Ever hear of Dr. Ray? Me neither.
But according to The Canton Repository, psychologist Ray Guarendi is not only my homie, but the purveyor of two syndicated radio talk shows, “The Doctor is In,” and “On Call With Dr. Ray and Friends”…and a Kid Kollector. He and his wife Randi have adopted 10 kids, mostly black, Hispanic, or biracial. Recently Dr. Ray published a Q & A adoption book, Adoption: Choosing it, Living it, Loving It. I haven’t read the book so I won’t get into its merits–or demerits.
But what about all those kids? A question he says everybody asks him. Here’s his reply:
I tell people it’s like eating potato chips; you can’t eat just one,” Guarendi said with a laugh. “We found we were liking parenting. Age is the reason we stopped.”
Oh gawd, what an embarrassment to my hometown!!! :-/
Sounds like he’s a complete quack!! Maybe, instead of bringing kids into his deluded world he should just buy stock in Pringles……..
And the difference between him and the woman who just had octuplets because she never felt close to anyone is…?
Oh, he’s a man. And he has a professional degree. And they aren’t his kids. Sorry, sometimes I forget things like that make it OK.
Lindsay, I didn’t know you were from Canton. You may not believe it, but Canton is about the rockinist city in the country.
It’s the Halo Syndrome in action, here! Step right up, get your adoptees and earn your sainthood!
I fear there will come a day like the times depicted in “Logan’s Run,” where biological connections are unimportant and babies are produced on a cold, sterile assembly line and turned over to the self-entitled saintly to be raised. This kind of thing takes the “parents” out of “parenting.”
SIGH
Yep, North Canton/Jackson Twp to be exact. Sad but true!! Born in the bustling city of Alliance (haha…..yeah, in ACH, where it was snowing in the broken windows – in 1985!!!), but raised in N. Canton.
My mother’s family is from Cleveland though, Lyndhurst, so I feel I identify more with that region than down here.
What a small, small world, hey??
Hey, I know you, Lindsay! The Rep did an article about you a couple years ago! I’m always trashing Jackson in the Rep comments, but I shall exclude you! Some idiot was recently complaining how they had to pay something like $2000/mo in property taxes. $24,000/yr? Where in the world do they live? My dad went to Mount Union.
I guess my parents ate more popcorn than potato chips since they only adopted two.
Where did this idiot get his degree, at a Blue Light special?
“Can’t eat just one,” eh? I think most of these people who either give birth to too many kids (Duggars, Octuplet Mom) or adopt them are like animal horders who take in more pets than they can really take good care of. With adoption, at some point these homes become a group home only without the supervision a real group home would have from child welfare authorities. Terrible abuses have happened in these megafamilies, especially when a lot of the kids were handicapped and special needs.
I do not think this should be encouraged or applauded. Often these people are fanatics of various sorts.
Like I said, …the Halo Syndrome is in play. Those who adopt have long been credited with more altruism that is really in play, even those who adopt from foster care, the older and special needs kids, etc.
I know I got a warm, fuzzy kick from rescuing our dog from the shelter. Oh, the nobility of it all! Something in me wanted to rush right back there and rescue all the doggies. I was picturing my picture on the wall at county Animal Control with a medal suspended from the frame.
Well, our new doggie brings us much pleasure and he is all we can handle or should. He doesn’t get the concepts of “rescued” or “grateful.” He isn’t on this earth to fill our needs. He isn’t with us to polish our halo or preen our angel wings. He lives in the moment. He gets our attention and care and we can only hope the others will be adopted.
To bad the adoption of human children doesn’t work the same way. But then, since human children already, in most cases, have families, why aren’t our efforts geared towards rehabilitating families rather than encouraging the hoarding of children as a source of self-righteousness? JMO
I had a friend, recently deceased at the young age of 68, who told a congregation of the “most noble” that “There is no such thing as true altruism unless it is done in complete silence and anonymity with no benefit to oneself. That warm feeling you get from giving isn’t saintly generosity…it’s self-satisfaction.” (I copied his exact words from his recorded sermon because I loved the way some of the most pompous wilted at them.)
Excuse me…that should have read “more altruism THAN is really in play.”
Yes, I did do that article back in 05 – my mother nearly disowned me!!!
Yeah, let’s not talk about Jackson….my little sisters got to go to Massillon b/c they hated it so much, but i was stuck at Jackson b/c my mom thought it was “just me”. Right…..
As for the richies….trust me, we live in the “ghetto of Jackson” (back near Lake Cable/Lake O Springs, by the Strip) so I’m right there with ya!!!
Gotta love MUC though!!! lol
Danger! Danger!
Someone with the audacity to have a sense of humor!
I’m sorry to say that in the China adoption community it isn’t uncommon to hear APs say, “I adopted one Chinese child, and after an hour I was hungry for more . . . . ” as an explanation for thier second adoption. Sigh.
Even sicker than the potato chip comment, IMO.
Dr. Ray is doing a great thing by adopting kids who otherwise would go without a loving home.
And then he insults them. He’s nothing but a kid kollector, an adoptive octamom with
There will always be those who stubbornly cling to the mythology of the saintly adopter. This “Dr. Ray” is a child hoarder and probably addicted to the idea of his own, self-manufactured nobility of character.
Anon…what’s your connection and why don’t you have the courage of your convictions enough to use your name?
I happen to know Ray and his wife — not close but enough to know their character. First, I think the quote in question is most likely taken out of context. He’s making a joke. I just picked up Ray’s book this week so I’m only a couple of chapters into it but so far so good. Yeah, he likes to joke but I wouldn’t say he’s a quack. And he’s a great parent — his kids are sweethearts.
I just stumbled on this site looking for something else on Dr. Ray and I was a bit taken back by the generalized character attacks on a person that the comment maker did not even know. On the other hand, I know that many of you have been hurt in some way and I am sorry to hear that. Nevertheless, if we all went around formulating generalized attacks on certain groups then we would end up in a very cynical state.
And yes, Dr. Ray is often cracking jokes, so be careful not to take a joke out of context. Finally, I wonder what you would prefer to being adopted? Do you really think state run homes give a more secure home than a family that chooses to give a child a home and a family (even with all their imperfections)?