I Want to Do the Right Thing For My Daughter

Summary

Podcast Summary: "I Want to Do the Right Thing For My Daughter"

Episode Title: I Want to Do the Right Thing For My Daughter
Release Date: June 29, 2025
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Podcast: Dr. Laura Call of the Day
SiriusXM: Triumph 111

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of Dr. Laura Call of the Day, Dr. Laura Schlessinger engages with a heartfelt call from a listener named Jason. The discussion delves deep into the complexities of second marriages, co-parenting challenges, and the emotional turmoil of prioritizing his daughter's well-being over a tumultuous marital relationship.

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Jason's Story: Navigating a Second Marriage

Jason begins by expressing gratitude to Dr. Laura for her previous advice, which provided clarity during a chaotic period in his life. He recounts the struggles of being in a second marriage, highlighting the inherent difficulties that often accompany blending families and differing parenting styles.

• “I use your program as therapy... There is a lot of infighting in second marriages... where my spouse would try to parent my daughter a certain way, I try to parent her another way.” [02:15]

Jason describes a persistent "push and pull" dynamic with his spouse, leading to constant conflict and emotional exhaustion. This ongoing tension made him reassess his priorities and the impact of his marital discord on his relationship with his daughter.

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The Turning Point: Prioritizing Parental Responsibility

Realizing the detrimental effects of his unstable marriage on his daughter, Jason reached a pivotal decision. He acknowledges the moral dilemma of feeling as though he was abandoning his daughter by staying in a loveless and conflict-ridden marriage.

• “It isn’t right in my moral compass to be so far away from my daughter. It's like I abandoned her.” [03:05]

This realization propelled him to take decisive action to ensure his daughter's well-being, even if it meant ending his marriage.

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Dr. Laura's Guidance: Emphasizing Personal Responsibility

Dr. Laura commends Jason for his courage to confront uncomfortable truths and take responsibility for his and his daughter's happiness. She emphasizes the importance of making tough decisions that align with one's ethical and moral beliefs, especially when it concerns the well-being of a child.

• "It's essential to recognize when a situation is untenable and take steps to rectify it, even if it's painful." [03:20]

Her empathetic approach provides Jason with the validation he needed to move forward confidently.

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Action Taken: Moving Towards a Healthier Future

Following Dr. Laura's advice, Jason has taken significant steps to improve his circumstances:

1. Filing for Divorce: Acknowledging that his marriage was detrimental, Jason has initiated divorce proceedings to dissolve the union amicably.

2. Relocating to New York: Jason plans to move to New York to be closer to his daughter, ensuring a more active and supportive role in her life.

3. Support from Ex-Wife: Despite the challenges, Jason mentions that his ex-wife is supportive of his decision to prioritize their daughter, indicating a collaborative approach to co-parenting.

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Emotional Impact and Gratitude

Jason shares the emotional weight of these decisions, likening Dr. Laura's support to that of a maternal figure in his life. He expresses profound gratitude for the guidance that helped him navigate through his darkest moments.

• “You've been my support and you've been my mom too.” [05:00]

Dr. Laura acknowledges Jason's courage and resilience, reinforcing the importance of listener engagement and the positive impact of her program.

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Concluding Insights

This episode underscores the significance of prioritizing familial responsibilities and personal ethics over maintaining toxic relationships. Jason's journey exemplifies the challenges and eventual liberation that comes with making difficult but necessary decisions for the sake of one's children.

Dr. Laura's compassionate yet no-nonsense advice empowers listeners to evaluate their situations critically and take actionable steps towards healthier, more fulfilling lives.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jason: “I use your program as therapy... There is a lot of infighting in second marriages... where my spouse would try to parent my daughter a certain way, I try to parent her another way.” [02:15]

• Jason: “It isn’t right in my moral compass to be so far away from my daughter. It's like I abandoned her.” [03:05]

• Dr. Laura: "It's essential to recognize when a situation is untenable and take steps to rectify it, even if it's painful." [03:20]

• Jason: “You've been my support and you've been my mom too.” [05:00]

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Final Thoughts

"I Want to Do the Right Thing For My Daughter" is a poignant episode that highlights the struggles many face in balancing personal relationships and parental duties. Dr. Laura Schlessinger's insightful and empathetic approach provides valuable guidance for those navigating similar challenges, reinforcing the importance of accountability, ethics, and personal responsibility in fostering healthy family dynamics.

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For more advice and support, listeners are encouraged to visit DrLaura.com and become a Family member to access additional resources and support networks.

Transcript

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[Dr. Laura]

Thanks for listening to my Call of the Day podcast. You can hear my live radio program Monday through Friday from 2 to 5pm Eastern Time on Sirius XM Triumph 111. Jason welcome to the program.

[Jason]

Hi Dr. Ora. Thank you so much for taking my call again. Last time we spoke, it was, it was a bit crazy and I really don't think that I made a whole lot of sense, but what you said to me made sense.

[Dr. Laura]

And what did I say?

[Jason]

You told me that no wonder why my wife is, is unhappy with me because I'm a truck driver and it was a second marriage and I needed to go and take care of my daughter. So I wanted to thank you because it really just kind of sat with me for quite a while. A few months, I think. February is when I called in and I listened daily and there's a lot of eye opening that's kind of occurred. And I kind of use your program as therapy. I hear a lot of people calling in saying, hey, they're in their second marriage. The gentleman who called in a couple of calls ago said that, you know, his wife had passed away and he has since remarried and he's wondering, you know, what's going on. There is a lot of infighting in second marriages, or at least in my marriage, I would say where my spouse would try to parent my daughter a certain way, I try to parent her child a certain way to the point where I would sit back and let her parent it. And then she would get mad at me because I'm not stepping in, but I'm not sure when to. So there was just this, this constant push and pull, push and pull, push and pull to the point where I just came to her and said, you know, we can't do it. You know, you talk about, you know, living there's a day that you're going to die. And I started thinking about that more and more and more and I can't, I can't live like this. I feel like I'm not doing or not even feel I'm thinking because I, I know that you like to focus on more of the thought than the feeling. It is. I'm thinking that this isn't right in my moral compass to be so far away from my daughter. It's like as if I abandoned her. And I can't, I can't as a father do that. Even though I speak to her on a regular basis, that's not enough. I need to be active in her life and my spouse didn't support that. In fact, I had custody of my daughter and my spouse didn't want her there.

[Dr. Laura]

Ouch.

[Jason]

Yeah, there's, yeah, there's a lot of red flags and I tried to navigate through those instead of just taking a step back and saying, no, this isn't working. I should have not tried to overlook them because it was very dangerous. There was violence too, and it was just very, very, very, very, very bad. I haven't, I haven't spoken to my spouse. I've since filed for divorce. And you know, I'm making moves to, to move to New York so that I can be with my daughter. You know, I've talked to my ex wife and she's happy about that too, so.

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[Dr. Laura]

Well, bless you. Bless you, my friend.

[Jason]

Yeah, I mean, not, not, not you because of what you do for us. I mean, you get so many people on here. It, it's, it's just, I don't, I don't even have words to, to express. It hurts. It does hurt because, you know, I'm letting go of something that I guess I imagined was a certain way. But that's not the truth. The reality is very different than what I was imagining something to be. And, and you kind of woke me up and, and that's, that's just the way it is. So you've been my support and you've been my mom too.

[Dr. Laura]

Thank you.

[Jason]

You know, I've got a mom that I've had to kind of let go of because of reasons and you've, you've kind of been there in my ear. So it really, you really do impact us. So thank you.

[Dr. Laura]

Thank you. Jason. Hi. Thank you. Very touched. Thank you. My number, 1-800-375-2872. You're just a click away from some terrific deals being offered by companies that get the Dr. Laura stamp of approval. Visit drlaura.com Click on Sponsors to take advantage of the special Discounts available to Dr. Laura listeners like you.

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