Topic : 12/25 Parent Trap

Now that the technology is available, there should be a law to make paternity tests routine at the time of birth, so that it is clear from the start. Enrique had the right to find out.  He should not have to pay child support for Salina and the mother should have encouraged Enrique and Salina to continue their relationship without insisting that he pay child support. She lied and wants him to continue as if she did nothing wrong. Many men will be going to their grave not knowing the paternity of their child, because the mother will not consent or the courts decide that after a certain time it does not matter. If the mothers are so sure these men are the fathers, why do they prevent the paternity test from taking place? They should want to give him peace of mind that it is, if they are saying he is. Just confirm it. There are many circumstances that would lead people to question paternity at any time. Men should have the right to have a paternity tests even 15 years later if there is any doubts in his mind. They do not acknowledge that these men have feelings and should have the right to know if they fathered the child or not. We all know you do not have to be a biological parent to be a loving parent, but it does not replace the knowledge that you are the biological father if you truly are. How can the system think that is right to keep that from you? We have the technology! Change the Laws! It is a shame for these men to have to suffer emotionally, because of the court system or a vindictive ex-wife. I hope that Salina can work through the pain, by realizing the emotional stress her mother and the court system have put on Enrique, and salvage her relationship with him. I totally agree with E J Moss.

i think it is shameful that a woman would cause so much hurt and anger resulting in ruined relationship by her immoral actions. But thats not the issue here. The issue is a child whose life has been changed by someone else's mistakes. i dont blame enrique for being angry or feeling cheated, anyone put in his shoes wld feel the same. but i do blame him for cutting all contact with that kid. its  takes a man with a stone heart to look at that girl and still reject her i am still trying to picture him sending her out of his car,,,i cant its even hard to do it to a child u dont know too well. To the question of him paying child support, i think he should, not because the law requires him to but because he is a father and a human being. i think the law is wrong to make him have to pay the child support, its something he should do out of his own free will. but then again he doesnt even look or sound like he is ready to be that kind of a father, it just too sad that he is soo short sighted. Enrique needs to set his priorities straight. That girl is worth more than the money he is required to pay and its not worth loosing her over.

And as for women that deceive men, there should be some kind of law against doing something like that. If i had the power i wld rule that once a woman is caught comitting that kind of fraud, she should stand a chance of loosing the child completely to the man she made take care of the chlid for so long..,hopefully the man is nothing like Enrique!

If the father wanted to keep the relationship with his daughter, he should of left the situation alone.  It seemed he had doubts from the beginning but did not take action to find out the truth, until the child support he was sending became a problem with him and his new wife.  The only reason he did this was to not pay child support, was the money he was paying worth not being a decent person.  He is only thinking of his interest and not the child. He made decisions based on his reality and not the child's. I think the courts in California are correct in saying if you have been responsible for the child, you should for the rest of that child's life be emotionally and physically responsible.  Both parents made decisions that are questionable, but why bring that on the child.  The father made a choice years ago and should live up that responsibility, even if he feels the wife betrayed him. 

Wow, I was really upset after watching this show that this innocent man, who was deceived since the child's birth, was expected to pay child-support and continue living with the reponsibilites of being a father, when he was not.

It makes me think that all young men that are married to, or dating women with children should just RUN, unless they are prepared to be expected to pay child-support if the relationship fails.

That would cause a lot of children to grow up homes without any adult male role-models.  That would be devistating!

Yes, this makes me angry -- mostly angry at the Mother who "didn't get asked" so didn't tell!  But also at the father who abandoned thischild.  And believe me, I know what I say -- I got pregnant by someone other than my husband and I planned to trick him, but when the time came, I couldn't do that to anyone.  So I told him and he took me back.  We had a lovely daughter whom he accepted and cared for.... until we finally divorced.  THEN he told our 2 sons, ages 12 and 9, that he wasn't Cheryl's father.  They still hate me for that...  Meanwhile, I've taken care of Cheryl, who is bi-polar, severely handicapped and now a 44 year old handicapped woman.

Last week my ex-husband called to say he felt awful for abandoning Cheryl and wants to visit with her NOW....

The woman had no right to trick her husband!!!

I understand mother's rights as I have been in that situation but what about the father's rights?  My son has a 5 year old son that lives with him because the boys mother would rather party and sleep around than take care of her son.  Heather, the mother, has 3 boys that all live with their biological father's because she does not want to take care of them.  My son does not have the money to afford to get a lawyer and get legal custody of his son.  He paid his taxes last year and is still fighting the IRS to get all of his money back because Heather lied to the IRS and claimed that her son lived with her all year.  She gave up custody of her other 2 boys as long as the fathers would not come back on her for child support (real nice mother).  The law in Iowa says since Heather had this little boy  she has legal custody of him and until my son takes her to court .  Even though he has raised this boy on his own for the last 4 years she still has legal custody of him and can take him out of the state if she decides to and their is nothing any of us can do.  I think the state should recoginze custody of the parent that is raising that child 24/7.  My son gets no money from Heather and she does not offer to help him with school, clothes, or food.  What ever happened to the father's rights?  They don't have any.  My son is not perfect but I will give him credit for taking care of his little boy when his mother doesn't want him.