The Martinez family

Season 4 Episode 16
Wednesday 07 May, 2008 - 9/8c on ABC

With dad Sindo Martinez working as a civilian contractor in Iraq, his wife Michelle is left home alone for months at a time with three rambunctious children – Sindo, 9, Ashley, 7, and Mikey, 6. Mom is easily overwhelmed and rides a daily rollercoaster of emotions, waiting for Dad’s regular email to reassure her he has survived another day. Her frequent crying, yelling and overreaction to the kids prompts them to respond in kind with hostility and behavior that quickly spirals out of control – Ashley throws giant temper tantrums in public, so Michelle is reluctant to take the children out. She feels enormous pressure to fill the role of both mother and father, and though dad calls as often as he can, phone warnings hold little threat when he’s half a world away. Can Jo help these parents ease some of the pressure of this new family dynamic?