It's Time to Save a Kid!

Summary

Podcast Summary: "It's Time to Save a Kid!"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Dr. Laura Call of the Day
• Host/Author: Dr. Laura Schlessinger & SiriusXM
• Episode: It's Time to Save a Kid!
• Release Date: May 20, 2025

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Introduction

In the episode titled "It's Time to Save a Kid!", Dr. Laura Schlessinger addresses a concerning call from a listener named Lydia. The discussion centers around Lydia's deep worries regarding her adult daughter's relationship with a man who has a criminal past, emphasizing the paramount importance of protecting a 14-year-old grandchild involved in the situation.

Caller’s Situation

Lydia’s Dilemma: Lydia reaches out to Dr. Laura seeking advice about her 46-year-old daughter, a widow who lost her husband shortly after adopting Lydia’s granddaughter, now 14 years old. The daughter recently met a man on a dating app, who, despite having just been released from prison after serving 16 years for interstate drug trafficking and facing other charges, has quickly moved into her home. Lydia shares her distress over the daughter's decision to engage in a relationship with someone she perceives as a high-risk individual, especially with her granddaughter's well-being at stake.

Key Points from Lydia:

• Rapid Relationship Development: Lydia's daughter started dating and married the man within a short span, moving him into the household.
• Criminal Background: The man's extensive criminal history, including drug trafficking, breaking and entering, theft, and assault.
• Family Conflict: Siblings are also upset, and Lydia fears shunning her daughter might lead to losing her entirely.
• Protective Measures: Lydia and her husband have set strict boundaries, such as never allowing the daughter and the man to be alone together, with her husband taking active steps to monitor the situation.

Notable Quote:

"You know, this is my line in the sand. I, It's a big red flag here. This is bad, bad. And I don't, I don't want him in my house. I can't welcome him into the family."
— Lydia [00:24]

Dr. Laura’s Response

Initial Reaction: Dr. Laura firmly addresses Lydia's emotional turmoil, expressing frustration with Lydia's self-doubt regarding her actions. She emphasizes the critical importance of prioritizing the child's safety over personal relationships.

Advice Given:

1. Protect the Child: Dr. Laura underscores that the primary focus should be the welfare of the grandchild, not the strained relationship with the daughter.
2. Legal Action: She advises Lydia and her husband to consult an attorney to explore options such as removing the child from the daughter's custody.
3. Involvement of Authorities: Suggests reaching out to Child Protective Services with documented evidence of the man's criminal background.
4. Court Battle: Prepares Lydia for a potentially challenging legal battle, highlighting the need for persistence regardless of the immediate outcome.
5. Grandparents' Rights: Mentions that many states have laws that support grandparents' rights, especially in cases where the biological father is deceased.

Key Points from Dr. Laura:

• Dismissal of Self-Doubt: "Don't ask the question. Are you being ridiculous? That's the only question you have."
• Urgency of Action: "Get an attorney. Go to war. Get somebody who has a track record of these sorts of cases."
• Focus on the Child: "We have to fight this for her, for the child, not your daughter."

Notable Quotes:

"If you ask me a stupid question like that, I swear to God I'm just gonna scre until my vocal cords explode. Please don't ask a stupid question like that. Please don't."
— Dr. Laura [02:55]

"Your husband got on the right train. You didn't. Well, I'm trying to protect the grandchild. Oh my God. Okay, get an attorney."
— Dr. Laura [04:38]

"She's a lost, pathetic cause, which frankly, you knew 20 years ago. Because any woman of her age who goes to be with a piece of shit that nobody else understands, but she does. It makes her special."
— Dr. Laura [05:11]

Key Insights

1. Prioritizing Child Safety: Dr. Laura emphasizes that the safety and well-being of the child should take precedence over familial relationships and personal feelings towards the daughter.

2. Legal Recourse is Essential: When familial interventions fail, legal steps become necessary to protect the child from potential harm.

3. Emotional Detachment is Necessary: Dr. Laura advises Lydia to detach emotionally from the outcome concerning her daughter’s relationship to effectively prioritize the child's safety.

4. Grandparents’ Role: Highlighting the potential of grandparents stepping in legally to safeguard the grandchild, especially in situations where parenthood is compromised.

5. No Room for Self-Doubt: Dr. Laura discourages self-questioning that detracts from taking decisive action to protect loved ones.

Conclusions

In "It's Time to Save a Kid!", Dr. Laura Schlessinger delivers a no-nonsense approach to a complex family crisis. She advocates for decisive action to protect a vulnerable child from potential harm, urging the caller to leverage legal channels and prioritize the child's safety over strained familial bonds. The episode underscores the difficult but necessary steps family members might need to take when loved ones make questionable decisions that could endanger others, especially minors.

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Note: This summary captures the essence of the conversation between Dr. Laura and Lydia, focusing on the critical advice provided to navigate a challenging family situation involving the safety of a grandchild.

Transcript

[A]

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. Lydia, welcome to the program.

[B]

Yes, thank you, Dr. Laura. I never thought I would be calling, but here we are.

[A]

Okay, let me know what's happening.

[B]

Okay. I have a 46 year old daughter. She is a widow. Her husband died about a month after they adopted a little baby. And that baby is my granddaughter and she's 14 years old now. Well, my daughter gets online and she goes to a dating app and she finds a man that she's enamored with. One month later he moves in with her. I had no idea that happened. But after knowing him now two months, they come and they tell dad and I that they're going to get married and they want to be honest and totally upfront. He just got out of prison. He served 16 years for interstate drug trafficking. We were shocked. He has lots of other little charges too, mostly breaking and entering and all kinds of theft and assault on an officer and that. I looked up the charges myself and we just didn't know what to say at the time. But the next day we got her by herself and we said, oh my gosh, what are you doing? You know, what are you thinking? This is not right. And you're moving a stranger in with a 14 year old girl. And my husband stepped up and he said, never let them be alone together. Never. Promise me that. And you can mess around all you want to, but you promised me that you will never let the two of them be alone. I will come and pick her up from school. I will help you in any way. And she said, okay. And then I told her, you know, this is my, you know, this is my line in the sand. I, It's a big red flag here. This is bad, bad. And I don't, I don't want him in my house. I, I can't welcome him into the family. And there's. The siblings are upset. They don't want anything to do with him either. I want her. I don't want to shun her. I don't want to lose her. She, she could come and we can.

[A]

You're going to have to lose her. You're going to have to lose her. She's not concerned about losing you.

[B]

No. Well, that is, she said, you know, we tried to talk sense into her and she said, I know what you think and I don't want to hear it. So, yeah, there's that and what I want to know, Dr. Laura, am I being mean? Am I a terrible, terrible person?

[A]

If you ask me a stupid question like that, I swear to God I'm just gonna scre until my vocal cords explode. Please don't ask a stupid question like that. Please don't.

[B]

All right, so you think I am doing the right thing because that's what I'm doing.

[A]

Don't ask the question.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

That's the only question you have. Are you being ridiculous? That's the only question you have. Wow.

[B]

Well, she's a grown woman. I can't change her decision.

[A]

No, but we need to protect the kid and your husband is doing something in that direction. I think though, that more has to be done. If you guys have the financial wherewithal, get an attorney and try to take the teenager away from her.

[B]

Uh huh.

[A]

That's the question you should be asking. Not whether you look good or not or you did the right thing or not. That's just so annoying to hear a grown woman ask. Your job is to start protecting. Okay, you're talking over me, which means you're not listening.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

Your husband got on the right train. You didn't. Well, I'm trying to protect the grant. Oh my God. Okay, get an attorney. Tell your husband I said get an attorney. Go to Child Protective Services, have all the paperwork about this man and how this is a risk, et cetera. I don't care if it works or doesn't work, but she'll have to fight it in court. This will cost her money, time, effort, shame and embarrassment and annoyance, and that's what we have to do. She doesn't care about her kid. She cares about feeling wonderful, that she's the only one who understands an evil son of a bitch. She's special now. Your daughter is special now. And she's never felt special in her life, but this is how she found specialness. You're not going to fix this. You're not going to change your mind. You got to go to court and try to take that kid into your house.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

And a lot of states have grandparents rights and the father died, so it's not your son. But I would try working with that. Just tell your attorney, do whatever, even if it has no chance. Because we have to fight this for her, for the child, not your daughter. She's a lost, pathetic cause, which frankly, you knew 20 years ago. Because any woman of her age who goes to be with a piece of shit that nobody else understands, but she does. It makes her special.

[B]

Well, there's an insight I never thought of it. I never would have thought that. But you're right, it's my job. Yes, yes, exactly.

[A]

So please don't spend any time going, am I, did I do the right. Please don't do that. Just go save the kid.

[B]

Okay, we're, we're, yeah, we have, we're talking about that. I will go and talk to my husband about that right now.

[A]

Good. Right now, get an attorney. Go to war. Get somebody who has a track record of these sorts of cases. Although right now judges in our country seem to like criminals. I don't understand that either. But you know, what can I do? 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.