Betty Draper

Mad Men's Betty Draper Francis clearly needs someone to talk to. But on last night's episode, the 1960s housewife resisted going to a therapist. It's not that the mother of three on her second marriage doesn't value the help of a trained professional. Happy to have someone, anyone, to listen to her, she'll gladly share her problems with her daughter's therapist. But when that child psychologist nudges Betty toward seeing an adult professional, she puts up a wall of denial, making it clear that it's one thing to talk to a professional about your 10-year-old's problems and a very different thing to admit you need help yourself.

Perhaps Betty's previous experience seeing a psychologist is to blame. Dr. Wayne was happy to talk man-to-man with Don, telling him that Betty had the emotional maturity of a child. In the 1960s, it became more and more popular to work with a therapist, but it must have been hard to trust mental health professionals completely, as at least 50,000 people, including unhappy housewives, were lobotomized in the early 1960s. Even if most housewives were ignorant of extreme cases, the pressure to be perfect was probably enough to keep them from admitting they needed help.

Today, therapy is widely popular, and we don't have to fear that our therapist might talk behind our backs with our husbands or that we'll get lobotomized, but many women still worry about the stigma associated with getting the help of a therapist. Do you?

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Do You Worry About the Stigma Attached to Seeing a Therapist?

Yes — I try to solve my problems myself.

Not really — But I keep it mostly private that I see a therapist.

No way — I'm proud that I work things out with an unbiased professional.

Should daddy's girl have gotten her way? In last night's episode of Mad Men, the tension between Sally and Betty mounts and the child boards a train destined for Don. While the ad man indulges his daughter to a point, he turns her down when she asks to live with him — even when she pleads. What is your opinion?
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Mad Men: Should Sally Draper Live With Don?

Yes — Sally's miserable with Betty.

No — Don is a mess of a man.

Does the father of a woman's children always tug on her heartstrings? In last night's episode of Mad Men, Betty gets jealous when she runs into Don and his date. While the mother of three is remarried and has primary custody of the kids, her feelings for her ex are still apparent. Is it impossible for a mom to completely get over the person with whom she procreated?
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Mad Men: Will Betty Always Have a Weak Spot For Don Draper?

Yes — Women have an intense connection with their children's fathers.

No — Attraction can end despite having children.

It was a call of shame rather than a walk for Don Draper in last night's episode of Mad Men. After a long (and hard to recall) celebratory evening for winning an advertising award, Don is snapped out of his slumber when Betty phones him to ask why he hasn't yet picked up their children. The hungover father of three fakes sick and spends the day dazed and confused on his sofa instead of with his offspring. Were his actions understandable or inexcusable?
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Mad Men: Did Forgetting His Kids Make Don Draper a Bad Dad?

Yes — Don should never have forgotten his kids.

No — Don's human. Every parent makes mistakes.

Betty Draper talks to everyone but her daughter about touchy issues. In last night's episode of Mad Men, the tight-lipped mom flipped (and consulted a psychiatrist) when she found out Sally had been exploring her body. Being a parent can put even the most open-minded person into embarrassing situations. When issues arise, do you chat them out with your child or avoid the awkwardness altogether?
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Mad Men: Betty Draper Avoids Touchy Subjects, Do You?

Yes — Touchy subjects are tough to discuss with kids.

No — If you talk about everything, there are no touchy subjects.

Divorce continues to divide the Draper family in last night's episode of Mad Men, but both parents have moved on. Don distracts himself with work and a steady flow of women while Betty looks to Henry for support. Despite the adults' ability to move on, it's much more difficult for their kids. In a sweet letter to her father (on her brothers' behalf), Sally tells Don what she wants most for Christmas is to have him home. Do you think divorce affects children more than their parents?
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Mad Men: Does Divorce Take a Bigger Toll on the Children?

Yes — Divorce is most difficult on children.

No — When a couple splits, it's just as hard on the parents.

In the season four premiere of Mad Men, we see Betty and her new husband, Henry Francis, still living in the Draper house. While Don is anxious for the couple to move out of his house, it's clear that Betty and Henry have gotten comfortable there. Betty has redecorated the master bedroom, replacing her tufted velvet headboard with a Federalist-style turned wood one, her gold outline quilted coverlet with a jacquard blue blanket, and her white Hollywood Regency lamp with a bulbous blue one. It seems that with a new relationship comes new décor for the former Mrs. Draper.

Are you with Betty? Do you cleanse your house or bedroom of your former furnishings and redecorate when you're in a new relationship? Or do you just leave it at replacing the photographs?

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New Relationship, New Décor?

New relationship, new décor!

New relationship, same old décor.

Divorce divides the Draper family as season four of Mad Men premiered last night. While Don puts long hours in the office and lives in the city, Betty continues to reside in the former couple's suburban home with their three children — Sally, Bobby, and Gene — and her new husband, Henry. Though the young mother's primary concern seems to be her marriage, and Betty has questionable (at best) parenting methods, she is the kids' primary caretaker. Don has a better rapport with his youngsters, who are happy and relaxed around him, but their visits are infrequent. Which Draper do you think is a better parent?
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Don or Betty Draper: Who Has More of a Parental Instinct?

Don Draper — The kids are happier with him.

Betty Draper — She's the constant presence in the kids' lives.