on the Internet.
Parents did go through a period of trying to be friends with their children. Now, I think, they are not even that involved.*
Keep in mind though that I do not blame technology. I do blame our inability to keep focus on things of true importance rather than the easy ways out. When we as a society can shape the focus of our own attention to things such as the family we will begin to save our children and ourselves. Make no mistake. We are both at risk.
*This is a broad statement not meant toward all parents.
Almost every teenager owns a cell phone and an iPod these days, but what if your daughter bought these items with money she says she made by prostituting herself to older men? Alex, 14, has been running away from home, stealing money from her grandmother and selling her body to men nearly twice her age. Her family wrote to Dr. Phil for a desperately needed intervention. Alex’s mother, Kim, and aunt, Enza, are sisters-in-law who cannot be in the same room together without getting into a fight. Will they reunite for the sake of saving Alex? Within minutes of moving into the Dr. Phil House, Alex was trolling for men on the Internet, under the watchful eyes of Dr. Phil’s cameras. Dr. Phil meets with Kim and asks some hard questions, to find out how things got so out of control with her 14-year-old. Sparks fly when Enza joins the conversation. Find out what Enza has to say about Kim’s mothering skills and join the discussion.
