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Welcome to the program. Hi, Dr. Laura. Hi, what can I do for you? I guess maybe I want to encourage me. Okay.

In what area of your life do you need encouragement? I have a 16 year old daughter that left my home.

I'm going to go with her father. She filed, they filed custody papers.

She had not been in contact with her father for a year and a half. I mean, no, to me, she obviously had some contact with him a few months ago and then decided that she was going to go live with him.

But didn't tell me all I was alone. Have you been divorced? I will do she when you guys divorced. She was three.

And what's her relationship been with her dad since she was three.

He lives 250 miles away. She's never been a present father. He's been on again off again as far as participating in her.

Okay. Are you surprised that a 16 year old girl wants her daddy?

No, not at all. Really never had.

No, I've known what that's like because I was also at that age seeking my father and went to go see him and spend some time with him. I'm not discouraging that.

What I'm having a hard time with is she's telling the lawyers or his lawyer and her lawyer that.

She lived in abusive home because we made her do her laundry, do her homework.

And then when she didn't do well in school that we would take away her electronic devices so that she could better her grade.

That's that all of that is well, she can say it's abuse, but I don't think there's a judge that looks at any of that as abuse.

I know, but she she wants me not to fight and she just let her be with her father. But honestly, if I, if I, if I, what is the point, what would be the point of spending a lot of money on an attorney on the off chance of forcing her at 16 to come back to your house, your house will be a living hell.

I do not recommend you do that.

I recommend you let her do this is two years from being an adult anyway.

You said, we, because that mean you're married. Does that mean you're married?

I, I remarried. Yes, I've been married. I remarried and I've been married for 12 years.

And how many other kids do you have? No, I had older children and they're often and they're on their own.

Okay, I recommend you let her do this.

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