Did anyone watch Dr. Phil today?

[Octoberbeauty]

Edited to add....I'm going home and just hugging my kids tonight and I don't care if the chores get done and I don't care if they stay up too late. They are my world and I can't imagine feeling the way that mothers feels about her kids. I am a very, very lucky mom.

My dd was with me when we turned the tv on - and it was on her yelling at her son - and I just turned to dd and said, "I love you, I love you, I love you! I can't believe anyone would treat their children that way."

Wish I could give those children a hug too. They were adorable!! I feel so bad for them.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

Holy Crap. Not that I had any respect at all for Dr. Phil before but how in HE!! can he feel he has the right or the power to say "hey if you do that AGAIN I'll report you."

She already did it. He HAD and HAS HAD knowledge child abuse for days. It is not for him to decide whether or not the kids should remain in the house. There are Judges, Social Workers, and Child Experts for that. He is a blankety-blank tv host - not GOD.

I don't give a flying fig when his tv program was supposed to air - those kids should have been out of that house within hours of that being caught on tape. To me, it is just absolutely sickening that he can call himself a mental health professional and yet comfortably allow those kids to remain at risk.

Regardless, I'm very comfortable in my feeling that after that episode, there were 1,000's of calls to Childrens Services.

 

[ktink]

DH and I watched this and it made our skin crawl.. I just don't see how all that could go unnoticed. I mean the neighborhood looked like the houses weren't that far apart and all the yelling that was going on. I feel so sorry for those children, that little boy who took the brunt of the abuse and the little 9 yo girl that took care of the baby and the other siblings. It's truly people like this that really need to be treated the way they treat others.

 

[SillyMe]

The mom just seemed really self centered. Like the kids were just in her way and bothering her. When Dr. Phil asked her "what do you think your son is thinking when he is at school after you have done this to him?" Her answer was "He probably is thinking that he hates me." I just thought that was so selfish. She wasn't worried about how it makes him feel about himself, just how it makes him feel about her. SICK !

I just don't think that she is "out of control" though. I think she is totally in control. Did you see how she pulled it together when her friend called?

I noticed that, too and thought the same thing. She even admitted that she never put herself in her son's shoes and thought about how he feels.

 

[Robinrs]

My boyfriend was abused like that in his childhood by his mother and his stepfather. He is 42 now and is still very affected by what he experienced. These children will need LOTS of therapy after this. The names alone are sometimes worse than the hits...

I think of how it destroyed my friend's life and I get chills. Like these children he is well mannered, very close and nurturing of his younger siblings but a part of him still wants his "Mommy" to love him. He told me the reason he was attracted to me was because I treated my son so sweetly. He says all of the time he wished him mother treated him the way I treat Michael. Of course I was raised by loving parents and it's all I know.

What concerns me is these childrens' future. God help them.

 

[chris1gill]

I'm watching it now and I am about to throw up. I want to go get those kids. If that's what happens with the cameras on, what happens off????

Edited to add....I'm going home and just hugging my kids tonight and I don't care if the chores get done and I don't care if they stay up too late. They are my world and I can't imagine feeling the way that mothers feels about her kids. I am a very, very lucky mom.

This was exactly my reaction & why I posted this thread, I knew I couldn't be the only one so seriously affected by what they were showing

I was surprised beyond belief that the father wasn't more upset... Believe me, if my husband was on camera doing what that mother did, I'd send him out until he got help... this is what worries me... Dr. Phil is relying on this guy to police the Mom? Make sure she's not alone with the kids? I'd say he's pretty clueless & not up to the task Those kids are no safer tonight than they were this morning....

 

[chris1gill]

Regardless, I'm very comfortable in my feeling that after that episode, there were 1,000's of calls to Childrens Services.

Did they say where these people were from by chance? I don't even recall their state being mentioned...

 

[Becky2005]

Becky, how long ago was this on Larry King? I'm wondering how long Dr. Phil has had the tape?

I'm not sure - I think it was last week (I usually just flip channels after kids go to bed until something catches my eye! I saw Dr. Phil so stopped. It all kind of blurs together as to when it was though.)

Dr. Phil's show was already taped though because they showed a clip of the Dr. Phil show with him talking to the mom telling her about it stops now/the authorities will be notified part.

They were talking about a bunch of different topics and this one was one of them, they showed the home video clip, then Larry talked to Dr. Phil some - which is when he said they knew what was on the tape when they sent it in - hence my thinking there is no film crew if the people have to package up the tape and send it in, so he knew it was a cry for help - called them in instead of waiting the 2 weeks (or whatever it was), etc..., then they were talking about reporting the incidents and showed the clip from the Dr. Phil show.

Also that it was situational because at one point on the tape the phone rings and the mom goes from raging to talking just fine back to raging after hanging up (that part wasn't shown - just Dr. Phil talking about it.) I don't know if that part was shown on Dr. Phil's show or not.

And that's all I remember about the segment.

 

[Sandy22]

I think he knew. He sure didn't look surprised at all. Then the fact that he hits the kids with a stick (which the children mentioned repeatedly) and kicks them with his steel toe boots. He's just as bad as she is.

I agree! I think Dr. Phil let the dad off way too easily. And Dr. Phil left it to the dad to ensure that his wife wouldn't be left alone with the kids??? The same dad who beats them with a stick???

 

[sydally9367]

I just finished watching the show and I am literally ready to throw up.. I can't even discuss the feelings I have right now.

Many of you have brought up how Dr.Phil didn't call the authorities and I was perusing the message boards on Dr.Phil's site and this message appeared at the top a few minutes ago:

Some viewers have raised questions about whether the Dr. Phil show reported Jim and Karen to the authorities after the taping of this show. Other viewers have expressed surprise that Karen and Jim's children were allowed to go home with them after the show.

Please be assured that immediately following the taping of "A Mother's Rage," the Dr. Phil show did make a report to local child protection authorities. As a mental health professional, Dr. Phil is required by law to make such a report if he has concerns about the safety, welfare or well being of a child. However, Dr. Phil does not himself have the authority to remove children from their parents' home.

Remember that a lot happens after the taping of a show that TV viewers never get to see. Dr. Phil's staff draws on a vast network of experts and mental health professionals to help Dr. Phil guests. Karen's family is just one of many to have received this assistance.

God Bless those precious kids.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Sydally--> thanks for posting that info. the whole show just made me:

 

[PixiePop]

I was horrified just watching the brief video on the website. There is just no excuse for this kind of abuse. I pray for those children.

 

[Robinrs]

Thanks, sydally... I feel better now.

 

[chris1gill]

I just finished watching the show and I am literally ready to throw up.. I can't even discuss the feelings I have right now.

Many of you have brought up how Dr.Phil didn't call the authorities and I was perusing the message boards on Dr.Phil's site and this message appeared at the top a few minutes ago:



God Bless those precious kids.

Thank you for bringing this over here... Thank god Dr. Phil did make the report... I hope that woman gets her stuff together, but I'm more concerned with those precious children... I feel relieved to know it was reported...

 

[Brier Rose]

OMG..I just watched it!

I really wish I wouldn't have. I new I would probably get upset, but I just never expected to feel like that.

If I had been sitting in the audience they would have thrown me out I was crying so hard!

If not for that, it would have been from beating the snot out of that mom AND dad! OK...I know that's not right either, but it sure is what I felt like doing!

Those poor babies.

 

[mytwotinks]

Did they say where these people were from by chance? I don't even recall their state being mentioned...

I don't think that they ever said, but the dad seemed to have a Canadian accent.

 

[chris1gill]

I don't think that they ever said, but the dad seemed to have a Canadian accent.

Hmm, I definitely thought he had an Irish accent?

I also recall the oldest boy saying that the neighbors did know about the mother's screaming and yelling... so apparently their neighbors just turned the other cheek to what was really going on here I'm still just so upset about this show...

 

[DVC Sadie]

It just came out in the conversation that this family was scheduled to appear in a couple of weeks, but when Dr. Phil saw the footage, he had them brought in immediately. The kids do not want their mother to be in trouble, I feel Dr. Phil handled it correctly; he got them in immediately once he found out what was happening, he's getting them all "help", and he told them in no uncertain terms that HE WILL report them to the authorities if she ever does this to them again.

Those children should not spend one hour with her until she GETS the help. If she hurts them again its a little late, don't you think?

Dr. Phil must be on crack to let those kids go into the same environment or he thinks he can control a uncontrollable situation. If those kids get hurt I will hold him as resopnsible as the mother!

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I could not stop crying as I watched that show.

The mother should NOT be left alone with those children. The father said he'd stay home until the kids were off to school - but those littlest ones don't go to school! In the clip we saw, the mother was mostly attacking the oldest boy, but she did threaten one of the younger ones ("do you want mommy to get mad at you?") and I'm sure she treats them just as badly.

There were so many awful things. She said on the show that if they did what she said the first time she asked, she wouldn't have to get so mad. But you could see them trying - she told the boy to get his stuff and get out the door, then as he tried to go out the door she attacked him again. The little girl was trying to get the other kids ready and she got yelled at too. Just heartbreaking.

I wish someone would take those little kids and read to them all the letters that have been posted here (and I'm sure in other places) and let them know that what has been happening to them is WRONG and other people see that.

Teresa

 

[Kteacher]

I watched part of this show Absolutely heartbreaking. The fact that the 3 year old is self mutilating made me sick to my stomach.