Phil Davis smacks his children and curses at them. He expects Debbra, a working mom, to handle all childcare responsibilities for their family, as well as cleaning the house, but she can never meet his standards and he offers no help. He ridicules stepdaughter Morgan, 15, for dressing provocatively when she dresses modestly. Chaotic mornings filled with yelling and lots of childcare duties have resulted in Morgan, an excellent student, being late for school almost every day this term. Jo tells Phil that his behavior is going to break his children's spirits.