Podcast Episode Summary:

Dr. Laura Call of the Day – "My Son Won't Leave My Side"

Date: September 28, 2025
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Guest: Wendy (Mother of a 10-year-old boy)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Laura counsels Wendy, a mother concerned about her 10-year-old son's intense attachment to her. The conversation explores possible roots of the boy’s clinginess, family dynamics, and strategies for fostering independence while addressing the underlying emotional needs. Dr. Laura offers her signature direct, compassionate advice, moving the discussion beyond surface behaviors into emotional understanding and therapeutic parenting.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Nature of the Problem

• Attachment Behaviors ([01:20])
  Wendy describes her son's desire to be physically close to her at all times ("he comes and he sits, like, right almost on top of me"), and his emotional distress when separated (e.g., crying during calls when his parents were away on a trip).

2. Family Dynamics

• Father’s Involvement ([02:47])
  Dr. Laura inquires about the father's role. Wendy says her husband, despite having back surgery, plays games like Uno and watches TV with their son.

• Other Siblings & Marital Context ([07:55])
  The family includes two older siblings. There is no parental divorce or second marriage—the parents simply had a third child years after the first two.

3. Exploring Potential Causes

• History of Loss or Separation ([03:36])
  Dr. Laura asks if the boy fears parental loss due to trauma or illness. Wendy shares:

  • Her brother’s death (the child was three at the time).
  • An early separation when the child was one (he and his father moved abroad before she joined them a few weeks later).

• Peer Relationships ([04:50])
  The boy struggles socially—avoids settings where his friend socializes with others, feeling excluded or “ignored.”

4. Analysis and Advice

• Hypersensitivity and Fear of Loss ([08:15])
  Dr. Laura highlights the underlying pattern: “He’s seriously hypersensitive, it would seem, about loss and neglect.” She suggests Wendy’s son possibly fears that love and attention are finite and that he might miss out or be abandoned.

• Shift from Comforting to Understanding ([09:02])
  Dr. Laura cautions against superficial reassurance (e.g., promising a future trip) and instead recommends open conversations:

  "You sound to me like you're afraid if you don't practically sit on me that I will disappear. So you have to start having these conversations. He's 10. His brain works good enough to have these conversations." (Dr. Laura, [08:53])

• Therapeutic Parenting ([09:15])
  Dr. Laura advises Wendy to think “like a therapist, mama”:

  “Instead of trying to make him feel better, try to understand him more…You need to start thinking like a therapist, mama, and start talking to him about these things. This is parenting.” (Dr. Laura, [09:33])

5. Practical Tools and Takeaways

• Set gentle boundaries (“No, you can’t sit on my lap. I love you dearly, but go sit on that chair so I have room. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here.” [paraphrased, [08:46]])
• Encourage conversations about feelings of rejection and belonging.
• Normalize the reality of shared love and attention in families: “That’s a lot of kids to love. Maybe I can’t love all three of you at the same time. What do you think?” (Dr. Laura, [08:15])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Clinginess:
  “He comes and he sits, like, right almost on top of me, and I'm like, hey, there's this whole couch you can sit on... ‘No, I want to be next to you. I want to be with you.’ Those are his words.”
  — Wendy (Mother), [02:53]

• On Child’s Sensitivities:
  “He’s seriously hypersensitive, it would seem, about loss and neglect. And I don’t know your lives to know why, but that seems obvious to me that that is the case.”
  — Dr. Laura, [08:15]

• Parent as Therapist:
  “You need to start thinking like a therapist, mama, and start talking to him about these things. This is parenting.”
  — Dr. Laura, [09:33]

• On Understanding vs. Reassurance:
  “Instead of trying to make him feel better, try to understand him more.”
  — Dr. Laura, [09:02]

Timeline of Important Segments

• [01:00] Start of real content – Dr. Laura greets Wendy
• [01:20] Mother introduces the son's clingy behaviors
• [02:47] Detail on the father’s limited involvement & son's attachment
• [03:36] Dr. Laura explores possible trauma or reason for fear of separation
• [04:50] Discussion of the son’s social difficulties with peers
• [07:55] Inquiry about siblings, family makeup
• [08:15] Dr. Laura identifies hypersensitivity around loss
• [09:02] Dr. Laura shifts focus to therapeutic parenting and understanding root issues
• [09:33] Summary advice: converse openly, create security, set boundaries

Closing Thoughts

The episode centers on the importance of moving from "comforting" to "understanding"—helping children process deep emotions around belonging, attention, and loss. Dr. Laura advocates for boundary-setting coupled with compassionate conversation, aiming to build a secure sense of love and resilience in sensitive children.