Dr. Laura Call of the Day

Episode: My Son Is So off Track It Scares Me
Air Date: October 2, 2025
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Caller: Nicole

Episode Overview

In this episode, a concerned mother named Nicole calls Dr. Laura seeking guidance about her almost 16-year-old son’s troubling behavior. Nicole details her discovery of vape pens and increasingly explicit sex toys in her son’s possession, sharing her deep anxiety and confusion over how to handle the situation. Dr. Laura offers her trademark no-nonsense advice, emphasizing family dynamics, the emotional repercussions of divorce on teenagers, and concrete steps for intervention.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context: Family Background & Recent Issues

• [01:54-02:24] Nicole is a 46-year-old single mother, divorced for 11 years, with two children: a 14-year-old daughter and a nearly 16-year-old son.
• Co-parenting: Son spends roughly equal time in both households under a mutually agreed new parenting plan.
• Recent discoveries: Nicole found a vape pen in her son's backpack. He explained he uses it to help control his emotions and sleep. Later, she also found a male masturbator, a torso sex doll, and a vibrating dildo.

2. Nicole’s Approach So Far

• [02:24-04:36] Nicole describes approaching her son calmly with printed information when she found the vape pen. She notes they discussed emotion regulation and alternatives to vaping.
• Conversations about Sex: After finding the sex toys, Nicole initiated talks with her son about hormones, masturbation, sex, and respect for women.
• Feeling overwhelmed, Nicole now seeks advice after discovering escalating behavior.

3. Access to Sex Toys

• [04:36-05:01] Dr. Laura questions how Nicole’s son can purchase such items. Nicole reveals he earns money doing chores for his grandfather and claims to buy sex toys in person at stores that allegedly don’t ask for ID.

Dr. Laura [04:36]: "Is he getting the money for all these things? And where is he going to buy these sex toys?"

4. Dr. Laura’s Advice:

• [08:24-08:52] After a brief (off-air) check on regulations, Dr. Laura advises Nicole to report the store that sold sex toys to her minor son to the police.

Dr. Laura [08:52]: "I think you need to turn in the store to the police. That’ll at least cut off his supply."

• [08:57-09:45] Dr. Laura explains that, while not exclusive to divorced families, such off-track behavior is more common in children navigating "the loss, the rejection, the sense of abandonment, the confusion, the annoyance" from divorce and dual households, even if co-parenting is amicable.

Dr. Laura [08:57]: "It’s not unusual for kids to be a little more off track in dealing with their emotions after a divorce because of all the feelings they go through. ...it hits kids differently at different times."

5. Therapy as the Next Step

• [09:47-10:35] Dr. Laura firmly recommends a marriage and family therapist (specifically an MFCC). She emphasizes that both parents, and possibly the children, should participate because the family is still the foundational system:

Dr. Laura [09:47]: "You’ve got to find a marriage and family therapist because MFCC is marriage, family, and child. ... It’s specific training about children and family dynamics. ... You and your ex really need to see a marriage, family, child therapist because you still are a family. And it is the most powerful form of counseling."

• She suggests starting therapy with just Nicole and her son, to avoid embarrassing him in front of his sister.

6. Summing Up the Son’s Situation

• [10:36-10:59] Dr. Laura reassures Nicole that, despite her best efforts, the emotional volatility, confusion, and sexual curiosity of a 16-year-old boy—compounded by family stress—can drive him toward risky or compulsive coping mechanisms.

Dr. Laura [10:53]: "You did a great job. It's just that your kid is 16 year old male who's angry, confused, and horny. And horny is another drug. ... Basically, he's drugging himself to take away the vape. He went to sex toys. It's all the same reason you go to that. He'll find something else."

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On divorced parenting challenges:

  Dr. Laura [08:57]: “It’s not unusual for kids to be a little more off track… after a divorce because of all the feelings they go through—the loss, the rejection, the sense of abandonment, the confusion, the annoyance.”

• On professional help:

  Dr. Laura [09:47]: “You’ve got to find a marriage and family therapist… Your basic psychologist does not have that serious a training. The MFCC, that’s all it is… You still are a family.”

• On parental guilt and teen behaviors:

  Dr. Laura [10:53]: "You did a great job. It's just that your kid is 16 year old male who's angry, confused, and horny. And horny is another drug."

Important Timestamps for Major Segments

• 01:46 — Nicole joins the call and outlines her concerns.
• 02:24 — Nicole describes her son’s behaviors and her initial interventions.
• 04:36 — Dr. Laura inquires about how the son acquires sex toys.
• 08:24 — Dr. Laura checks sex toy store regulations.
• 08:52 — Dr. Laura directs Nicole to contact law enforcement.
• 09:45 — Dr. Laura recommends marriage and family therapy.
• 10:36 — Dr. Laura sums up her advice and reassures Nicole.

Episode Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: Direct, empathetic, and pragmatic. Dr. Laura is matter-of-fact but supportive, urging action without blame.
• Takeaways:
  • Escalating self-soothing behaviors in teens—especially post-divorce—are often a response to unaddressed emotional struggles.
  • Parental intervention, while valuable, may not be enough: Professional family counseling is strongly recommended.
  • Cut off harmful supply sources (e.g., illegal sales to minors).
  • Maintain open communication, but don’t hesitate to involve specialists.

For parents experiencing similar issues:
Seek out therapists trained in family and adolescent dynamics (MFCC), monitor for legal or health risks, and remember not to internalize guilt for the complex, sometimes challenging paths teens may take.